Local eats: Grand Rapids Brewing Company

by: Samantha Suarez

Situated in the heart of downtown on Ionia and Fulton, Grand Rapids Brewing Co. prides itself on its generous beer selection and its passion for everything local. As for my experience, the pub started off strong impression-wise with its stylish but eclectic ambiance (not to mention the old school arcade games!) With all the brick and wooden elements with the random (but welcome) pops of color, Grand Rapids Brewing Co. would be the interior design version of the cool, older cousin you had growing up.

I started off with the “Handsome Lil’ Devil,” a cherry sour ale. They should consider renaming it to the “Sneaky Lil’ Bastard.” And I mean that in a good way! It was fresh and fruity, but surprisingly tart and gingery at the same time. Plus, I felt a buzz from halfway through my first glass. The Scotch Egg appetizer had a nice crunch to it. With its saltine cracker crust and house mustard on the side, the flavors complimented each other nicely. The stand-out for me, though, were the Super Dank Fries. For those who might not know, GRBC’s famous Dank Fries are beer-battered and sprinkled with what they refer to as a “secret seasoning.” The Super Dank Fries are the same thing, plus pepper-jack cheese sauce, bacon, and candied jalapenos. Super dank indeed, right?

Photo by David Specht

In the Philippines, we have a term called “pulutan,” which comes from a Tagalog word meaning “to pick up.” Colloquially, we use it it refer to food that you eat (usually by picking up with your hands) while drinking beer with your homies–sort of like Spanish tapas. Super Dank Fries has earned the title of “The Downtown Pulutan” in my book! (Disclaimer: The author of this review is highly biased to anything with melted cheese on it.)

For my entrée, I wanted to go a little bit more adventurous, so I picked the most seemingly exotic item on the sandwich menu. While GRBC’s 1-800-Hotline-Beef burger was the 2016 Grandwich Champion, I figured it didn’t need more attention, so I went with the Wild Boar Burger. The patty itself was on the dry side. I’ve only had wild boar dishes once or twice prior to this, so I’m no expert on the subject, but I have read that it does tend to dry easily when overcooked, due to its lean nature as a meat. I will say that the sweetness of the bacon jam and the white cheddar cheese contrasted with the spicy flavors well… and the grain bun was nice and crisp outside, but comforting and soft inside.

photo by Adrian Sotelo

Coming from a country known for its hospitality, I also might add that I also thoroughly enjoyed talking to my server at the bar. He had a righteous beard. I’m aware that has nothing to do with the quality of his service, but I thought you’d all like to know that anyway. When my boyfriend and I ordered the burger to share, it was already cut in half for us and served on separate plate–and we were constantly being asked if everything was okay or if we needed anything else.

All in all, I give props to GRBC for trying to be a little bit different from most of the large breweries/pubs downtown… and will definitely be back for more beer and Super Dank Fries. There’s not much else to say on my end except: Dank you very much!