Bagger Dave’s – Cascade Township
2817 Kraft AvenueI had another opportunity to actually go out for dinner at work again and I really wanted to take advantage of it. I read a few weeks ago about a new “Burger Tavern” opening up in Cascade Township and I’ve read some good reviews out of the Lansing location, so I was really excited to check it out.
Bagger Dave’s Legendary Burger Tavern is a new chain concept with roots in Southfield. Diversified Restaurant Holdings, Inc. opened the first Bagger Dave’s in Berkley in 2007. They’ve opened five more including the one in Grand Rapids. They have just started franchising with the first franchise restaurant set to open in Cape Girardeau, MO.
The restaurant is set up like any one of the other casual dining chains. I didn’t get a good look or feel for the place because I placed my order online for carry-out.
The parking lot was packed when I showed up to pick up my order at quarter to seven on a Friday night. Likewise, the waiting area was packed as well. There looked to be about a twenty to thirty minute wait when I showed up during peak dining time on a weekend. Read more…
New York Mike’s Italian Deli
1971 E. Beltline NE #123- Grand Rapids, MI 49525
- (616) 447-2505
- Website
- No Online Menu
I had a few minutes at work night between assignments so I decided to head out for dinner. I was driving down the Beltline looking for something to eat, but really wasn’t coming across anything that sounded good. I pulled in to a Wendy’s thinking that was good enough then I noticed what looked like a deli in the strip mall surrounding the Wendy’s so I went to check it out.
New York Mike’s Italian Deli is right on the Beltline next to the Meijer store just south of Knapp Street. It’s a pretty small space in a pretty typical strip mall. There are a handful of tables in the front with the kitchen and order counter all the way to the back.
There was a couple already ordering when I walked in so I headed to the big menu written on chalkboards on the back wall. I was really hoping for a good Pastrami sandwich since the place had the word “New York” in the name.
The kitchen was occupied by a man I heard another customer call Mike and a woman I heard “Mike” call mom. It looks like the place has been open for about six months with the grand opening happening in June. The few reviews of the place I could find online were all pretty positive. Read more…
Lindo Mexico Restaurant
1292 28th Street SWThere’s one co-worker who can almost always talk me in to going out somewhere for dinner….even when I bring my lunch. She always catches me as I’m digging into my lunch bag to pull out a sandwich usually with no suggestion for dinner, but knowing she wants something.
Our most recent conversation ended the way it usually does. I tell her to pick a place and she walks away. After a few minutes, I tracked her down to tell her I was in the mood for Mexican. That made her happy because there’s a place in Wyoming that she really likes.
I was really only in the mood for tacos so I didn’t even look over the menu. I told her I’d go get it if she’d call it in. Before she called in, she asked around the office to see if anyone else was in the mood for Mexican. There was one more guy, so the three of us were in.
Lindo Mexica Restaurant is on 28th Street in Wyoming in what looks to me like an old Pizza Hut. The two closest major cross streets are Burlingame and Michael. After C.W. put the call in, she told me it would be about 15 minutes until it was ready. That works because it was going to take me about 15 minutes to get there. Read more…
Denny’s – Kalamazoo
3817 E. Cork StreetWhat to do for a meal on Christmas Day? For lunch, I smoked a turkey breast and made some home made rolls, but as J and I sat down to watch the Bears game, we both started to get hungry. I really wanted pizza, but every place I checked was closed. I had dropped it and figured I’d just get some left over turkey at halftime, but J kept looking.
Earlier in the day, I had made a joke about our only two choices being Denny’s or IHOP. Last year, we ate at Perkins, but that’s closed now and not an option. As Josh McCown was driving deep in Green Bay territory, I heard J say, “mmmm Red Velvet Pancake Puppies.” I looked over at her iPad to see she was looking at the Denny’s menu. It was almost 10:00 but we sort of slept through dinner. I asked if she wanted to go and she said, “Sorta.” I figured what the hell. I was hungry too and it was one of the few things open.
The only Denny’s location in the Kalamazoo Metro area is on the corner of Sprinkle and Cork just to the north of the I-94 interchange. While sitting at the stoplight, I could tell there were several cars in the parking lot so we weren’t the only ones jonesing for some non-holiday food. Read more…
Chicago Taste
3321 Stadium Drive- Kalamazoo, MI 49006
- (269) 903-2788
- No Known Website
- Menu
There has been a big box truck in a parking lot on Stadium Drive that has been taunting me for weeks. Seriously. Taunting me for weeks! How can you put a sign on a building with the words Chicago, Taste, Coming, and Soon and not expect me to drive by often hoping to see the “Now Open” sign.
That day finally came. Earlier this week, we were driving by on our way to downtown and I finally saw the sign I was looking for. The “Now Open” sign was finally there and the lights were on inside. Unfortunately, we already had lunch plans. We had a gift certificate to Honeybaked Ham that had to be used before the end of the year and I was already in the mood for some delicious smoked turkey.
