Grove

OVERPRICED but tasty and very good service by Erin, hence 4 stars.
Michigan — don’t forget tax payers have saved your ass more than once.
Grilled asparagus: delicious.
Lamb: OK
Wagyu beef: not at its top quality and three small pieces on top of plenty of beans and veggies was filling but felt a bit unfair, and certainly overpriced at $ 35.
Deserts: small portions (thanks) and OK.
Ambiance: lively, and surprisingly packed on a Monday night.
Service: Attentive, relaxed, not pushing us for eat and get the hell out. I managed to have a great visit with my friend. Our server, Erin was sweeter than any southern gal but perhaps because she was from Seattle (?).
I will go back if i am in the area.

Disappointed. Grove has always been our go-​to place when we wanted a stellar meal, good atmosphere and an excellent wine list. Ate there last night and were disappointed that the format of the tasting menu has changed, and not for the better. Instead of a wealth of well-​crafted small plate choices with just enough food to satisfy, the choices are minimal, the quantity of stuff on the plate has increased, and sadly, the quality of the food has declined. Thank goodness the wine list didn’t fail us, and service was fine.

Our go to place when we crave some top notch food and inventive cocktails. If you want to have something familiar (best shrimp and grits) or try something new (skate wing-​mmm!), you can find it on their menu. You can show up in black tie or jeans and a tee and not be out of place. If its just the two of us, we skip a reservation and usually can pop right up to the bar, where you can order full menu and watch the bartenders expertly and make artistic drinks. Never disappoints.

Sadly I’m just shocked… my SEVERAL trips to the grove over the last couple of years has been stellar. I just can’t understand what happened to the food. It’s like an alien abducted the chef. Everything used to be very much attention to detail focused and unique.
I ordered the chicken liver pâté with buckwheat biscuit, sorrel and rhubarb, expecting something done with the rhubarb and sorrel, some acidic to round out the heaviness of the pâté. Well it was just sliced and put on top of the pâté.
I then ordered the Korean bbq pork belly taco with black beans, cabbage, and kimchi crème fraîche. Again, it was like boiled pork shoulder… not braised in an amazing sauce but actually it in some bland broth. I can make way better tacos at home! Seriously disappointed… was expecting a crispy yet moist piece of pork belly. At that point I was done eating… decided I wasn’t to thrilled.
The only saving grace was the bartender. Super nice and well educated in his craft.
I miss the old grove. Seems like they are now catering to the masses… your safe dishes, like flat iron steak, roasted chicken, a typical fish dish, and a pork loin dish.
To be fair I came from Austin which the food scene is impeccable… the old grove could of faired well in Austin, the new grove not so much.
Super sad that this will is no longer be on the top of my list for a dinner destination.

An amazingly good restaurant and which has maintained a stellar dining experience over the 5 years or so since they opened.
The décor is simple and elegant as you are greeted by consistently friendly and adept staff. There is a fairly open dining area and a cozy bar area as well. It is comfortable and upscale without being pretentious or snobby.
I always enjoy an excellent cocktail at the outset and both the «Grove Fashioned» and the Perfect Manhattan are outstanding and always made quite strong.
The menu format has changed a bit over the years, with the three sections being replaced by two (a «Starters» and a «Mains», while the Snacks & Cheese section is still there.)
Much of the food is sourced from local, sustainable farms and businesses and it really is artfully crafted into something wonderful. It achieves what several other restaurants in GR aspire to but can’t attain (I would say a good analogy is that Grove is to Terra GR what a Bentley Continental is to a Chrysler 300.)
Recently, I especially enjoyed the Collard Green Hush Puppies and the Deviled Eggs to snack on, followed by the Barbecue Chicken Taquitos with a great apple pico and harissa verde. Lastly, I tried the Wagyu Flat Iron steak with parsnip grits and black butter. Everything was amazing. For dessert, we got an order of the Salted Dark Chocolate Fudge with bourbon syrup and crème fraîche. And I always get an order of Dilley’s Butterscotch Pudding to go.
I did notice that the prices have increased from years past (the «Taste of Grove» menu with 3 options for $ 30 was probably not sustainable) and the new «Taste of Grove» is a Prix Fixe option, but the portions are larger as well. In my opinion, well worth it for such a great night out. If you love to cook, you will appreciate your meal even more. I will happily continue to be a regular here.

