Tavern 32
8896 N. 32nd StreetEvery so often I get asked if I can work a shift outside of my normal shift. I like to say yes to these requests in hopes that the people asking things of me are willing to work with me when I need a shift adjustment.
This past Thursday, I was asked to work an overnight shift. I don’t mind working these shifts because it gets me off work early in the afternoon and I can help J with all the shuttling of kids we need to do in the evenings.
I got off work in Grand Rapids around 12:30 and headed home. I was actually going to grab lunch in Grand Rapids but decided against it because I didn’t know how the roads were. I had to get back to Kalamazoo by 2:30 to pick L up from school and get her to Wings Event Center for her evening practice.
I made it with plenty of time to spare. I got her to the arena then had to go back across town and pick B up at his school at 4:00. Once I got him, we headed back to Wings Event Center as he would have practice later that evening. I wanted to watch L for a while. I haven’t really seen much of her new programs for the upcoming season because she’s usually done skating by the time I get off work.
L has been taking strength classes through Athletic Mentors for a few years now. They were always at Wings West and it was super convenient. She’d typically grab a snack from Burdick’s after she got done skating then go to her classes.
That’s obviously not a thing anymore with the closure of West but she is still doing the Athletic Mentors classes….but they’re in Richland now.
It’s a little bit of dance to work out schedules and get everyone where they need to be on the nights she has classes but J has made it work.
I’m not usually off work in time to get her there so I offered to take her to Richland after she was done skating on this night. J does it three times a week so I could jump in and take care of it while I had the chance.
I dropped her off at 6:30 and told her I was going to grab dinner while she was doing her thing. I did this last time I took her and ate at The Richland Pub. I could have done that again but you all know I’m a little extra. There are some other options in Richland and I want to check those out too.
My stop for dinner was at Tavern 32 on 32nd Street/M-89 south of C Avenue just north of the village limits for the Village of Richland in Richland Township. The shop is a stand alone building inside small shopping plaza. In a previous life, this space was Mission POinte The restaurant is a little over a year old and it’s a spiritual successor to North Eleven in Comstock Township. When that business closed in April of 2024, a message was put on the website to visit this “new location with a new and exciting experience.” The owner also owns Green Top Tavern in downtown Kalamazoo.
Just like I was a few weeks ago with Richland Pub, I was surprised to pull in the parking lot at 6:30 on a Thursday night and find it pretty full. I hesitated going in because I didn’t want to take up a table in a place like this. Fortunately, I could see the bar through the door and there were plenty of seats open.
The restaurant is set up in three sections. There’s a large bar in the middle of the space right as you walk in. There are some tables on either side of it but the focal point of this room really is the bar. There are nice padded pub chairs with a wraparound style backing. There is kind of a mix between a sports bar feel and more of an upscale restaurant. There are TV’s everywhere but the ambience is more fancier pub than rowdy sports bar.
There is a dining room on either side of the bar area. Both are kind of closed off from the bar to give the place a more intimate feel. There is a mixture of pub tables and booths throughout the space all with a higher quality furniture than you expect at a pub. The decor is kept pretty muted with grey walls, a grey tile floor, and black furniture. The focal point of the space is a block fireplace used to separate one of the dining rooms from the bar.
There is a really good draft beer selection. The bartender had a list but there was also a TV monitor off to one side showing all of the selections. I just went by handles on the tap instead of wasting time reading.
I played it safe and went with my usual, a Two Hearted Ale from Bell’s. I went with the short (16 oz.) instead of the tall.
The menu is kind of a toss up between traditional pub food and some fancier options. It’s more North Eleven and less Green Top. My eyes were drawn to a couple of things but in the end, I always go back to a burger.
I ordered the Ultimate Burger. This sandwich is fresh ground beef, fried egg, bacon, Cheddar cheese and a bacon aioli on a bun from Renzema’s Bakery in Parchment. The burger was really tasty and really hit the spot after a long day at work on a short night of sleep. The bacon was super crispy, the egg was cooked to a solid yolk so I didn’t get it all over me, and the burger patty was that delicious, fall apart type of beef you can’t get from a frozen patty. I was trying not to scarf the thing down but once I picked it up, it was hard to put back down.
You get a choice of side with the burgers and I chose the fries. The potatoes that came out on the plate were more wedge than fry. They were right out of the fryer too so they were super hot and crisp but also had that light airiness that make this kind of potato so tasty. There was a small cup of ketchup that came with the plate but these fries didn’t need to be dipped in anything.
The bill for my meal was just under $24 before tip.
Tavern 32 is one of those places that wasn’t even on my radar until I started looking around to see what was in the area. I always like North Eleven. We ordered there more than once during COVID. I’ve been a big fan of Green Top as well. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I walked in but I walked out with the satisfaction of having just consumed a tasty meal.
SW Michigan Dining 