Top 15 Affordable Restaurants in Grand Rapids, MI

Lorne Kasenow III What a great place! Located on the bottom level of an old and occupied apartment building. The vibe is 60’s retro and we loved it! Grace, our server was fantastic and knowledgeable. The food was so delicious and the twice cooked wings were some of the best we had the flavor and the sauces were outstanding! My partner got the classic cheeseburger and he said it was great, and I got the taco-ritto which had cheese, ground beef and Fritos in it, and it was delectable! This will be our new staple for when we are on the west side of the state! Cheers!

Dax Hiestand Cool little spot downtown, had a gigantic pretzel for appetizer!! It was served with mustard, cheese, and cinnamon butter (that was not so great). It is seat yourself which was fun to watch right before a concert but also quite efficient. Tables turn over alright and there is some outside seating. Decorated well, prices were reasonable. Our waitress was good and the location is nice downtown. Men’s restroom was down at our visit but they do also have 2 unisex stalls and a women’s room. Maybe worth a visit if your are in Grand Rapids, fries are crispy and good but slight sweeetness which is odd and unique.

Stacy Roelofs My sister and I made reservations here to celebrate her birthday and we were sat right away with a place card showing we were celebrating a birthday which was a great touch! Our waiter gave us a quick rundown of the menu and some of his personal recommendations. Our drinks and food both came out quickly after we ordered them and everything was delicious. You can tell that everything was local or scratch made too! The service was stellar, the drinks were balanced and refreshing, and our food was the top quality I would have expected. I would definitely recommend checking them out!

justin This place is awesome. Came here for the variety of vegan options we saw on the menu and we weren’t disappointed. It was a busy Saturday night, with a basketball game nearby and a show happening at the pyramid scheme, so we had to wait like a half an hour for a table. No big deal, there’s pinball and NBA jam and other arcade games around, go enjoy yourself and wait for the text! We got our table and were taken aback by the great prices per portions of food. All of the wing sauces are vegan and you have two ways to enjoy them, we went with the “poor man” option which are like big potato wedges covered in sauce. We got the crunch wrap and the vegan chicken sandwich and holy shit both were delicious and very… dense. Like seriously it was a ton of food. The NA beer they had was something i had never seen in my life, some lager but it was absolutely delicious? And my fiancé’s cocktail - the HATERADE - was awesome and a great deal at $10. Service was perfect, they were on top of everything and the vibe here just rules. This is a place you can’t miss out on.

Spedrock W The food reminds me of my childhood. It is the stuff that made Sunday after church dinner so special! And we are blessed to be able to have it here in our area. All the comfort food you need is here. I ordered the fried chicken dinner with my two sides of greens and mac n cheese and a corn muffin. My husband ordered turkey knuckles with gravy. He chose spaghetti and Cabbage as his two sides. He opted for the hot water cornbread. We decided to eat on site. My husband said the turkey knuckles and gravy were very flavorful. He was happy with his sides too. I havent eaten chicken this good since my momma passed. My sides were just delicious. I had the homemade raspberry ice tea. I encourage you to try this. Get a large because it is that good. Well be back for sure!

Andre Diaz First visit and I’m a believer! This is my new favorite breakfast spot in GR! Been meaning to try this place and finally had the opportunity today and it did not disappoint!! We used the wait list and rec’d confirmation, then another text when our table was ready. We were warmly greeted and seated. Nick our server quickly arrived greeted us, shared the specials and drink menu. Our order arrived quickly and everything looked amazing. We dove in and what a wonderful experience, every bite was delicious. The food was hot and Nick kept the coffee mugs filled. I had the kicking chicken Benedict-absolutely a winner!! My wife had an omelette and GF pancakes, all of which she loved. From the beginning to the end an amazing meal. Great service, delicious food. The restaurant has a beautiful interior. Loved it!!

