Guidebook for Grand Rapids

Lizzie
Guidebook for Grand Rapids

Food Scene

My favorite restaurant in the area. Great drinks. Farm fresh, delicious food. Modern atmosphere.
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Terra GR Restaurant
1429 Lake Dr SE
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My favorite restaurant in the area. Great drinks. Farm fresh, delicious food. Modern atmosphere.
One block away. Great pizzas. They also have delicious cocktails if you're not into beer!
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Harmony Brewing Company
1551 Lake Dr SE
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One block away. Great pizzas. They also have delicious cocktails if you're not into beer!
One of the best restaurants in Grand Rapids. Unique dishes. A little pricey, but worth it. Would recommend calling for a reservation to be safe.
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Grove
919 Cherry St SE
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One of the best restaurants in Grand Rapids. Unique dishes. A little pricey, but worth it. Would recommend calling for a reservation to be safe.
Delicious coffee shop! Great vibe. The owner, Lori, is so great. A few seats outside and many inside. Lots of magazines if you're looking to just relax and read.
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The Sparrows Coffee & Tea & Newsstand
1035 Wealthy St SE
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Delicious coffee shop! Great vibe. The owner, Lori, is so great. A few seats outside and many inside. Lots of magazines if you're looking to just relax and read.
An Eastown staple. People come from all over to get Yesterdog. My favorite is the Ultradog. :)
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Yesterdog
1505 Wealthy St SE
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An Eastown staple. People come from all over to get Yesterdog. My favorite is the Ultradog. :)
If you go to Reserve make sure you look at the beautiful water painting hanging above the bar. This piece was the first ArtPrize grand winner.
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Reserve Wine & Food
201 Monroe Ave NW
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If you go to Reserve make sure you look at the beautiful water painting hanging above the bar. This piece was the first ArtPrize grand winner.
Personally I think Maru is the best sushi in town. It has a nice modern atmosphere and is located right in the East Hills neighborhood. (+ They do take reservations.)
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Maru Sushi & Grill
927 Cherry St SE
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Personally I think Maru is the best sushi in town. It has a nice modern atmosphere and is located right in the East Hills neighborhood. (+ They do take reservations.)
Tasty tacos and margarita's that take your tastebuds straight to Mexico. I love it here. It's a great spot to sit outside on a nice day!
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Donkey Taqueria
665 Wealthy St SE
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Tasty tacos and margarita's that take your tastebuds straight to Mexico. I love it here. It's a great spot to sit outside on a nice day!
If you're looking for a cup of coffee and a delicious breakfast sandwich - this is the spot. Bonus: it's only about a 2 minute walk from my house.
GR Bagel
423 Norwood Ave SE
If you're looking for a cup of coffee and a delicious breakfast sandwich - this is the spot. Bonus: it's only about a 2 minute walk from my house.
One of my favorite brunch spots. It's got all your classic breakfast faves, the staff are super nice and it's located right in the East Hills neighborhood.
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Cherie Inn
969 Cherry St SE
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One of my favorite brunch spots. It's got all your classic breakfast faves, the staff are super nice and it's located right in the East Hills neighborhood.
The Old Goat is in Alger Heights so if you're trying to check out different neighborhoods this would be a fun spot to hit. They opened in 2015 and have great food, good drinks and a nice atmosphere.
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The Old Goat
2434 Eastern Ave SE
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The Old Goat is in Alger Heights so if you're trying to check out different neighborhoods this would be a fun spot to hit. They opened in 2015 and have great food, good drinks and a nice atmosphere.
Derby Station is right in East Grand Rapids' gaslight village. Tasty food. Also a good place to watch a game or enjoy a beer. A great walk on a nice night!
Derby Station
2237 Wealthy St SE
Derby Station is right in East Grand Rapids' gaslight village. Tasty food. Also a good place to watch a game or enjoy a beer. A great walk on a nice night!
Unique flavors of locally made ice cream. A little pricey but DELISH!
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Furniture City Creamery
958 Cherry St SE
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Unique flavors of locally made ice cream. A little pricey but DELISH!

Essentials

Awesome spot for wine, cheese, beer, liquor, specialty grocery items.
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Martha's Vineyard Fine Wine & Gourmet Grocery
200 Union Ave NE
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Awesome spot for wine, cheese, beer, liquor, specialty grocery items.
Great grocery store. Nice deli options. Starbucks located inside.
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D&W Fresh Market
1814 Breton Rd SE
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Great grocery store. Nice deli options. Starbucks located inside.

