Louie’s Corner Bar
7177 W. Q AvenueThe best burger in Kalamazoo debate will rage on until the end of time.
Several (several) years ago, I took a page from the Food Network and did a couple of blog posts titled The Best Thing I Ever Ate (Michigan Edition). There was a show on Food Network at the time called The Best Thing I Ever Ate and I gave it a go based on restaurants in Michigan that I had eaten at at the time.
Because I included the entire state, I picked Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger in Ann Arbor as my favorite burger but that didn’t really help people in Kalamazoo. I have been asked for years what my favorite Kalamazoo burger is and there’s been very little question over the years which burger I would pick. Louie’s Trophy House Grill has always been my favorite.
I actually reconnected with Louie’s quite a bit during the pandemic. We were trying to eat carry-out from more local restaurants so we were able to share the love a little bit more. Some weeks, we were doing carry out 6 or more times so we were able to grab food from restaurants we haven’t been to in a while just to change things up.
Every year my extended family gets together with one of my dad’s cousins at their lake house near Three Rivers. Last weekend was that weekend. I took Thursday and Friday off so I could smoke some brisket and pork on Thursday then do some last minutes shopping and get ready to head to the lake Friday night. J took the day off too just to get some rest before a long weekend.
The kids still went to summer camp on Friday even though our family had gotten to town either Thursday evening or pretty early on Friday. We paid for that thing and the kids love it so we made them go. That gave J and I a chance to go out for lunch by ourselves.
A few weeks ago, J went out with some of her friends in Texas Township. She told me she was going to Louie’s and I assumed she was going to the Trophy House on North Street. I had totally forgotten that Louie’s opened a second location in Texas Township. J asked me where I wanted to go for lunch without the kids and Louie’s Corner Bar was high on my list.
Louie’s Corner Bar is on Q Avenue in the Texas Corners area of Texas Township. It’s in the small strip mall just to the west of 8th Street. The large pub takes over a corner space in the strip mall that used to be Fletcher’s Pub.
It had been a while since we had eaten at Fletcher’s Pub when it was at this location and I forgot just how big of a space it is. There are two large dining rooms with lots of natural light and wood paneling. There are booths in both of the rooms and really comfy looking high back leather pub chairs at tables spread throughout the space.
There’s a large bar near the back of the main dining room that feels very open surrounded by large windows letting in light. TV’s from the back wall and the bar is surrounded by those leather backed pub chairs.
The “Trophy House” theme is retained from the original location with light fixtures made from antlers and, of course, taxidermy heads mounted on the walls.
If you’re reading this right after I write it, this trip to Louie’s was about two weeks ago. J and I are both vaccinated and we didn’t have the kids so we felt comfortable sitting inside. With the new information and infections rates coming out, we wouldn’t have done this today. We would have opted for the large outdoor patio. It was kind of warm that day so we opted to sit inside.
J wanted to start with a drink and they had some specials going on at the time. We stopped in during Happy Hour but I was just in the mood for a Coke. J ordered herself the Texas Corners Mule. This drink, served in a copper glass, is tequila, ginger beer, lime juice, a splash of pineapple juice, and a lime to garnish. Mule’s became one of her go-to drinks last summer and have stayed in the rotation since.
We didn’t have a lot of time for lunch before we had to pick the kids up so we kept things pretty simple when ordering. I really like Louie’s burgers so I got a burger. My pick was the Buckin’ Bronco Burger. This 1/2 lb hunk of beef is topped with a housemade cherry cola BBQ sauce, pepper jack and cheddar cheese, jalapeno bacon, and a beer battered onion ring. The sandwich is served on a bun from Rykse and Co. which is next door. I took the onion ring because I don’t really like onion rings and this monster of a burger was way too big for my mouth with it. The sandwich was just a tasty as I like to tell everyone it is. The meat is tender, juicy, and just slightly pink with a bit of saltiness to it. The jalapeno bacon added some crunch alongside some heat and the cherry cola BBQ sweetens the whole thing up. I had asked to just get the home made chips that come with the sandwich but my plate had fries instead. Not a big deal. They were tasty and perfect for a little mustard dipping.
J ordered the Chicken Ranch Wrap. This sandwich is a jalapeno cheddar tortilla filled with fried chicken tenders, romaine lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese and ranch dressing. She picked the wrap apart a little bit because the way that it was cut gave her more lettuce than anything in each bite so she evened it out a bit. She opted for the fries for her meal.
Our bill was a little over $40 before tip.
I still really like Louie’s and Louie’s Corner Bar is such a great addition to Texas Corners. We go hiking at Al Sabo occasionally and this could become a great place to pick up dinner afterwards. We ordered the pizza quite a bit for take out during the pandemic and their pizza, like their burgers, rival anyone in town for the best.
SW Michigan Dining 