What an unexpected gem. I would expect to find this restaurant in Chicago or Indy though if it were in either place you could double the prices and still have a winner. Do yourself a favor and get the taste of Grove — 4 outstanding courses under $ 50. Nothing we ate was anything short of amazing. The salmon with buckwheat crêpe, whitefish and beet salad were our favorites of the night, though it was tough choosing. The sea salt chocolate fudge thing was awesome as well. They also have a very nice wine list. Can’t wait to come back here again and try some different options.

Whoa, hello Manhattan prices in GR! Friends and I came here for a drink after a party across the street. It was 9pm, so we were able to get a table, and service was lovely. The cider I drank was tasty, but I did not care for the deviled eggs at all. Definitely a place for a special night out.

So worth the drive, the food was fresh, inventive, and tasted amazing. A great vibe, great wine & beer list. Loved that they had a vegetarian menu available. We sampled many items off the starter menu. My husband’s favorite was thus amazing dish that I can’t remember how to spell, but I am uploading a picture of it. Definitely recommend this establishment!!!

I made reservations for a group of 7 of us a few weeks back– we made the reservation for 830pm. We arrived right on time and we had a wait for our table. We moved to the bar area (which is pretty small) and ordered some drinks to wait. While waiting in the pretty crowded bar area, we overheard another group (much smaller than ours) complain that they had already been waiting over a half hour after their reservation time. We ended up being sat roughly 20 – 30 minutes after our reservation time as well. The restaurant was very busy, and it appeared that people were lingering at their tables longer than the hostess had anticipated.
Our waiter was very nice and knowledgeable. He was also very attentive throughout the evening.
We started with the deviled egg appetizer– they were good. They did not knock my socks off, but they were a good standard deviled egg. I think I expected a little more from them because it is Grove.
I ordered the Warm Beet Salad to start– it was… THE BEST salad I have ever had. If you can call it a salad. it was. just amazing. Warm beets, kale, phyllo dough ring, and a warm «gravy» or dill sauce. It was just magic. I went with two of the street tacos for my main entrée as I knew I’d be pretty full by then. They were also awesome! I actually had to take one home, too! Highly recommend those! I ended with the olive oil cake. This was by far the most lackluster dessert I have ever had. It really had no taste. The description made it sounds heavenly… but in reality it was very bland. Thankfully it came with ice cream on the side, it saved the plate.
Other things ordered around the table: pork– mediocre reviews. chicken and dumplings– very good.
The whole meal came out pretty quick, so you were never left waiting for the next course to arrive… very prompt!
Final review– I LOVE Grove. I think the food is amazing and I love the ambience. We will definitely be back, hopefully while the warm beet salad is still on the menu!!!

Had a really great brunch here on Easter. They squeezed us in last minute.
Service was moderate, but helpful when questions were asked. Food was A+
Gotta try the donuts with the espresso glaze. You will NOT be disappointed.

When in Grand Rapids then this is place to be for dinner. This was a party of 3 that ate like a party of 6. This was not because we had large appetites. This was because we couldn’t stop ordering and eating and therefore created a large appetite. Just delicious food all around.
We had from Charcuterie, Indian Brook Trout, Seared Ahi Tuna, Culver Duck with home-​made Ramien, Local Mushrooms 3-​ways and Shrimp & Grits. Yes a lot of food but a lot of various tastes and aroma which just pleased the buds and slowly satisfied the hunger. Just outstanding food and service. The trout and the duck were juicy and extremely flavorful yet light enough that it does not overpower the body.
Next time in Michigan… Grove it is.

I love Grove. I’ve eaten here multiple times and each time has been great. You just feel good eating their dishes. The first time I ate here we got the:
Potato Gnocchi with root vegetables, brussel sprouts
Prosciutto salad
Cobia Carpaccio (blood orange, fennel, celery, apple, radish, blood orange gastrique)
Trout with cauliflower
Paella
Orecchiette
Panna Cotta
Salted Dark Chocolate Fudge (brown butter dipped Field & Fire brioche, bourbon syrup, crème fraîche, peanut praline)
Atmosphere is a bit upscale/​trendy but it’s quite alright if you’re dressed casually. Make reservations or try to grab a seat on their outdoor patio. Don’t forget dessert!

In addition to the delicious dinners they now do brunch! We came in today for their first ever brunch service and it did not disappoint. If you are tired of the same desert options at the same places in town this brunch will be perfect for you!
Every single menu option is something you really won’t find anywhere else in town. The cocktails are fantastic and they even have affordably priced starters.
Our favorite items were the chicken liver French toast, the expresso doughnuts (with a subtle parsnip flavor) and the home made biscuits. The drinks were excellent as well.
Overall if you love their eclectic and fun dinner menu you will love this new brunch in town.