Heather (Liam) From aesthetic to the staff, the atmosphere at Scholar is cozy in the best way. The whimsical swirling fire lamps drew us inside, and we were greeted by kind smiles and immaculate vibes. Seth looked after us and he was SO lovely and helpful. We were in full costume (Halloween), as were the staff, and headed to a concert after--Seth helped us make the best menu decisions to meet our needs and allowed us to split a soup and entree so we werent uncomfortably full going out after. Every recommendation he made was proven to be the right one. We had the crab cakes, mushroom soup, and the short rib (so when you see the picture know that is a half portion). We did not wait to send recommendations to our friends who live in the area (we were visiting from out of town), and cant wait to come back for our next trip. A huge thank you to Seth, and all of the staff we humble Hobbits interacted with during our visit.

Chelsi May We were visiting Michigan from out of state and looking for a chill place to eat, We visited The Old Goat on a Monday at 5 or so pm, this place was jumping! The energy was a vibe, we ordered early enough for happy hour too! JT was our server and his service was impeccable! He was knowledgeable about the menu gave his recommendations AND crowd faves. Let’s be honest JT was a whole vibe just himself even if the food was bad (which it was amazing) I still would have returned because our service experience was probably the best we’ve ever had. Hubby had a few yeunglings and I had a Cider (first time, recommended by JT and it was delish) We got apps first - Deviled eggs but remixed like green bean casserole they were so good and Bizzy Grizzy (a biscuit/muffin top texture) with cheese and some sauce dip, there were salt flake sprinkles on top and this was so savory paired perfect with the dip sauce. My hubby got the Mac Daddy and ofcourse I had to taste test that, it was absolutely delicious. I got the pick 4 - lobster bisque soup, it was very rich and creamy, Uncle Cesar Salad, the Emily Reuben and some french fries. The pastrami was slice perfectly not too thick or too thin and the entire Reuben itself was delicious, my favorite was the pumpernickel bread it’s made with. For dessert we order a goat cheese cheesecake with crumbled nuts and that really hit the spot too. Everything was perfect all around.We will be back the next time we’re in town and will 100% be asking for JT!

Kayla H We went in for a birthday dinner and were absolutely blown away. The extra touches to making the special day even more special were wonderful. We ordered the 8oz Hanger and the Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf as well as the Brussel Sprout appetizer. All of which were delicious. Our server was lovely and did an amazing job. The whole experience was above expectations.

Lindsey C The Rez is one of my favorite restaurants in Grand Rapids. Their candied Cajun bacon is the best bacon Ive ever had, and I highly recommend it. The staff is also great, and super helpful. My kids wanted to split a burger that I was picking up to go, and they offered to split everything into two separate containers for me without me even asking. For food recommendations I would definitely recommend the bacon, their avocado Cajun club, and the Jam Session burger.

Sue Stauffacher Wow! We worked with Tia Juana on a deluxe taco bar for my son and daughter-in-law’s rehearsal dinner. It was fantastic. The birria tacos were a hit and their core ingredients can accommodate a number of eating styles-omnivore, vegan, vegetarian, a must for large parties. The food was delicious, the vegetables fresh, the homemade sauces and tortillas next level!. It was reasonably priced for the quality. Thank you, Tia Juana, for helping to make this event a success!

Brett Skipper Stopped in for dinner while visiting from out of town. They were debuting a new menu the night we came. We tried several of the new dishes. Everything was delicious but the acorn dish really stood out. The service was friendly and efficient as well. We really enjoyed our time here and would return!

Doug Duff First, our hostess seated us outside and let us know immediately where the restroom is located. Our server, Mary, was quick to bring us our water and a craft filled with water. Those two things makes this establishment above most. Mary was attentive and prompt. The food was excellent, quality mixed greens salad, not white romaine or iceberg lettuce. I tried the turkey sandwich and salad. Tasted great. My wife tried the large salad with chicken and she thought it was excellent. The outside patio was nice, not garden like, but still nice.

Doug Priore We came in here on a Monday evening for Happy Hour. Drinks and apps overlooking the water. Fantastic atmosphere. Our server was Cam and he was very attentive. He made our experience top-notch. We got a couple of pub style pizzas and some appetizers including their homemade root chips, and shrimp tapas. I had a bit of everything and topped it off with a Bell’s brown ale (or two.)

B bell 20 out 10. I mean top tear service to start. The food was hand crafted and phenomenal!I had the hangover burger and substituted the pretzel roll for a biscuit. When I say best burger i have ever hand i swear by it. HOPCAT THANK YOU!