47 Best American Restaurants in Grand Rapids

“Mark was Awesome! Food Was Awesome and drinks were Fantasic! We are sooooo happy we stopped in here!“

“Have been twice, about 2 years apart. It really is an experience. Beautiful food and service. On the way home my wife and I decided to make Grove our anniversary tradition. Thank you for the lovely evening.“

“Unique and creative craft food and drink menu, all reasonable priced. Staff is friendly and professional. Best river front restaurat in Grand Rapids. Plenty of FREE parking after 5pm. Highly recommend if you're looking for a new dining experience. They will not disappoint!“

“Highly recommend dining here. Everything we had from appetizers to main course was outstanding. The staff went above and beyond and were very friendly. It was by far the best quality dining out meal we have had in a long time. 5 stars!“

“This restaurant came recommend to me as the best steakhouse in Grand Rapids. I was not disappointed. The staff was friendly (Kathryn) and answered all my questions. The atmosphere is perfect for a fancy date. Very romantic setting to impress. I don't drink alcohol and they had an alcohol free 0% Giasen Merlot which was exquisite. I started with French Onion Soup and Cheese Popover Muffins. For an entree, I had Australian Rib Lamb Chops with a Mint Demi Glase. For a side, I enjoyed Brussels Sprouts with Honey Dijon Mustard Sause. Everything exceeded my expectations and the Merlot paired nicely with the Lamb Chops. I highly recommend the Chop House as a must visit dining destination in the heart of Grand Rapids.“

“Great Food! Awesome service.“

“Was in tonight for dinner in GR on the front patio with a couple girlfriends and we were approached by a homeless man who tried to grab our bags. I’m reaching out to praise your manager and the rest of the staff for taking our concerns seriously and jumping into action. Top notch team you’ve got there. You were already a go to spot for us, but even moreso now. Thank you for a great spot, delicious menu, and for making your patrons safety a top priority!!“

“Yesterday was my first time eating here and the food was amazing! As someone who has had celiac disease for over a decade and had never eaten at a 100% gluten free restaurant, the experience was surreal. 🥹 To be able to look at a menu and order anything I wanted was an incredible feeling. The food was delicious and staff were very friendly! I am so thankful to have had this experience and I will be back soon! (Also, I highly recommend the mozzarella sticks❤️)“

“Love the diner feel. The food is amazing, fast. the staff super friendly. We will definitely be back.“

“thanks 🙏🏽 the family is doing good“

“This place has socialize on the way but if you're having too much fun they'll tell you they have to serve another table amd tneed you to cash out. If you want to have fun and socialize...I Do NOT recommend you go to West Sife Socal because that is not the vibe of this place. More like ANTI social!!! Don't go...parking and socializing is terrible.“

“Had dinner here last night with some girlfriends before a show at DeVos. The fries and sauces are amazing! But the highlight? The elephant ear with vanilla ice cream!!! Our server did an excellent job and we loved the outdoor seating!“

“First timer. Huge portions. Top notch customer service. Very accommodating to our family with smaller kids.“

“I’m being 199% honest; this place, this experience is the most amazing experience I have ever had in my entire existence. It’s like this place was literally created for me by the universe/my subconsci“

“Food and service was excellent Bartender Christopher was excellent Drinks were amazing as well Vanilla sky, espresso Yoself, tin something c at remember , all good We had the deviled eggs, bbq sliders, fish and chips and the duck 🦆 eggrolls“

“My girlfriends and I met at Blue Water for dinner tonight. Our waiter named Will made our dinner so enjoyable and fun. Our dinner came out so fast and the food was delicious. We split a dessert that we all didn’t care for. The General Manager Sheena came over immediately and offered us to try something different. She brought us a new dessert. She was so sweet and personable.“

“I couldn’t even take pictures this time. Fam took me for Father’s Day and I got the Cherie Inn special with their homemade sausage and shared a crab cake w my wife. Dear god! It was all life changing. Wonderfully cooked, and delicious. Served swiftly by veteran servers doing an amazing job making you feel welcomed.