We went here based on all of the good reviews and recommendations from others. The food was delicious. The salmon ceviche was my favorite course. The dessert, some fudge thing with brioche in the middle, was delicious as well. My wife had butterscotch pudding, which she loved.
Given the price point, I did not find the service to be acceptable. I have no problem paying The Grove’s prices for a special meal, but service needs to match the prices. In general, the service was not attentive. The service was not rude or snooty by any stretch of the imagination, just inattentive. For example, we were given a «snacks» plate, but no one explained what it was. My wife and I both still had a glass of wine, and the server brought the bill. We were not lingering /​staying beyond an acceptable time frame. On a positive note, we ordered an extra course last minute, and the server got it out quickly. I was impressed by that.
As far as ambiance, I found it too loud and crowded, but that’s just me. I don’t want to be within elbow’s reach of the table next to me when I am eating at a nice place. This place just wasn’t for us I guess.

Came here for birthday dinner — my 30^th! I’ve been meaning to come to Grove for a long time after hearing so many rave reviews, so I had pretty high expectations. We ordered off both the regular menu and the vegetarian menu, since we are currently eating seafood but no other meat.
My wife and I decided to order a variety of items to share. We started with a cheese plate; a semi hard cheese served with spiced raisins and almonds. Delicious, salty-​sweet, nutty and balanced. Next we had the crab wonton crackers; sort of a crab salad with a jalapeño on top, with a sweet sort of sesame glaze on it. Super yummy and once again, very balanced and not too spicy which I appreciated.
Next we shared the mushroom dumplings with sauerkraut. I was picturing a fairly heavy dish but it was actually light and small; tiny dumplings filled with mild mushrooms in a broth with some sauerkraut on top. We agreed that the sauerkraut was tasty and the dumplings were interesting– very light, not intensely flavorful in a super earthy broth with microgreens and dill. I enjoyed the earthy taste but my wife wasn’t as crazy about it.
We shared the carbonara entrée, which was compromised of bucatini pasta and mushrooms with sautéed onions and an egg yolk sauce. My wife loved this dish but I was so so on it; it just lacked any real punch of flavor and seemed a bit boring to me. The fresh pasta was nice, however. For dessert we had the butterscotch pudding, which had a salted caramel layer, whipped cream, and a shortbread cookie. This is a small dessert but it packs a punch of sweetness and flavor. It was very delicious.
The portions here are light, so order with that in mind. Although the dishes are somewhat pricey I did feel that the ingredients were well prepared, fresh, and unique.
The one serious bone I have to pick with this whole experience was the tea I ordered (strange, I know). I ordered the decaf Earl Grey Roobios. The tea I got was delicious and hot, served in an individual tea pot which I’m kind of a sucker for. However, I am fairly certain I got tea with caffeine, which I’m fairly sensitive to. I didn’t feel the effect right away, but as we finished up our appetizers I started to feel very anxious. I felt better when I realized the tea was probably caffeinated and I wasn’t losing my mind or anything, but it’s nearly 2 AM and I am not tired at all! For me it’s not the end of the world, but some people with heart conditions or anxiety disorders really cannot have caffeine, so it’s important to pay attention and be thoughtful when someone orders decaf. Ok– end of my rant. Overall a very enjoyable dining experience, and we plan to return to try more items.

My expectations for this place were pretty high based purely on the 4.5 star rating. Sure, the reviews were mixed, but surely I’d have at least an above-​average dining experience. Sad to say, that was not the case.
The décor is hodge-​podgey and the noise level at dinner on a Saturday night was on par with a Chili’s. The service was slow and lacking. I ordered a Moscow mule, but requested raspberry vodka if available. The waitress told me she would check and let me know if it wasn’t. When she came back, she brought my drink and stated, «We don’t have raspberry vodka.» I would have liked the opportunity to choose a different drink if they couldn’t make it as I ordered. Minor annoyance and it detracted from the experience. The Moscow mule, however, was amazing. Highly recommend.
For appetizers, we ordered the artisan bread plate and toasted brassicas. The artisan bread plate was good, but not extraordinary. The accompanying dips were garlic oil, sunflower hummus, and ginger butter. The toasted brassicas were delicious, but something I can make it home. My date also got the shrimp and grits. He raved about them, but with the taste I got, the grits had a sweet doughy flavor I didn’t care for (almost like raw flour). For entrees, we got the potato tacos and sweet and sour ramen. The potato tacos were insanely spicy (not mentioned on the menu), but otherwise good. My date loved the sweet and sour ramen. We didn’t try any desserts.
Underwhelmed is the best word to describe our experience. From the service to the food to the atmosphere, it was just okay. The price tag for us was a little too high for just an okay experience.

