While we may be known as Beer City, Grand Rapids and beyond are stepping up the culinary game every single year here.
Sadly, those gains have come with some losses. Local favorites like Brick Road Pizza and Wikiwiki Poke Shop have closed doors due to, well, you know why. While we mourn their absence, we also want to celebrate all the fantastic eateries we do have!
One of our favorite categories every year is best New Restaurant, because you only get one shot to win it. Last year was MDRD, a restaurant at the top of Amway Grand Plaza and at the top of the game, with a weeks-long reservation list.
This year is Social Misfits, a very different restaurant that uses waffles in just about every possible combination. Savory ramen waffle? They have that, and it’s delicious. What about a waffle with bruleed banana, bacon, peanut butter ganache, and maple syrup? They have that too. It’s a special place that doesn’t play by the rules and welcomes all misfits, outcasts and weirdos.
In second place is Café Mamo, a small restaurant (not a coffee shop) in Creston making incredible food with almost entirely local ingredients. They designed and built much of the restaurant themselves, and that work ethic and intentionality comes through in the food as well. It’s a special place developing a devoted following.
In third place we have Shkodé Chophouse, a new restaurant at Gun Lake Casino! “Shkodé is the Pottawatomi word for fire and that’s what you’ll find here.” Steaks, wood-fire grilled meats, seafood, charcuterie — they have it all. It’s like a chop house, but slightly more casual.
While many favorites stayed the same this year, we also saw upsets! Here are just a few that stand out:
San Chez took Brunch.
Martha’s Vineyard won Desserts.
Sweet Racks & Smokin’ Butts BBQ suddenly appeared to win Food Truck.
Cousins Tasty Chicken edged into first place for Fried Chicken.
Bombay Cuisine took Indian cuisine back!
Le Kabob moved into first for Mediterranean cuisine.
Sovengard won Most Innovative cuisine this year.
Despite the name, Quarantino’s is here to stay, and joined the Pizza finalists.
Little Bangkok won Thai cuisine.
MudPenny is now the leading Vegetarian/Vegan food.
BAKERY
Nantucket Baking Company, 1st
nantucketbaking.com
Field and Fire, 2nd
Rise Authentic Baking Co., 3rd
BBQ
Two Scotts BBQ, 1st
twoscottsbbq.com
Slows Bar BQ, 2nd
Daddy Pete’s BBQ, 3rd
BREAKFAST
Real Food Café, 1st
realfoodcafe.com
Wolfgang’s Restaurant, 2nd
Anna’s House, 3rd
BRUNCH
San Chez, 1st
sanchezbistro.com
Lucy’s, 2nd
SpeakEZ Lounge, 3rd
BURGERS
Stella’s Lounge, 1st
stellaslounge.com
Bridge Street Burger Shack, 2nd
7 Monks Taproom, 3rd
CHINESE
First Wok, 1st
firstwokgr.com
Gaslight Asian Kitchen, 2nd
Red Bowl, 3rd
COFFEE
Madcap, 1st
madcapcoffee.com
Sparrows Coffee, 2nd
Squibb, 3rd
DESSERTS
Martha’s Vineyard, 1st
mvwines.com
Nantucket Baking Company, 2nd
Mokaya, 3rd
DINER
Matchbox Diner, 1st
matchboxdiner.com
Grand Coney, 2nd
Royals, 3rd
FOOD TRUCK
Sweet Racks & Smokin Butts BBQ, 1st
sweetrackssmokinbutts.com
Patty Matters, 2nd
Beviamo! Mobile Bar, 3rd
FRIED CHICKEN
Cousin’s Tasty Chicken, 1st
cousinstastychicken.com
Hancock, 2nd
The Southerner, 3rd
FRIES
HopCat, 1st
hopcat.com
Stella’s Lounge, 2nd
One Stop Coney Shop, 3rd
HOT DOGS
Yesterdog, 1st
facebook.com/yesterdog
Rockford Corner Bar, 2nd
One Stop Coney Shop, 3rd
ICE CREAM/FROZEN TREATS
Frosty Boy – Grand Rapids, 1st
frostyboygr.com
Furniture City Creamery, 2nd
Love’s Ice Cream, 3rd
INDIAN
Bombay Cuisine, 1st
eatatbombay.com
Curry Kitchen, 2nd
Pind Indian Cuisine, 3rd
ITALIAN
Amore Trattoria Italiana, 1st
amoretrattoriaitaliana.com
Salvatore’s, 2nd
Palio, 3rd
MEDITERRANEAN
Le Kabob, 1st
lekabobgr.com
Sheshco Mediterranean Grill, 2nd
Zivio, 3rd
MEXICAN
Tacos El Cuñado, 1st
facebook.com/tacoselcunadobridgestreet
Donkey Taqueria, 2nd
Lindo Mexico, 3rd
MOST INNOVATIVE CUISINE
The Sovengard, 1st
sovengard.com
MDRD, 2nd
Houndstooth, 3rd
NEW RESTAURANT
Social Misfits, 1st
thesocialmisfits.com
Cafe Mamo, 2nd
Shkodé Chophouse, 3rd
PIZZA
The Mitten Brewing Company, 1st
mittenbrewing.co
Harmony Brewing Company, 2nd
Quarantino’s, 3rd
SANDWICH/DELI
Two Beards Deli, 1st
twobeardsdeligr.com
Schnitz Deli, 2nd
Boardwalk Subs, 3rd
SEAFOOD
Leo’s, 1st
leosrestaurant.com
Fish Lads, 2nd
Beacon Corner Bar, 3rd
SOUP
Uncle Cheetah’s Soup Shop, 1st
unclecheetahs.com
Horrock’s, 2nd
Electric Cheetah, 3rd
STEAK
Butcher’s Union, 1st
butchersuniongr.com
The Chop House, 2nd
Bowdie’s Chophouse, 3rd
SUSHI
Maru Sushi, 1st
marusushi.com
Jaku Sushi, 2nd
Ginza Sushi, 3rd
THAI
Little Bangkok, 1st
littlebangkokgr.co
Bangkok Taste, 2nd
Lai Thai, 3rd
VEGETARIAN/VEGAN
Mudpenny, 1st
mudpenny.com
Rise Authentic Baking Co., 2nd
Gaia House Café, 3rd
WINGS
Wing Doozy, 1st
wingdoozy.com
Detroit Wing Company, 2nd
Mike’s Wings, 3rd
