Pete’s Grill & Tavern
2588 84th Street SWOur kids have never really been brand name kids. J and I really aren’t either, I wear what fits and what’s comfortable. I was a little more into brands when I was younger but it’s not a thing for me anymore.
I mentioned a few posts ago L has gotten in to Lululemon because some of her friends are in to Lululemon. She’s not being pressured, she just likes it.
B is having a little bit of the opposite problem. He doesn’t really care about brands either. Unfortunately, some of the boys in his class must have the type of dad’s that are really, really in to “shoe culture.” B’s had to deal with some crap from kids because he doesn’t wear Nike’s.
He finally asked for a pair of Nike’s so the kids will leave him alone. We’ve told him to just walk away but some other adults have said the kids can be persistent no matter how many times they get a talking to.
We don’t have a problem buying him Nike’s or any other shoe to brand if that’s what he wants. It’s just really disheartening that he wants a new pair of shoes just so some other kids will leave him alone.
We decided to go check out the Nike Factory Store at the Tanger Outlets in Byron Center. They didn’t really have much in his size so we decided to keep walking around. We ended up at the Puma Outlet and he found a pair he really liked. He said he wouldn’t care if the kids kept making fun of him because Puma is a brand name and he really likes them. We got him what he wanted and he hasn’t complained about kids making fun of his shoes so it must have worked.
We were thinking we could probably just get lunch at Five Lakes Brew Pub there at the Outlet mall, but pretty sure everyone else had the same idea. We put our name in for a table but we were hungry and after stopping in a few more stores, we just decided to bail and go somewhere else.
J saw a billboard for Pete’s Grill & Tavern on US-131 on our way to the mall. She asked where it was and I said further down 84th Street in Byron Center. When Five Lakes seemed to be out for lunch, I suggested that place she saw the billboard for.
Pete’s Grill & Tavern is on 84th Street and Merton Avenue SW in unincorporated Byron Center. The restaurant has been a staple in this community for well over 50 years. It’s part of the 4GR8Food brand which owns a lot of great restaurants in the Greater Grand Rapids area including Bagel Beanery, Beltline Bar, Grand Coney Diner, Sundance, and many more.
There is an entrance off of 84th Street but it’s much easier to enter on the side of the building from the parking. That brings you in to a hallway area that leads to the bar and dining room. A hostess saw us walk in and told us to pick a table. There was a four top open and booth. I asked J and she said to take the booth so we headed there and the hostess followed us with menus.
There are two dining rooms right off the bar and both are pretty utilitarian. The restaurant has “Tavern” in it’s name and it has the charm of a small town tavern that locals and travelers alike hang out at. The dining room side has a mixture of four tops, pub tables, and a row of booths set against a deep red wall and an exposed ceiling.
The bar side is pretty much the same but they also have a bar.
We all kept to pop for this lunch. I didn’t see a beer list anywhere and I hate asking. I didn’t really need a beer anyway. Coke was fine with me.
J immediately saw the Tavern Pickles and had to order them. I don’t usually like fried pickles but these were different..and they were really good. The dill pickle spears were wrapped in ham and Swiss cheese then wrapped up in egg roll skins and deep fried. The problem with fried pickles is the breading almost always falls off. Using the egg roll skins solves that problem and the ham and Swiss cheese give a much more satisfying bite than just the juicy vinegar of the pickle. We took two of these home and they heated up perfectly in the air fryer.
The Detroit Style pizzas coming out of the kitchen looked amazing but I knew no one else wanted pizza so I ordered a burger. I got the Hangover which is a 1/2 lb. patty from Byron Center Meats. It’s topped with a fried egg, bacon, American cheese, Swiss cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion, and a Bloody Mary Sauce. The burger itself was amazing. I could have eaten it plain on a plate with a knife and fork. It was so tender and juicy and has that taste that only fresh ground beef has. The bloody mary sauce was an intersting addition but there was way too much of it. There was some on both buns and with the grease from the fried egg and bacon, it made the sandwich really slippery…and that’s kind of a weird way to describe a sandwich…slippery. The sauce was a tasty addition providing sweetness not usually found on a burger but there was too much of it. The sandwich came with some pretty simple frozen restaurant fries that added a little more heft to the meal.
J’s pick for lunch was the Ranch Chicken Wrap. The tortilla is filled with breaded crispy chicken, tomatoes, lettuce, Colby jack cheese and ranch. There was actually quite a bit of chicken in this wrap which is always a welcome sign. J kind of filled up on the pickles though so she ate a little more than half and some of the fries that came with it.
There is a kid’s menu with most of the usual options. We’ve had kids for 11 years now and there’s always a little bit of a panic when going to a new restaurant. Do they have a kid’s menu? I really wish restaurants would put them online.
It didn’t matter for L though. She looked at the kid’s menu then looked at the appetizer menu on the regular menu. There she found Pete’s Pretzel. This jumbo soft pretzel comes out on a hook served with tavern cheese and a mustard aioli. L doesn’t need the dipping sauces. She just really likes soft pretzels and is more than happy to make that her meal when we eat out. She only ate about half and I took the rest home for lunch the next day.
B was more than happy to order off the kids meal. He loves a good soft shell taco and the tacos on the kid’s menu were good soft shell tacos. The small flour tortilla was filled with taco meat and cheddar cheese. The plate comes with two tacos and a side. He chose applesauce. He devoured the first taco and ate some of the applesauce. One would have been more than enough for him. We took the second one and, you guessed it, became part of my Sunday lunch.
Our bill for lunch was right around $65 before tip.
Pete’s Grill and Tavern has been around for a long time and there’s no mistaking why. The food is good and so is the atmosphere. It’s the quintessential hometown pub. Pete’s wasn’t first on our list for lunch on this day but it is actually a great option. I’m not made at all we couldn’t get in to our original pick after this meal.
SW Michigan Dining 