Legacy Table
234 W. Michigan AvenueLike many people in Kalamazoo, I was a big fan of Theo & Stacy’s. I work downtown and that restaurant was always a quick, tasty, and cheap meal.
I totally get why they closed. An opportunity came up to sell and it was just time.
Berries Famous Pancake House moving was a great replacement. They had a huge menu and the food was just as good as Theo & Stacy’s. Unfortunately, construction got the best of them and with a lot of changes and construction coming up over the next several years, they cut their losses and headed out to Comstock Township.
That space can’t be empty though. It’s too good of a location and people downtown have come to associate it with quality breakfast and lunch in downtown Kalamazoo.
Fortunately, it didn’t stay empty long.
Legacy Table opened in October of last year on Michigan Avenue just to the west of Rose Street in downtown Kalamazoo. As I mentioned above, the restaurant space was Theo & Stacy’s for 30 years before Stacy decided it was time to retire. From the outside, the space looks pretty similar except the awning is now gone. The restaurant signage comes off the building now on a pole and hangs out over the sidewalk below.
The thing I loved about Theo & Stacy’s, and Berries, is that they offered online ordering. Legacy Table does too which made the decision to order lunch an even easier decision for me.
I put in an order for the Hot Smash Burger. The cost was $14 and my internet screen told me it would take about 15-20 to prepare.
I just down the street from the restaurant so I gave it some time before heading over there.
Legacy Table will look very familiar if you had visited one of the previous restaurants in the space. The layout is exactly the same with the cashier’s table/host stand/carry-out pick up right inside the door when you walk in.
Berries did a bit of a make over when they moved and Legacy Table kept it pretty much the same. The big difference is there are fewer booths now along the east wall. That section has been torn out at some point and replaced with tables.
A waitress saw me walk in and asked if I was the carry-out. It was just coming off the grill and was about to be boxed up. Perfect timing.
I started with the fries as soon as I got back to the office. I feel like I’ve said this a lot but the fries didn’t do a lot for me. They were standard food service restaurant fries. Nothing special but always solid. I should probably keep a bottle of mustard in the fridge at the office as much I was talk about alright but simple fries on this blog.
The Hot Smash Burger is two 3 oz. burger patties topped with pepperjack cheese, fried pickled jalapenos, and siracha aioli. I added on bacon for an extra charge because burgers need bacon. This sandwich had all the hallmarks of a delicious diner burger. You could taste the griddle in each bite and it just gives the sandwich an amazing flavor. The cheese, jalapenos, and aioli actually did give it little bit of heat. Not too much but just enough to let you know it was there. The bacon was well worth the extra two bucks. Is there anything better than diner bacon? It was super crispy and brought in some saltiness to counter the heat.
Legacy Table lives up to the reputation of the building. There’s no better lunch than good diner food and Legacy Table delivers just that.
SW Michigan Dining 