Go. Soon.“

“Applebees is always a classic for "fine dining." Food is good, however some consider it slightly overpriced.
I enjoy the Shark Bowl drink. Though a lot of the times they don't seem to have the gummy sharks to put in them. Last week I got a gummy strawberry in my Shark Bowl instead of a Shark!
It was still good though!“

“The Old Goat restaurant was so good. Service was top notch. Our server Bailey was new and did a great job!“

“Great food and service 👌“

“Dinner just this week. Food was, as always, delicious and very well presented! Service was attentive, efficient, and energetic. A really good wine list! Varied regions and countries with representatives of some of the best and best bargains from “old world” and “new world.” We can verify the wine mark-up is absolutely minimal! We had the walleye and shortribs. Both were really delicious! The kind of food one expects to find in NYC, Chicago, SF, etc. Hats off to this husband and wife team that know how to do it up so well, providing outstanding food, wine, and service!! We will keep coming back!“

“Friendly people, great service, the food is delicious. Like it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“We are a Greek family and love the Greek dishes that Leo's Coney Island offers. We have dined there frequently, often bring friends. The food is always good and the service fantastic. That being said; however, we have decided not to dine there any longer during the cold months, as the owner chooses to keep the dining room quite frigid. We heat our home at 68 degrees and are comfortable at that temp. We have tried mutliptle visits to Leo's Coney Island this winter...and each time the dining room has always been uncomfortablly chilly. When we pay to go out to eat, dining with our winter coats on and still being cold is not a relaxing or enjoyable dining experience. We gave it another try last night visiting around 5:30pm (hoping the furnace was turned up). The dining area was extremely C-O-L-D! This could be why there were not many customers there? We asked the waitress if the heat could be turned up, and she replied, "No, the only person allowed to adjust the temperature is the owner, and he is not here". NOTE to Owner: Saving money by turning down the heat in the cold of winter does not provide a pleasant dining experience for your customers and certainly cannot be good for your business! So...we'll see you in the summer?.... ~ Chuck and Denise Antonopulos“

“I had a great experience at Olives tonight. Everyone from the hostess (Elise) to our waitress (Emily) exemplified great customer service. A couple of my favorites were the brussel sprouts and the lychee drink. We will be back!“

“Convenient.

- Cheeseburger Basket - $11.75: The cheeseburger was taken from a warmer. The cheese was melted, but solid and stuck to the bun and tore the bun while trying to add toppings that were given separate from the cheeseburger. The toppings were very fresh and crisp, however. The burger patty was still juicy and cooked good. The bun was still soft and fresh.

- Fries (included in basket): Crinkle cut and on the thinner side. They cooled really fast and were tough. Eat them immediately. They needed a bit of salt, too.

- Super Pretzel - $6: Soft inside and lots of salt. It was on the darker side and tough, but okay.

- Service: Fairly immediate and helpful.

- Conclusion: You are mainly paying for convenience here. It is not bad, but it is nothing much to write home about. The burger was okay.

Visited on a Friday (Fourth of July) at 3:30pm.“

“Everybody enjoyed their meal choices...cooked perfectly. No doubt we'll be back when in town.

Vegetarian options: Best baked spinach artichoke dish ever! Better than homemade. The walley fish selection was awesome. Dittoes for the buttered pasta dish. Fish and chips...kind of small portion ...fish was excellent not so the fries. Bravo to whoever handles the kitchen!“

“I had the meatloaf and it was delicious, now I have to go back and try the shrimp pesto😀“

“Fantastic new menu! The folks at Stella's have knocked it out of the park for their 15th anniversary menu. Went with friends and we couldn't stop talking through the meal about how good the food was. Can't wait to come back and try more! Reasonably priced with good portions, too. THE spot to casually hang out downtown in a bar/restaurant hybrid atmosphere.“

“Great service here and great food for the whole family

Parking: Fast service

Kid-friendliness: Yes, kid friendly

Wheelchair accessibility: Bring your wheelchair as this place is wheelchair accessible!“

