The Best Time to Explore Grand Rapids’ Food and Drink Scene Is Right Now

Eat and drink your way through this Michigan city with the new Flights of Flavor program.

Grand Rapidshas been on the microwave radar of solid food lovers across the country for years now : The metropolis was crowned“Beer City USA”in a internal online poll back in 2012 ( and rest the titleholder ) . More than a decennium later on , the laurels continue to roll in as Grand Rapids ’ full-bodied food and drunkenness setting continues to raise and evolve . Most recently , one writer dubbed it the“Craft Beverage Capital of the US,”acknowledging not just its craft beer scene but also its craft cider , meads , and spirits . And for the last two years , it has also ranked in the top 25 on an yearly listing of the“Best Foodie Cities in America . ”

All this recognition comes as no surprisal to locals . Michiganhas a tremendous amount of agrarian diversity and is a national drawing card in the product of many dissimilar crop : cherry , apples , asparagus , sugar beet , blueberries , stunner , Cucumis sativus , squash , Lycopersicon esculentum , and more . Grand Rapids is scag - splash in the midsection of verdant farmland and surrounded by the fresh water that give it all life . What you will find in Grand Rapids istruefarm - to - tabular array dining and grain - to - bottleful drinking .

In solemnization of the amplitude of flavors that can be found in Grand Rapids ( and across the state ) , the area has introduce a marque - new program calledFlights of Flavor , which encourages dining compartment to sip and try out the many antic offerings at local restaurants , breweries , bars , and specialty food shop class . Through this programme , visitor ( and locals ) can take advantage of usage “ flight ” at more than two dozen take part eateries , which admit flight of beer ( obviously ) , wine , whisky , and cocktails , as well as food and beverage coupling featuring oyster , pizza pie , tacos , bao buns , and even curated prix fixe meal . Just check into take part locations on your smartphone ( using thefree mobile pass ) when order from a Flights of Flavor menu and realize points that can be redeem for thymine - shirts , baseball game hats , flight boards , and more . Points can also be switch for donation to local charitable organizations .

Brian Kelly for Experience Grand Rapids

Flights of Flavor is an on-going , area - broad promotion with new locations and new offerings being add all the time , so you may eat ( and drink in ) your way through Grand Rapids one flight at a time . Below are just a few of the highlights from participate locations .

Broad Leaf Brewery + Spirits

Broad Leaf Brewery + Spiritsfirst opened its doors in 2019 in Kentwood with a focal point on emerge beer styles . ( call up all manner of hazy , spicy , West Coast , and other IPAs , fruit tartness , and new wrench on Graeco-Roman European styles . ) As a brand - new concept from the owners of farsighted - time local favoriteBrewery Vivant , Broad Leaf quickly gained a following as a mod American craft brewery ( and afterwards , distillery ) , enough so that just last class they give a 2d location on Grand Rapids ’ Westside .

The two positioning offer clearly different food and cocktail menus , and both are participating in the Flights of Flavor course of study . At the original location , they ’re tender a flight of four draught cocktails have their house - made spirits for $ 20 . Cocktail offering transfer seasonally , but you may expect options to admit their home vodka distilled from grapes and their house gin distilled from crimson wheat . Over on the Westside , they ’re serve up a “ Boards & Baos ” special , featuring four signature draft cocktail plus specialty bao behind for $ 30 . This flying of four fluffy posterior is just waiting to be ' grammed , so have your camera ready : Phone eats first !

Condado Tacos

Thisfast - casual taco chainnow has seven positioning in Michigan , including two in Grand Rapids , and it ’s offering a mini margarita flight for Flights of Flavor . For $ 18 you get to choose any three flavored mini theatre margaritas made with fresh fruit puree to create your own mini marg flavour rainbow . Choose from strawberry , peach , mango , descent orange , cucumber , jalapeno , prickly Pyrus communis , and Ananas comosus .

The mini marg escape pairs well with the fare of casual , flavorful Mexican American items . Get creative and add your own complementary pairing flight , like the “ Three Buds ” taste-tester of any three firm - made dips plus tortilla microprocessor chip . ( They have half a dozen dissimilar queso options alone , plus a variety of salsa and guacamoles . ) you’re able to then choose from their selection of suggested long suit tacos or choose to build your own from twelve of different choice .

DreamScape Desserts

Have you ever walked into a dessert store and find yourself suddenly stricken with decision paralysis ? Well , you wo n’t have to worry about that happening withDreamScape Desserts ’ “ Let There Be Cupcakes ” Flights of Flavor offer : For $ 20 , you ’ll get a flight of 12 mini cupcakes in 12 unparalleled flavors that change every week .

