It’s easy to end up at the same restaurants every weekend. They’re familiar, everyone knows the menu, and when you’re hungry, making a decision feels impossible.
But Grand Rapids has an incredible local food scene that’s worth exploring.
If your usual dinner rotation includes places like Texas Roadhouse, Olive Garden, Chili’s, Applebee’s, or Buffalo Wild Wings, here are a few local restaurants that offer a similar vibe while giving you a chance to support Grand Rapids businesses.
Here’s a quick cheat sheet if you’re ready to swap your usual chain restaurant for a local favorite.
| If you usually go to… | Try this instead |
| Texas Roadhouse | Butcher’s Union |
| Olive Garden | Bistro Bella Vita |
| Chili’s | Westside Social |
| Applebee’s | Gravity Taphouse & Grille |
| Buffalo Wild Wings | Wing Doozy |
Instead of dining at Texas Road House you should try Butcher’s Union!
438 Bridge St NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
If you’re craving a juicy steak and classic steakhouse sides, Butcher’s Union is my favorite local upgrade. Their tagline is Meat & Whiskey they have perfectly cooked steaks paired with classic steakhouse sides that practically melt in your mouth. It also has a warm, upscale atmosphere that’s perfect for date night. You can even sit out on the street in the summertime which gives off such a vibe! Price points are a tad higher but you are getting a much better quality. I recommend ordering their New York Strip from Double R Ranch, the steak just melts in your mouth. If you are a steak person but the person(s) you are with aren’t, don’t worry they also have great chicken, salmon, and sandwich options. Parking can get a little tricky on Bridge Street but there is a lot of available street parking. I also highly recommend making a reservation to Butcher’s Union as they can get busy on nights and weekends.
Instead of dining at Olive Garden you need to try Bistro Bella Vita!
44 Cesar E. Chavez Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
If a pasta craving is what brings you to Olive Garden, wait until you try fresh, made-from-scratch pasta at Bistro Bella Vita. They offer high quality cuisine made from scratch with sustainably sourced ingredients, and you can taste the difference! I really do enjoy everything here, their food is just so good! My favorite pasta and I wouldn’t be doing you a service if I didn’t recommend it, is their Rotini Con Pollo, it has confit chicken, pesto cream, parmesan, and pine nuts! Ya’ll this is hands down my favorite pasta and to be real with you this is the only place I get pesto pasta because no one does it better than Bistro Bella Vita’s! 10/10 if you like pesto, then you have to order this when you go. They do have classic favorites as well like Bolognese and a Four Cheese Ravioli which of course you can never go wrong. One last highlight for them is that they also take reservations!
Instead of Chili’s you should try Westside Social!
2802 Lake Michigan Dr NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
If you love Chili’s because everyone can find something they like, Westside Social delivers that same crowd-pleasing menu with fresher, locally made food. Westside Social is an “American tavern with a hint of genius.” I love it here, there are a lot of seating options including a patio which is nice for summer, a wide variety of tasty food selections, and the cherry on top – a parking lot! Westside Social is an easy go-to for my family and friends. They take classic American comfort food and elevate it with better ingredients and creative flavors, and there is something here for everyone which makes it the perfect gathering restaurant. My meal recommendation here is fried cheese curds, the hot honey chicken sandwich and upgrade to their social fries, and then you must end with their brownie sundae! Honestly though you can’t go wrong with anything you order here, everything is tasty!
Instead of Applebee’s you should try Gravity Taphouse and Grille!
3210 Deposit Dr NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
If you pick Applebee’s because of comfort food and multiple options, Gravity Taphouse and Grille has the same tasty comfort foods and a great variety of options. From tots, burgers, tacos, and mac and cheese they have it all and do it right! They have a lot of seating options, including a beautiful covered patio, which is the perfect vibe during the summer time. A great tap list for all the beer lovers, and a cherry on top they have a parking lot for easy and convenient access! Their prices are reasonable, especially with how high the quality of the food is. My go-to order is their loaded nacho tots, their turkey bacon club (the garlic aioli is so good!), and ending with their strawberry lemonade cheesecake! Everything is so good, the only items I still need to try are their pizzas! The loaded nacho tots though are a must!
Lastly instead of Buffalo Wild Wings you must try Wing Doozy!
2359 Health Dr SW, Wyoming, MI 39519
If Buffalo Wild Wings is your go-to for game day, Wing Doozy takes everything you love about wings and does it even better. They use fresh never frozen wings, house-made sauces (and actually sauce their wings here, no need to order wet unless you really like sauce), the portions are huge, and you have a great experience every time you go in there. You can dine here as well and they have plenty of TVs to make it a great place to catch the game, or take the food to go. Something that they do for takeout orders (that I love and everywhere needs to do this) is they before they place it in a bag they go over and show your order and make sure everything looks good and you have everything you need/ordered. It’s small touches like this that are only done at local places and make the most impact! If you can’t tell I am very passionate about Wing Doozy haha they are my go to and they have to be your next stop for wings!
Grand Rapids has so many incredible local restaurants, and this list is just the beginning. The next time you’re thinking about heading to a chain, challenge yourself to try one new local spot instead. You might just discover your new favorite.
Have a local restaurant you’d add to this list? Let me know in the comments—I’m always looking for my next meal.
Dinner is served, cheers!