Shopping

Tiny but super cute shop! Dann & Chip are artists who create fun (and often funny) gift + home items. Worth stopping in!
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Rebel
1555 Wealthy St SE
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Tiny but super cute shop! Dann & Chip are artists who create fun (and often funny) gift + home items. Worth stopping in!
Although Hunt & Gather is kind of located on the "outskirts" of town it is a GREAT shop with unique vintage/modern items, and it's a shared space with local abstract painter, Jeff Kraus.
Hunt & Gather
Although Hunt & Gather is kind of located on the "outskirts" of town it is a GREAT shop with unique vintage/modern items, and it's a shared space with local abstract painter, Jeff Kraus.
The Downtown Market should be on your list - they have a creperie, an awesome seafood spot called Fishlads where you can get a delicious fish sandwich, authentic Mexican, sushi, Slows BBQ, etc.!
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Downtown Market Grand Rapids
435 Ionia Ave SW
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The Downtown Market should be on your list - they have a creperie, an awesome seafood spot called Fishlads where you can get a delicious fish sandwich, authentic Mexican, sushi, Slows BBQ, etc.!
The Cakabakery is a walkable bakery with amazing cupcakes and other sweet treats. Plus, it's located in a windmill(!) and is owned by an awesome guy named Jason. This is an Eastown gem.
Cakabakery
919 Fulton St E
The Cakabakery is a walkable bakery with amazing cupcakes and other sweet treats. Plus, it's located in a windmill(!) and is owned by an awesome guy named Jason. This is an Eastown gem.
Located in a former auto shop, this boutique offers a curated selection of women’s clothing and accessories. I love shopping here!
Lee & Birch
759 Wealthy St SE
Located in a former auto shop, this boutique offers a curated selection of women’s clothing and accessories. I love shopping here!
Hand crafted art and apparel with designs based around woodcuts and the outdoors. Each product is handmade here in Grand Rapids and each run is a limited edition. Cute, fun gifts!
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Woosah Outfitters
738 Wealthy St SE
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Hand crafted art and apparel with designs based around woodcuts and the outdoors. Each product is handmade here in Grand Rapids and each run is a limited edition. Cute, fun gifts!

Drinks & Nightlife

This is a good spot to go if you want to check out the West Side. They make great spirits + mixed drinks. I'm friends with the owners so I'm partial, but it really is a fun, new spot! :)
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Long Road Distillers
537 Leonard St NW
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This is a good spot to go if you want to check out the West Side. They make great spirits + mixed drinks. I'm friends with the owners so I'm partial, but it really is a fun, new spot! :)
Pyramid Scheme is kind of a hipster bar with pinball/etc. but it is also a concert venue and they bring great acts to town. Worth checking out, if you like intimate concerts!
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The Pyramid Scheme
68 Commerce Ave SW
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Pyramid Scheme is kind of a hipster bar with pinball/etc. but it is also a concert venue and they bring great acts to town. Worth checking out, if you like intimate concerts!
Visitors from around world always seem to want to visit Founder's Brewing! They also frequently have good music at night so I would check that out if you like breweries!
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Founders Brewing Co
235 Grandville Ave SW
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Visitors from around world always seem to want to visit Founder's Brewing! They also frequently have good music at night so I would check that out if you like breweries!
If you like to dance, this is a great spot to be on Friday nights. They usually have good DJs and it's a lot of young people. It's kind of a hole-in-the-wall but that's part of the charm. ;)
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Rocky's Bar & Grill
633 Ottawa Ave NW
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If you like to dance, this is a great spot to be on Friday nights. They usually have good DJs and it's a lot of young people. It's kind of a hole-in-the-wall but that's part of the charm. ;)
If you're in the mood for a glass of scotch or a martini in a dark, quiet bar, this is the spot. Located in the Amway Grand Plaza the Lumber Baron Bar is a favorite for a quiet cocktail.
Lumber Baron Bar
187 Monroe Ave NW
If you're in the mood for a glass of scotch or a martini in a dark, quiet bar, this is the spot. Located in the Amway Grand Plaza the Lumber Baron Bar is a favorite for a quiet cocktail.

Sightseeing

You can do a self-guided walking tour through Heritage Hill to see some of the beautiful homes in this historic district. A fun thing to do on a nice day!
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Heritage Hill
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You can do a self-guided walking tour through Heritage Hill to see some of the beautiful homes in this historic district. A fun thing to do on a nice day!
Alexander Calder's sculpture, "La Grande Vitesse" is a Grand Rapids icon. It's located in Calder Plaza and worth seeing if you're exploring downtown.
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I-Calder Plaza
300 Monroe Ave NW
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Alexander Calder's sculpture, "La Grande Vitesse" is a Grand Rapids icon. It's located in Calder Plaza and worth seeing if you're exploring downtown.

Arts & Culture

The Grand Rapids Art Museum is located in the city center and always has wonderful exhibits. Highly recommend!
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I-Museum yabantwana yaseGrand Rapids
11 Sheldon Ave NE
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The Grand Rapids Art Museum is located in the city center and always has wonderful exhibits. Highly recommend!