“We had a server last evening named Christine, maybe Christina She made our evening absolutely wonderful Funny, energetic, and provided fabulous service Food was great, but she was the real star of the night Management, please give her an atta boy!! That young lady is going far in life.“

“We were immediately seated when we arrived. The service was good. The guys thought the stout and flights were tasty. I ordered the Traverse City Reisling which is always good. For dinner we ordered the special bacon Mac and cheese (a favorite), the mushroom pizza (amazing wood-fired pizza with several types of mushrooms and cheeses), the Pad Thai (a large serving of deliciousness), and the acorn squash special.“

“My daughter and I went to Cork Wine & Grille for an afternoon birthday lunch! The food was delicious. We had shrimp tacos, recommended by our server, Haley and for dessert a peanut butter pie. Great service and excellent food, we will definitely be back!“

“We came to try out the city sen restaurant. My husband had the mushroom goat cheeseburger. He said it was juicy and flavorful --no condiments necessary. I had the beef quesadillas. although this was on the shareable menu, it was quite large enough for me as a meal. The food was good, but it was the little amenities that made it very special --the unique silverware, carafe of ice water and pleasant ambient music in a modern setting made it a very special place for our date. It was fun to people watch through the open air windows. ( they fold close to keep in the AC if needed )Alex the manager shared with us some things we want to come back for, live music, etc. definitely planning to go back!

Wheelchair accessibility: The restrooms are quite large with low sinks and wide stalls. Although they are on the lower level, the elevator is also large and quite quick.“

“Had an early dinner. We were dressed extremely casual but were treated like celebrities. The food was spot on as the blueberry brie, brussel sprouts, filet mignon, crab & shrimp saffron risotto and pretzel crusted walleye were exceptional. The staff took care of us like family. Our sweet waitress even made a list of places we needed to visit in West Michigan. Our maître d' made us feel welcome and returned often to be sure we remained that way. Overall we couldn’t have had a better dinner. Thanks and kudos y’all.“

“I have breakfast or brunch here every time I'm in the area, and I am never disappointed. The staff here is so warm and welcoming. The restaurant itself has a nice, clean, modern vibe. The avocado toast is the best I've ever had! 💕“

“Just visited last night and the staff and the atmosphere was amazing! Highly recommend!!!“

“Great food and great staff good vibes all around never a bad time at cbj“

“Who can go wrong with BBQ, and Smokey Bones knows their BBQ. Food and drinks are amazing. Shout out to the friendly and professional bartender Kelsey for making the visit extra enjoyable.“

“This was my first time at this restaurant and I can say that the food was very good . Braylin C was my server and she was nice and gave great recommendations from the drink menu. Things was busy so there was a bit of wait but Braylin made sure I was good“

“Excellent service! Delicious food! My only issue (which doesn’t change my rating) would be the strong fish smell that smacks you when you walk in. But apparently if you’re a dude there are urinal games! I won’t post a picture though… not very appetizing to see a urinal when trying to find good food!“

“Went in to watch Tiger game - had mysic on but once Rob Butler realized it was the first playoff game in 10 yrs he had the play by play turned on. It was electric!! People jumping around! Great pizza and ask for Amber to wait on you.“

“Seen a post about them and decided to try them out and I’m happy I did! They are very nice and the food is very good! Definitely recommend, it’s worth a try.“

“Incredible sour dough breads! Hope they are back soon. No bread this good in Grand Rapids.“

“greetings to you my name is Dr Ogbebu am a herbal practitioner and am specialized in diseases and virus with my herbal exploit,I cure different kinds of sickness such as : herpes Parkinson fibroids“

“I recommend taking the place in as a whole. The story, the owners, the service, the food, the folks sitting next to you ready to have a friendly conversation. You just have to see it for yourself.“

“The food was delicious and very filling! I highly recommend if you are visiting Grand Rapids to check this place out!“

“Great menu selection, great service.. the sweet potato breakfast - I do not recommend… 🤷🏼‍♀️ went out elsewhere for a 2nd breakfast..“