Social Misfits
43 Fulton Street WMy kids love breakfast. It’s really the only meal they will really eat without complaining so if we can do breakfast for dinner, we know it’s going to be a stress free meal.
One of the few things L asked for for Christmas was tickets to see Six: The Musical. She has been obsessed with the music since last summer and we noticed the tour was going to make a stop at DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids right around her birthday. J and I wanted to see it to so we snagged a couple of tickets for the Wednesday night performance.
I took the day off work because there is no way I could work a shift then get to Grand Rapids for a 7:30 performance.
Not long before she got home, J asked if we should find a place to eat before the show. I, of course, obliged and started looking for places downtown.
Jokingly, J asked if there were any other waffle places in downtown Grand Rapids. We had just eaten at Tupelo Honey a few weeks prior when we went ice skating at Rosa Parks Circle. The kids loved it because they got waffles. We *could* have just went there again but we’re people who like going to new places.
So yes, she was joking but there is, in fact, another waffle place in downtown Grand Rapids.
Social Misfits is on the corner of Fulton Street and Louis Street NW in downtown Grand Rapids. For years, this odd shaped triangle piece of land was a parking lot but a few years ago, a Residence Inn by Marriot was built. One side of the bottom floor has the state’s last remaining Wahlburgers while the other side has this unique waffle house.
The restaurant is kind of an odd shape because the building itself is an odd shape. The front door is right on the corner and you come in to a large bar area. The seating is all kind of odd and the place is really more laid out for couples than groups.
The host stand is through this dining room towards the middle of the space. The hostess took us to the back dining room which is really just kind of a hallway with tables on either side. We were sat along the inside wall which has a bench seating area shared by several tables. The tables are round and meant for two people The hostess kind of pushed two of them together so we were at least sitting next to each other even though there was kind of a gap between us.
J and I both started with drinks because, why not?
I didn’t really see a beer list so I ordered a cocktail. I picked the Oaxacan Old Fashioned. This drink is made with mezcal, agave, cynar, bitters, an orange peel and smoke. The waitress offered a traditional whiskey old fashioned but I just stuck with this. Figured I’d give it a try. It was a tasty cocktail, but yeah, I should just stick to whiskey.
The drink was tasty but I couldn’t get over the ice cube. I know there are molds to do this these things now but it was pretty cool how this ice cube had the word “MISFIT” on the top of it..
J ordered the Boozy Milkshake. This drink is Cinnamon Whiskey, a cookie, vanilla ice cream, more cookie pieces, and a whipped cream. Try explaining to the 7 year old he can’t have a drink of this because it looked like a really good milkshake. Other than the slight whiskey flavor, you would think this drink is exactly that…a delicious milkshake.
The menu is pretty simple at Social Misfits. Waffles or Not Waffles.
We started with a waffle for the table. The name of it was J. Jonah Jameson…like the Spider-Man character and it was savory spiced waffle sticks that came with a warm beer cheese dip. We couldn’t really make out what the savory spice was but it didn’t matter. They were just tools to get the beer cheese to our mouths. J and I liked these more than the kids did but even though it wasn’t their favorite, they ate them up pretty quickly. I think we had the plate finished off within a few minutes of sitting down.
J was really the only one of us that chose a fancy waffle for her meal. She picked the Love Me Tender. With the Elvis name, you know this one has bananas, right? The waffle is topped bruleed bananas, bacon, peanut butter ganache, and Woodland maple bourbon syrup. She lost half of the bacon pretty quickly. Both kids saw it and reached towards her plate trying to steal it. She gave up half and kept the rest for herself…having to hid it out of both kids’ reach. She said the waffle was delicious. They’re so big and fluffy. The gourmet toppings make this more than a standard breakfast waffle.
The kids both got the waffles they wanted. We kept it simple ordering them each a Plain Waffle. It’s a simple waffle that just comes with butter and syrup. Both kids loved it. I don’t really get their obsession with breakfast food but if it’s what they eat, I’ll gladly keep getting it for them. Looking at their online ordering, they do have a couple of Kids’ Menu options but those weren’t given to us as options. We wouldn’t have ordered them anyway…we went to Social Misfits specifically because they serve waffles.
I was the odd one here and didn’t order a waffle. There was something on the “Not Waffles” part of the menu that sounded good to me. I picked the Cubanesque. This sandwich is Social Misfits take on a Cuban. It’s made with braised pork, Swiss cheese, pickled onion, roasted jalapeno mustard and served on a toasted baguette with kettle chips on the side. I have a deep love for Cuban sandwiches. They’re all crispy and porky. I could have done without the onions which I carefully picked off after one bite but other than that, the sandwich was delicious. The kettle chips weren’t on the menu so they were a nice surprise. I ended up sharing those with L…well, not really sharing, but she took them off my plate. The waffle and part of her mom’s bacon weren’t enough for her.
The bill for dinner was right around $100. It’s not a cheap meal out but we did have two cocktails and an appetizer so that upped the total a little.
Social Misfits was exactly what we wanted it to be. It’s a cool place and they serve waffles. It’s different…a good different. It’s a cool place to hang out for drinks and a unique meal after work and it worked as a really great pre-show meal for us.
SW Michigan Dining 