50 Best Cafes in Grand Rapids

“Good iced Carmel lattes and amazing breakfast sandwiches and avocado toast! love the atmosphere.“

“I’ve been buying and drinking Schuil coffee for years. I live only minutes from the store location but I’ve ordered it online and bought it in the supermarket as well. My favorite is going into the store though. All of their coffee flavors I’ve tried, and it’s countless, have been high-quality, dimensional in flavor, and fresh. I have gifted this coffee more times than I can count. I will always support local business and especially one that is so important to our community and to coffee lovers. ☕️☕️☕️“

“Best coffee in town! Authentic European cafe experience.“

“My nephew and I shared a meal here today and our experiences ranged from very good to off the scale great. We tried a Hot Mess breakfast with eggs, potatoes, chorizo,etc; it was perfectly balanced (neither to spicy or bland), super fresh; loved it. We also got a grilled cheese, with pepper jelly. The bread was the best ever (toasted perfectly) and crunchy, and it wasn't to cheesy (some places put too much cheese which makes it messy) with just enough pepper jelly to create an original experience; and one of my favorite sandwiches of my life. The salad was the low point of the meal as it was merely perfect. We also got a chocolate croissant which was great and a pot de creme which was decadent and..can I say perfect again. This is my new favorite place“

“cute cute cute. first time visiting. vegan 'all day breakfast' item? um what's better. 100x better than your traditional starbucks. super good latte with oat milk and hot chocolate too. convenient drive thru. perfect option when you're hungry & need a pick me up. 10/10.“

“I had just got back for 10 days in Colombia and was still craving Bandeja Paisa. it tastes like I'm back in Medellín.“

“Delicious fresh cakes and desserts! I love to get the fruit filling in my cakes! Their cakes remind my family and friends of the types of cakes we have back home in Ethiopia, not overly sweet and perfect texture. They make all types of designs and I have never been disappointed.“

“I have ordered from 5 Knives several times for office meetings and every single time they are 100% accurate on the orders! Great food, great prices and even better service! 10/10!“

“Excellent assorted specialty coffees. The flat bread pizza was surprisingly good as well. Staff were all above and beyond in their service. Truly wonderful addition to Grand Rapids and Alger Heights.“

“Had the Birddog Sandwich today off the new menu. Excellent.“

“I really enjoy coming here for my Americano.Great barista ,quiet comfortable atmosphere,good Americanos with fair pricing.“

“The art alone is worth the trip, add to that the lavender honey latte with an extra shot!??!? Yes, please!“

“I love the revamp they've done. They got the new comfy seats that are HEATED! Which is amazing for people like me who don't produce their own body heat. The new aesthetic and decor feels kinda retro in a fun way. Makes me want to go see movies more often. Now I just need Hollywood to stop making sequels so I have something to go see. Thankfully we got Fathom putting my fav old movies back in theaters. Celebration please keep hosting their movies, forever“

“Great food and wait staff. The hostess needs some major training. She does greet you or make you feel welcome. No personality and not one smile.“

“This is a neat little place! Cozy atmosphere to work on whatever needs to be worked on! Fills up fast, tho!
The coffee is great. Haven't tried the food yet, but i suspect it will be delicious!
Thus far the staff has been efficient and helpful. Not necessarily always the friendliest, though. But I tip them anyway.

Great little coffee shop.“

“After my doctor’s appointment, I decided to explore a local coffee shop that was recommended to me. It’s owned by the brother of someone I know, so I was excited to check it out.

Finding parking was easy, and the place had a quiet, welcoming vibe in the morning. The exterior features a glass garage-style design, giving it a cool, industrial feel—likely a renovated auto shop turned into a cozy café. Inside, the space is modern with stylish furniture and soft lighting, making it a great spot to relax or get some work done.

I ordered a cold brew with vanilla and a granola mug. The atmosphere was really pleasant, with a comfortable setup and a great view through the glass garage doors, overlooking the street. Definitely a nice spot to enjoy a coffee and unwind!“

“Cool vibe , artsy , beautiful atmosphere, service and food and coffee are amazing!!!“

“Visited your Cafe yesterday and loved it. Very nice and welcoming. I had the best hot chocolate ever.“

“The Acai bowl I got was amazing with a perfect texture, lots of toppings, and perfectly fresh fruit. However the customer service could use a little work as I wasn’t greeted or addressed for quite a few minutes, I understand service can’t always be perfect just one area to improve on.“

“Clean, fresh food! Traditional breakfast items with fresh fruit and veggies!“

“Had an awesome first experience here! The owners were so kind and were excited to give us info about their food (we’re new to Nepalese cuisine). The dumplings and chatpate were so delicious - 10/10. We will definitely be back!“

“I have been going to Real Food for over ten years. Always delicious. Fantastic staff and excellent diner food. Best pancakes around.“

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

“Great atmosphere! I loved my cafe miel and egg skillet, delicious!“

“this café is in the embassy suites lobby and the service from café staff and the hotel is always so positive! They are always willing to go the extra mile to ensure satisfaction for the guests.

