Eating Grand Rapids: Hop Cat and Grand Rapids Brewing Co.

I ate at two other restaurants in Grand Rapids worth mentioning, especially given that my craft brewing-boyfriend would have loved them both!

Hop Cat has an insane beer selection, as well as incredible pub food.  Seriously.  I'm used to a greasy spoon pub meal, but their select was great and it seemed to be a favorite with locals.  Beer Advocate even named them #3 Beer Bar on Planet Earth.  Props.

I went with the Turkey Bruschetta Wrap (their burger as a wrap, essentially) and the Crack Fries on the side.  Now, given I ate fries the night before at Reserve, I decided I would only eat half of these to try them.  And then I promptly ate them all.  They call these seasoned, beer battered delicacies "Crack Fries" for a reason.  Not only that, but the turkey was tender and juicy, and paired with the spinach, bruschetta, and pesto aioli it was great.  I think I liked it better as a wrap than I would have as a burger, since the wrap helped contain the chopped goodness.  A bun might have been a mess!

And being a crazy cat lady, their awesome logo of a cat holding a beer definitely lured me in a bit.  Note to self, find out if they sell t-shirts for me and Duke.


For my last dinner in GR, I met up with an old friend DP and headed to Grand Rapids Brewing Co.  What a great atmosphere!  It felt cozy and bustling, like an old familiar place.  Nice and laid back, but still not missing the mark in terms of menu offerings.

I started with their Brewer's Heritage, a Bavarian Hefeweizen that was delicious.  I'm not into hoppy beers, and if I could have taken a growler of this home I would have.  Super smooth and perfect for my tastes.

For dinner, I decided to try the Pulled Otto's Chicken, a sweet carolina BBQ pulled chicken sandwich with tomato & smoked mozzarella, all on griddled sourdough.  Yum.  I really loved the mozzarella holding it all together.  As a side, I chose a cup of their soup of the day, a chicken & lentil.

DP and me!

Everything was delicious!  Grand Rapids never missed the mark for me in terms of fantastic meals.  I would happily come back again to both Hop Cat and GR Brewing... it's just not your typical pub fare at all.


Sidenote:  As I am a food lover who indulges in great meals while traveling, I must lament that I don't get to take doggie bags home.  I love to write about these food extravaganzas, but I always feel bad at the end of an amazing meal when I haven't cleared my plate because the portions are just enormous.  And when I tell the server I can't take it home, I feel like it's wasted and sad!  Ah!  First world problems, indeed.  I'm not alone in this I hope.