OK, so you who know me know I like it swanky, trendy and classy. BOOM! Nestled among cool Victorian and older homes turned establishments, it fits right in.
You could pass it right by, but DON’T!
The Shrimp n Grits… Not dinner but a delight for the light pallate. Creamy, savory and served hot! The recipie did not match the Menu before me, but so what! I missed the sesame and harissa, but loved the Al dente potatoes and herbs. Some might not like hard potatoes but the dish was tasty.
Next, the Prosciutto Arancini. Delicious, although i needed an aioli to moisten and I did not see or taste one smidgen of prosciutto… perhaps I’ll pass on these next time.
The photo is of the artisan breads and «dips». Tasty but I expected a little more excitement. Sigh…
Maybe I could have made better choice?
Lastly, y’all know I «likes ma liqqa… They serve local Vodka and Gin… Who knew, eh? I enjoyed a chilled martini and then another. Total bill, $ 50. The drinks were $ 14.50 each.
Well, I was only here for work, but I might return again.

Another favorite restaurant of mine in Grand Rapids. I deducted one star only because we head to wait about a half hour past our *reservation* time and pretty much got shooed to the bar. Go ahead and sue me, and call me picky or whatever you want, but when I was in London at Balthazar’s, they were so apologetic about our wait (we waited less than 20 minutes and expected to because of its popularity) and they treated us to a bottle of champagne. And they actually talked to us and kept us updated on how things were progressing with our table. Talk about great hospitality. I digress.
I remember coming to the Grove awhile back and tasting the best shrimp and grits I ever had in my life, and I’ve had my fair share of eating this southern comfort dish. I could tell you about the other dishes that were good and another dish that was so-​so and bland. But the shrimp and grits were so good that I cannot even focus anymore on anything negative, lol. I sincerely hope this dish is still on the menu, if not, I hope it’ll make a comeback :) I can’t wait to return and eat here again!

It’s a little mind boggling to me that this place has such a high rating. Perhaps my palate is really unsophisticated, but Grove was all sorts of weird. Let me backtrack a little.
My brother-​in-​law, a self proclaimed foodie, saw this place on Unilocal while visiting Grand Rapids and suggested it. I had eyed this restaurant in the past but always ended up voting against it because I suspected it was one of those «weird» restaurants. My suspicions were finally confirmed.
Let me just say that, first of all, it’s a very pretty restaurant, and the staff are all knowledgable and attentive. My issues are solely with their Frankenstein’s monster food creations. An example: my grits had tahini, jalapeño peppers, sweet grapes, and Japanese spices, if I recall correctly, in it. WHY? It was as weird as it sounds, and not in a good way. I felt like everything I had was like this… throwing together stuff that really shouldn’t be together just to be artsy, or whatever. Nah, guys. It’s just kinda lame.
The best part of my meal was the Field & Fire bread (duh), and the butterscotch pudding. Everything else was kind of whack and stupidly complicated.
I can appreciate that Grove is trying to make cooking interesting, and I like that they put so much emphasis on their food being farm fresh. But, seriously, guys. Stop making things so complicated!

For some restaurants, rare ones, you want that extra star, a sixth star. This is such a restaurant!
Traveling solo, I stopped in, eventually ordering a gnocchi appetizer, a tomato salad, a sea bass entrée and for dessert a bread/​cake with sharp cheddar cheese.
Along with this cornucopia of great plates and tastes, I ordered a craft cocktail, bourbon as a base, which was as great as the meal.
Describing the dishes may not be as useful as sometimes since they change items frequently. They feature what is currently best and available. I went with the three course offering and it seemed a good decision for a good example of their exceptional offerings.
A special thank-​you to my server, Megan, who after consultation, recommended the tomato salad.
Think back to when you had that perfect tomato – years and years ago, before any idea of engineering food. Think of that taste, intensify it by 5 and then slightly vary it with different tomato varieties – now if you have that image, you get the idea of how good their tomato salad was.
Definitely 6 stars.