Dietary restrictions: they offer a variety of alternative nondairy milks“

“4 stars because of our wait. That could be our timing to eat.
The Chihuly sculpture on the ceiling is a must see. The outside eating space is lovely with sculptures and plants.
The food was good. We shared a chicken sandwich. Plenty for the two of us. Prices are like what you'd pay anywhere.“

“I regret not coming here before, we were visiting the garden and decided to eat our lunch there and being a vegetarian family it’s difficult to find options forget about the taste but but surprisingly I had awesome lunch in a very long time.We ordered everything from vegetarian/vegan menu and they were delicious , satisfying even simple jalapeño Mac n cheese tasted good .I am wondering why there are no reviews, our friend ordered tuna sandwich and he liked that tooThanks Balk cafe“

“Best bookstore in Grand Rapids“

“Best coffee shop out there!! 👍“

“Welcoming place. Kitschy decore. Great place to meet for business or pleasure. Just get there early to grab a seat.“

“Great service,friendly staff. Very accommodating.“

“Incredible fun for our 3 year-old. Sooooo many different toys. Tasty espresso drinks (and I'm picky). Priced well. Owner is an angel - I thought I'd have to yank my little man out during a really bad tantrum, and she was able to take him aside and calm him.“

“There is everything to love about this homey, eclectic coffee shop. From the delicious offerings of teas and coffees and even tasty gluten free sweets, there is something for everyone. Also a great place to pick up a gift handmade by a local artisan.“

“Jeremy does an excellent job giving his customers the best product with great value!“

“Wonderful staff! Family-friendly! Delicious food! Very reasonable prices!“

“Best coffee the service was great and I really enjoyed the outside sitting“

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

“Excellent food from excellent people!“

“Yo, listen up besties, if you have not parked your gluteus maximus at this absolute S+ tier seating arrangement, you are flopping in life. This ain't just a café, it’s a main character simulator.

First off, let’s talk about the vibes. You sit in their gorgeous, floor-to-ceiling fishbowl window, which means every single person walking by on the street gets to admire you like the Roman statue you were born to be. Am I drinking an overpriced oat milk cortado, or am I an exhibit in the Louvre? No one knows, but everyone is looking. The validation? IMMACULATE.

Like, I was sitting there in my slay era, sipping my little bevy, when some old dude I mentally named Hobo Joe stared for just a hair too long. And you know what? I didn’t mind. I get it, Joe. I’m a spectacle. We are all just players in my Truman Show, and this café understands that.

Now, let’s talk about the coffee. You ever heard of that bougie poop coffee? Yeah, the one where some little Indonesian raccoon-cat eats the beans, digests them (with LOVE), and then poops them out? That’s the coffee here, baby. They brew that. I took a sip, and I transcended. I saw colors that don’t exist yet. My great-great-grandma whispered the stock market tips of 2047 in my ear. This coffee is so artisanal that if you don’t understand it, you’re simply not enlightened enough.

So, in conclusion, if you have an ounce of taste, if you like to serve LOOKS to the public for free, if you want to experience the best fermented raccoon poop beverage of your life, then you need to get your cheeks into this café. 5/5 stars. Would let Hobo Joe stare at me again.“

“Clean, fresh food! Traditional breakfast items with fresh fruit and veggies!“

“I came in today and got a window seat to enjoy a cup of coffee. This location is so noisy, and the speaker right above me was blaring music at about 74 decibels. I don't think the employees in the back are aware of how loud the sound is when you are sitting underneath the speakers. I am having to leave because the volume was a serious annoyance. I asked twice for them to turn it down, and it's still just as loud: 74 decibels. Hearing loss starts at 75 decibels. Since the pandemic all restaurant have been playing music way too loud. 55-60 decibels is plenty loud enough for background music. Background music should be exactly that, background.“

“Great staff! Great coffee ☕️! A large Homeless presence which calls for compassion! it's not Biggby problem. etc, etc, etc...“

“The people who work here are amazing the music they play and they try to get to know you ❤️“

“Friendly atomsphere good food“

“Grat community of individuals working hard to bring great taste to the area!! Bravo ?“

“The service is quick and friendly. The food and coffee are excellent. However, it seems that as the semester progresses the staff are showing up later and later in the morning. Don't count on the cafe being open at 7:00 am as noted herein.“

“Great staff! Great coffee ☕️! A large Homeless presence which calls for compassion! it's not Biggby problem. etc, etc, etc...“

“AMAZING! The staff are always very friendly 😊“

“We've been there two weekends in a row for lunch because it was so good! The pizza and calzone were fantastic! My husband had two different sandwiches and liked them both (man of few words...) I will always crave that pizza dough!

Down sides are most of the tables we're dirty each time, the bathroom was dirty each time, and the hightop we sat at was very wobbly and so was one of the stools so we moved once another family left. Minor infractions but it distracted from the experience.

I'll definitely be back just for that pizza though!“