Burdick’s Bar & Grill
100 W. Michigan AvenueWe’ve kind of had a tradition the last few years. Christmas Eve open skate and lunch from Old Burdick’s.
That wasn’t possible this year now that Wings West is closed and along with it Old Burdick’s at Wings West.
The kids still had skating on Christmas Eve but it was club ice and not public skate like we’ve done the last few years. And it was at Wings Event Center. We got up around 7:00 AM because L was on the 8:00 session. She skated until 10 AM but B was on two sessions from 9 AM to 11 AM.
There is no Burdick’s at Wings Event Center so we couldn’t keep that tradition alive….or could we?
After the kids got done skating and got their things packed up, we actually headed downtown to eat lunch.
The plan was to check out the new Burdick’s Bar & Grill inside the Radisson Plaza Hotel on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Rose Street. It’s still Burdick’s but it has been completely remodeled. Our Christmas Eve tradition was saved.
Most people will park in the parking garage attached to the Radisson Plaza but it was pretty much a holiday and there wasn’t much traffic downtown so I parked on the street to avoid paying for the cost of the garage. We walked down Michigan Avenue to find the entrance to the restaurant about halfway between Rose and Kalamazoo Mall on Michigan Avenue.
Right next to that entrance is a really cool feature that they added with the remodel. Kalamazoo has had a social district downtown for quite a while now and Burdick’s added in a “To-Go” area that you can access without having to go in to the restaurant. You can get drinks in Social District cups and walk around downtown. The option has been there at Burdick’s since the social district became a thing but you used to have to go in the restaurant to the bar to get a drink. Now you can just pop right inside the building and get what you need.
There is a host stand at this entrance on Michigan Avenue but there was a sign to go to the other host stand near the entrance from the hotel. This is the entrance most people will use. It’s accessible from the hotel lobby right before you get to Brick and Brine.
I had eaten at Old Burdick’s several times over the years but the only time I actually blogged about it was when we first moved to Kalamazoo in 2009. Not sure why I never did another one. We also ate the locations inside the Holiday Inn on 11th Street and at Wings West many, many times over the years. Burdick’s has always been one of our go-to restaurants.
If you were ever in Old Burdick’s, you won’t even recognize the place. It was a complete gut and remodel. Old Burdick’s had sections that were kind of closed off and the bar was in the middle of the space. This new Burdick’s is much more open.
The bar is in the back of the space now. It’s a wrap around with almost 40 seats. The focal point of the bar is the huge 150 ft LCD display screen that shows six up to different channels.
There are so many different seating options in the new space. You have some quieter spaces with pub tables and four tops that only have a few TV’s in your line of sight.
Or you have rows of tables with bench seating with massive screens hanging above you.
The centerpiece to the dining room are the half circle booths along the outside windows looking out to Michigan Avenue. Again, there’s really no place you can sit in this space without being able to see four or five games on their massive displays.
It was Christmas Eve and our Christmas Eve tradition was always grabbing a beer, a sandwich, and watching the kids skate. We couldn’t do that all at the same place this year but we still did the beer and the sandwich after watching them skate all morning.
Now, for something unique. The redesign of Burdick’s also added in something a little trendy. Duckpin Bowling. There are three lanes near the Michigan Avenue entrance that are kind of separated from the rest of the dining room. Rates are $40 per hour for one lane. There are discounts if you rent more than just one. I believe you can walk in and play if they’re not being used but you can also call for a hours.
I have really not been an adventurous beer drinker lately. If I see Two Hearted on the menu, that’s usually what I order. And that’s what I did this time. I ordered a Two Hearted.
J went more adventurous. She ordered The Sandlot Sour. This cocktail is made with Sheep Dog Peanut Butter Whiskey, mixed berry syrup and a sour mix. She didn’t share so it must have been good.
The menu at Burdick’s looks familiar but there some new things added and some old favorites gone.
Gone from the Kid’s Menu is the tacos. L loved these. She would get these a few times a week at Burdick’s at Wings West. She wasn’t even going to look at the menu until I told her the tacos were no longer there. It was fine though because they have Spaghetti & Meatballs. She has been begging to go to Olive Garden but we’re not really Olive Garden people. To me, this was a much better option. It’s a simple spaghetti in marinara sauce. We told her to break up the meatball and mix it in to make a meat sauce but she ended up passing on that and just giving it to me. She said afterwards it wasn’t Olive Garden (to me that’s a compliment) but she still really liked it and finished her plate.
She got choice of a side with her meal and picked the tater tots. Again, this is something she would often order just as a snack at West. The plate was pretty large. She ended up eating about half of them before declaring the tots had defeated her.
B has been on a really big cheeseburger kick lately and the kid’s menu has a smash burger option. We added on cheese and he chose fries as his side. He said that this cheeseburger was better than the Old Burdick’s cheeseburgers and way better than the ones he loves from The Nest at Wings Event Center. I totally agree with him. These smash burgers are delicious. He ate about half and a few of the fries and we took the rest home for another meal.
J ordered the Touchdown Tenders. This plate is four very large chicken tenders and garlic-parmesan fries. These tenders were huge and she only ate about one and a half of them. Ranch comes with the meal but she asked for BBQ sauce as which is her M.O. with tenders. These things were solid tenders right out of the kitchen but they also made for a great late night snack on Christmas.
I ordered the Kzoo Classic Smash Burger. The sandwich is two smash patties topped with bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle, cheese, and “Kalamazoo Sauce.” I wiped off most of the sauce with the lettuce leaf because there was a lot on it. I’m more of an “extra light” sauce guy. I like the taste but don’t always like it dripping down on to my shirt. The smash patties are legit. I always ordered burgers at Burdick’s anyway but these smash burgers are a huge improvement on an already delicious burger. B and I both agreed it’s kind of a craveable burger.
I always used to get the Parmesan Truffle Fries at Burdick’s. They were my favorite and worth the extra couple of bucks. Those aren’t on the menu anymore. They have Garlic Parmesan Fries now so I ordered them. They’re not as good as the Truffle fries. They’re super garlicky and have a good dusting of Parmesan though so they are an upgrade from the regular fries (which are also tasty on their own) but they fall short of the greatness that was the Truffle fry.
Our bill for lunch, before tip, was about $85. It seems like a lot but we knew going in that’s about the typical price for us at Burdick’s. It was Christmas Eve. The kids skated. We got lunch and a beer. We then walked down The Kalamazoo Mall and did some last minute present shopping.
Burdick’s has been a favorite of ours since we moved to Kalamazoo. It was one of the first restaurants we went to not long after moving here and it was a regular carry-out spot for us when Burdick’s West was in the Holiday Inn. And let’s not forget how many hours and how many dollars we’ve spent there while the kids were skating. Burdick’s is always a solid meal and this redesign provides an incredible atmosphere. It’s a great restaurant for downtown and a great hotel restaurant.
SW Michigan Dining 