Grand Rapids Beer City USA

By
Greg The Frequent Miler
-
6

I recently had the opportunity to visit Grand Rapids, Michigan (AKA Beer City USA) for a couple of days. I tagged along with my wife as she attended a conference there.  Even though we’ve lived in Southeast Michigan for the past 22 years, and we’ve toured a lot of Michigan, I had never before visited Grand Rapids.

My verdict: If you’re nearby, it’s definitely worth a stop.  If you have young kids, or you’re really into beer, then it’s worth going out of your way to visit (but for very different reasons obviously).

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, which I like to call “FM Gardens,” is absolutely awesome.  Whether you enjoy gardens or cool statues / artwork, don’t miss a visit.  We actually went twice: once when we arrived in town, and again before leaving.  The best part for families is undoubtedly the children’s garden within the park.  Seriously, it’s like outdoor Disneyland for little ones (I’d guess that ages 2 to 10 are the sweet spot).  If you have kids in that age range you should really consider planning a summer trip to west Michigan to make this one of your stops (but don’t miss heading north from here to visit Sleeping Bear Dunes as well!).

a man lying on a bench next to a statue of a man
Taking a break at the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids Michigan
a view of a pond and trees and bushes
Japanese Gardens at the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park.
a woman standing on a statue of a horse
Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. “The American Horse was created by famed animaliere, or animal sculptor, Nina Akamu. The work was inspired, in part, by a work created by Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci for the Duke of Milan in the late 15th century.”
a statue of a person standing on a bench
Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park

JW Marriott Grand Rapids

We stayed at the JW Marriott downtown.  I highly recommend it.  The rooms were fairly small, but river views were great, the staff was great, and the club lounge was decent.

a view of a city from a window
View from the hallway. JW Marriott Grand Rapids 22nd Floor
a bottle of beer and a plate of food
View from the JW Marriott Grand Rapids Lounge
a room with a view of a city and a tall building
JW Marriott Grand Rapids Lounge
a row of containers of nuts and chocolates
JW Marriott Grand Rapids Lounge. I love that they provide to-go cups for the snacks!
a buffet with many plates of fruit and muffins
Breakfast fruit tower at the JW Marriott Grand Rapids Lounge
a bowl of food and glasses on a table
JW Marriott Grand Rapids Lounge. Cold breakfast selections.
a kitchen counter with food on it
Small hot food selection at the JW Marriott Grand Rapids Lounge.

Beer

Grand Rapids has a gazillion local breweries.  If you check in at 8 of them you can get a free “Brewsader” t-shirt.  I only made it to three and forgot to check in at the second two anyway.  I started with the Grand Rapids Brewing Co, which is very close to the JW, then I made my way to Founders, and finally to Brewery Vivant after a bit of sightseeing.  Contrary to what I expected from reviews, the Grand Rapids Brewing Co was by far my favorite.

Grand Rapids Brewing Co.

a woman standing at a bar
Grand Rapids Brewing Co
a group of glasses with drinks on a wooden stand
Beer Flight at Grand Rapids Brewing Co.  As the bartender learned my preferences she kept handing me additional samples.  I was a bit tipsy on my way out the door.
a plate of food on a table
Delicious Scotch Egg at Grand Rapids Brewing Co

Founders Brewing Co

Founders was too big and touristy for my tastes…

a person holding a drink in a bar
Founder’s Brewing Co. View from the bar.
a group of people in a restaurant
Founders Brewing Co
a pretzel with a spoon next to a bowl of cheese
Pretzel at Founders Brewing Co. Mine was a bit stale. Not a fan.

Brewery Vivant

Brewery Vivant has an amazing interior and would be an awesome place to hang out with friends. I wasn’t too drunk, but I was simply too full to enjoy the flight I ordered…

a group of people sitting at tables in a room with a large window
Brewery Vivant (housed in a refurbished historic funeral home in Grand Rapids Michigan) has a stunning interior. Great local spot.
a row of glasses of beer on coasters
Beer flight at Brewery Vivant, Grand Rapids MI

Frank Lloyd Wright Meyer May House

A few days a week, volunteers give free tours of this original Frank Lloyd Wright house.  If you’re in-town on one of these days, definitely take the time to visit!

a house with a garden and trees with Meyer May House in the background
Frank Lloyd Wright Meyer May House
a desk and chair in a room with stained glass windows
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Meyer May House in Grand Rapids Michigan
a room with a chair and a rug
Frank Lloyd Wright Meyer May House

Grand Rapids Downtown Market

A couple of people recommended the Downtown Market.  I did stop here on my way from Founders to the Frank Lloyd Wright house, but I was too full of beer to consider buying any food.  The food options looked great though.

a group of people in a room
Grand Rapids Downtown Market

San Chez Bistro

Members of our Frequent Miler’s Insiders Group on Facebook recommended this tapas restaurant, which happens to be right near the Grand Rapids Brewing Co.  It was excellent.

food on a plate
Excellent Tapas at San Chez Bistro, in Grand Rapids Michigan.

Gerald R. Ford Museum

I was surprised to see the Gerald R. Ford Museum right across the river from our hotel since I know that the Gerald R. Ford Library is in Ann Arbor, where I live.  It turns out that Ford’s is the only presidential museum and library that has separate locations for each.  He grew up in Grand Rapids, but attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

a man holding a child
Ford welcomes Vietnamese refugees. Photo taken at the Gerald R. Ford Museum in Grand Rapids Michigan
a room with a round table and chairs
Oval Office replica at the Gerald R. Ford Museum, Grand Rapids Michigan.
a large conference table in a room with flags
Cabinet Room replica at the Gerald R. Ford Museum, Grand Rapids Michigan. Museum attendees are invited to sit around the table for the video presentation.
a yellow shirt with a football and a ball
Go Blue! Photo taken at he Gerald R. Ford Museum, Grand Rapids Michigan.  Ford was a Michigan football star when he attended the university in Ann Arbor.
Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

6 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Kyle

Ah, western Michigan. Easily the best part of my state if you have the time to enjoy the whole coast. Love the shoutout to the gardens.

0
Reply
Jonathan

Greg, I had no idea you were in southeast Michigan! Fellow detroiter here as well.

0
Reply
Greg The Frequent Miler

You should join our meetup group: https://www.meetup.com/Ann-Arbor-Miles-Points/

0
Reply
alex

Hey! that’s my hometown! Next time your there I also advise hitting up Hopcat and Stella’s Lounge. Hopcat can get really busy but the crack fries are great! and stellas is a pretty low key place that has a great whiskey lounge. Glad you had fun there!

0
Reply
Greg The Frequent Miler

Thanks. Will have to try Stella’s next time. We have a Hopcat in Ann Arbor

0
Reply
Rye

Uggh, just passed from Grand Haven.. didn’t k ow where to take guest around

0
Reply