Rose’s Express

• 2224 Wealthy Street SE
• East Grand Rapids, MI 49506
• (616) 458-4646
• Website
• Menu

I wasn’t planning on eating out tonight.  I had my lunch packed and everything, but my co-worker, who actually knows I write this blog, wanted to eat out.  I wasn’t against the idea, but I wasn’t really craving anything either.  She knows the Grand Rapids dining scene a little better than I do so I differed to her.

She thought about it for a few minutes as we drove around the southeast side of Grand Rapids then asked if I had ever heard of Rose’s on Reed’s Lake.  Of course, I had.  It was one of the first recommendations J and I ever got for the Grand Rapids area.  We actually ate there one night when we still lived in Lansing and drove to Grand Rapids for a concert at Van Andel Arena.

Rose’s on Reed’s Lake is a little too fancy for us while at work.  We didn’t really have time for a sit down menu and I was a sweaty mess in my plain gray t-shirt and jeans.  I had to take my hat off last time I ate there so I’m sure they wouldn’t have really liked me there the way I was dressed.

Just down the street from the main restaurant, there’s a little take out place right in downtown East Grand Rapids where you can still get the delicious food from Rose’s.

Rose’s Express is on Wealthy Street in the Gaslight Village district of East G.R.  Since the have the main restaurant a few blocks away, Rose’s Express focuses strictly on carry-out.  There are a couple tables in the front of the building, but that’s it as far as seating goes.  The shop is pretty small with the brick oven taking up most of the space.

We grabbed a couple menus off the order counter to look over.  We were both pretty big fans of their pizza and since we had time, that’s what we both ordered.  Other options include pasta dishes like Veal Ravioli and Four Cheese Baked Ziti and Meatballs.  There are also a number of sandwich options and salads, but the reason I love Rose’s is the wood-fired pizzas.

I could have went with the “Build Your Own Pizza” option which may have saved me a few bucks, but Rose’s Barbecue Chicken pizza sounded so good that I couldn’t pass it up.  My co-worker ordered Rose’s Pesto Chicken Pizza with the understanding that we would swap one slice so we could both try each pizza.

Our original plan was to pay separately, but when  I handed over my credit card, the cashier told me the card machine was down.  I should have figured this out because he was adding up the total on his iPhone.  I was ready to head down to the ATM to get some cash, but C.W. stepped up with almost enough cash to cover the $26 bill for the two pizzas.

Since the space is pretty small and there’s really no waiting area, we headed back outside after paying for the pizzas and took one of the patio tables.  After about twenty minutes, we headed back in to find my pizza waiting and C.W.’s coming out of the oven.  Our plan was to head back to work and make everyone jealous.  I’m pretty sure we did.

I took my pizza and  headed to the break room to eat in peace.  The pizza is a thin crust that is cooked up very crispy around the edges.  My hands were actually black from the part of the crust that burns.  Personally, I love this.  It really gives the pizza a smokey flavor.  The Barbecue Chicken pizza is topped with an ancho barbecue sauce instead of the traditional red sauce.  It also comes with chicken, applewood smoked bacon, fresh tomato slices, smoked provolone and red onions.  I actually had them leave the onions off and without them, the pizza was perfect.  The BBQ sauce had just a hit of heat to it and there was an abundance of chicken and bacon.  The provolone held everything on top of the pizza and there was no greasy layer or cheese falling off.

Co-worker’s pizza was the Pesto Chicken.  It came with chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, ricotta, fresh mozzarella, smoked provolone and pesto.  Like I mentioned earlier the plan was for us to trade a slice so we could both try both.  I held up my end of the bargain, but she made the unfortunate mistake of leaving her pizza unattended in the office and when we came back after leaving for a while, someone had decided office etiquette be damned and actually ate half of her pizza, including the one slice of Barbecue Chicken that I left her, leaving her with just one slice in addition to the two she already ate.  At that point, I wasn’t going to take her one remaining slice and she never offered up anything about it, but she did tell me I better give Rose’s Express a glowing review.  My assumption is that she really liked it.

Twenty-six dollars for two pizzas seems a little steep and normally, I’d agree with you, but the pizza is really good.  The wood-fired oven gives the crust a great smokey flavor and the ingredients aren’t you run-of-the-mill pizzeria meats and cheeses.  While the price may be a turn off, look at Rose’s Express as a treat.  You will really feel good about spending a few extra bucks to get a meal that tastes as good as the one we got from Rose’s Express.

Rose's Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Rose's Pesto Chicken Pizza