DreamScape Desserts specialise in usance patty , cupcake , and cooky , and they offer more than four dozen different flavors in their patty repertoire . Each week sport a different mashup of trajectory flavors , but some of the potential options might let in Death by Chocolate , Key Lime , Strawberry Shortcake , Confetti , Snickerdoodle , Cayenne Carrot , Banana Cream , Red Velvet , and so many more .

Love’s Ice Cream & Chocolate

AtLove ’s Ice Cream & Chocolate , they portion out the sexual love of their namesake desserts with people ofalldietary needs , offering a wide-cut variety of dairy farm - free , low - net - carb / keto , gluten - costless , and nut case - free options . The dessert workshop prides itself on using by choice source element in all its frozen treats and sweets , include non - homogenised , dope - fed , constitutional dairy farm and ethically and mindfully sourced drinking chocolate , virtuous vanilla selection , and cane boodle .

For Flights of Flavor , Love ’s is offering an ice cream trajectory feature any five toothsome flavors from its day-after-day lineup of 16 for $ 7.95 . prefer from the rotating excerpt of nearly 70 different traditional dairy ice creams or dairy farm - complimentary gelatos in smooth , creamy flavor that range from the classic to the more creative . ( Think chocolate coconut curry , whiskey fig , cardamom orange blossom , Mexican chili hot chocolate , and parentage orange mango . ) While you ’re there , be certain to also pick up some of their disingenuous deep brown and confections that are almost too pretty to eat .

The Mitten Brewing Company

There is quite possibly no well pairing for beer than pizza pie , so it stands to reason that “ Beer City USA ” would also be home to some top - notch PIE . The Mitten Brewing Companyis a vintage microbrewery and gourmet pizzeria that ’s been around since 2012 , the same year Grand Rapids was first baptise “ Beer City USA . ” It now has three locations throughout Michigan , from nearby Saugatuck to the city of Northport on the Leelanau Peninsula ( aka “ Up North ” ) .

The Mitten Brewing Company is extend both a beer flight and a pizza pie escape for Flights of Flavor . The beer flight allows guests to sample a survival of the almost two dozen beer they have on draft , ranging from tardily - drink lower - ABV beer in a orbit of classic and modern styles to heavily - hit IPAs and stouts , and plenty in between . thirsty patrons can also order a pizza pie flight , a taste tester of any six of their specialty pizza pie , include their rotate hebdomadal special . Try the barbecue - centrical “ Hog Heaven ” topped with pulled pork and chipotle barbeque sauce , or prefer for something meat - barren with the “ Field of Greens ” top with pesto , mozzarella , and a pile of fresh veggies . ( Vegan and gluten - detached options are also uncommitted for all pizza pie . )

One Bourbon

One Bourbon , a nationally acclaim whisky bar on Grand Rapids ’ Westside , has a pick of over 500 whiskies from all over the Earth , bring in it the distinction of being name one of“America ’s Best Bourbon Bars”in 2022 . The Browning automatic rifle ’s motto is “ Beer City was miss the Bourbon dynasty , ” and it certainly fill in the disruption . For Flights of Flavor , they ’re tender the “ Illusion of Control ” cocktail flight plus a star sign - made biscuit control panel ( you ’ll call for it to sop up all the bourbon ) .

You do n’t have to be a bourbon drinker to enjoy One Bourbon or even to delight the cocktail . Their trajectory features four from - dough key signature cocktails made with a range of spirits : the Burnt Orange and Vanilla Old Fashioned ( made with bourbon ) , Houdini ’s Paloma ( tequila ) , the Sakura Collins ( Japanese whiskey ) , and the extremely social media ready Honey Lavender Lemonade made with vibrant violet gin .

Railtown Brewing Company

locate in the picturesque townsfolk of Dutton just 20 minutes from business district Grand Rapids , Railtown Brewing Companyis a neighborhood hub . What started as a teeny - tiny taproom with no kitchen expanded into a brand - newfangled , two - story adroitness with a full kitchen and spacious patio in just a few years thanks to overwhelming community documentation . If you have n’t made it over here yet , check it out and instantly become part of the Railtown family .

Railtown serves a full dejeuner and dinner party menu and features 20 taps with beer , cyder , seltzer , and wine — all hand - craft on - site . For Flights of Flavor , Railtown is help their new “ Good Food , Good Mooed ” flights , couple three of their favorite beer ( including the popular “ Good Mooed ” milk sturdy ) with three sword - fresh snack - sized menu items , craft to complement the flavors of their beer conjugation . Their beerstagram / foodstagram biz is potent and their beer can art is legitart , so seize a buns on the patio for that upright diffused natural lighting and snap away .

Learn more about Flights of Flavorhere .