A couple days later, J had an early doctor’s appointment. Since I had to get up anyway, I asked if she wanted to go check the place out for lunch. We had some time to kill between the appointment and the restaurant’s opening so we did the Meijer thing while we were waiting.
At 11:00 sharp, we pulled in to the parking lot of the new Chicago Taste. It’s in the strip mall on Stadium Drive which is also home to Jet’s Pizza. As long as we’ve been on this side of town, that space has been empty so I’m not really sure if there has ever been anything else there or not. The surprising thing to me was the size. It looks like the restaurant actually takes up two spaces in the building. There’s a rather large dining room off to the east side of the space. Read more…
Blackhawk Bar & Grill
8940 32nd StreetSince we had another Sunday with no real big plans, I decided to take an emailer’s advice and try to find a lunch spot on the east side of the area. Neither one of us have been feeling well lately so we both kind of slept in missing breakfast. That was fine with me as I kind of wanted a burger anyway.
Our choice for lunch took us to Richland to a place we almost went to our first New Year’s Eve in Kalamazoo. The Blackhawk Bar & Grill is right on the corner of 32nd Street and C Avenue (or M-89 and M-43) on the north side of Richland just past the city limits. The building looks like an old farmhouse from the road and it sort of carries that charm throughout the interior as well.
The parking lot is in the back between the Bar and the Stagecoach Barn which serves as a concert venue. We headed up the stairs to the porch where we found the entrance. There’s a hostess station right inside the door and a small hallway that separates the dining room from the lounge. There’s also a set of stairs that leads to an upstairs banquet facility.
We were given the choice between the lounge and the dining room and I chose the lounge. I’m just more comfortable sitting in the bar area for some reason and I was kind of hoping they would have NFL Sunday Ticket so I could watch the Bears game. They didn’t, but the lounge turned out to be quieter as the only other group in this space was leaving as we were ordering. Read more…
Hardee’s
18720 Partello RoadGrowing up in Eastern Illinois, one of the fast food restaurants in our regular rotation was Hardee’s. Over time and after a sale, Hardee’s started to disappear from our area to the point that there aren’t actually any in the area I grew up in. In fact, Hardee’s seem to be few and far between now. In the whole state of Michigan, there are only nine left at Wendy’s and Tim Horton’s bought out most of the restaurants in 1998. Five in the U.P. and four in the L.P.
The four Lower Peninsula stores are kind of spread out yet two are in Southwest Michigan. One is Niles. The other, right off I-94 at the Love’s Travel Stop in Marshall.
I was sent over to far eastern Calhoun County for work and on my way home at 10:00 at night, I was hungry. We’ve passed this exit several times on the way to Detroit or Ann Arbor and even stopped for gas, but never food. I always want to, but it seems like we’ve always just come back from a big meal somewhere.
So once again, I pull off on the Partello Road exit to get gas and notice the Hardee’s is open 24 hours. Score.
Hardee’s has undergone several transformation over the years. My first memory of Hardee’s is getting a roast beef sandwich similar to what you would get at Arby’s. After that, they tried chicken. It was good, but I still thought of Hardee’s as a roast beef place. Read more…
Papa Pete’s
502 S. Burdick StreetI had my pick of anything I wanted to eat for dinner and of course, I went with pizza. J was going out to dinner with some of her friends at Old Burdick’s downtown. Since parking can be kind of tough in that part of downtown, I decided to take her drop her off. Since I was heading downtown, I called in an order to a pizza place that I still haven’t been able to check out.
Papa Pete’s is on South Burdick Street in the same building as The Blue Dolphin. The entrance to Papa Pete’s is actually on Cedar Street. There’s a blue awning with a few letters missing, but you get the idea.
Around 6:00, I called in my order for a 16″ pepperoni pizza. The guy on the other end said it would be fifteen minutes so we went there to pick up the pizza before I dropped J off at Burdick’s at 6:30.
Papa Pete’s is a pretty typical dive bar. Being a Monday night, there weren’t a lot of people in the joint, but there were a few drinking cheap beer and playing pool. In the back of the space is a large stage and open area. I’ve heard there have been some pretty wicked concerts, but the bands that play Papa Pete’s aren’t really my thing. Read more…
Michelle’s
4010 Gull Road- Kalamazoo, MI 49048
- (269) 344-1415
- Website
- No Online Menu
Last week I got an e-mail that pointed out we don’t eat on the East side of town very often. It’s not that there’s nothing on that side of town, it’s just that we live on the West side and there’s no easy way to get there without driving all the way through town.
I set my alarm to get up for breakfast this morning with the intention of checking out one of the places the e-mailer recommended to me on Gull Road.
It took us a little while to get moving. I actually got up before J and when I realized she was still sound asleep, I rolled over with the intention of sleeping until she got up. My stirring woke her and we were out of bed and getting ready to leave the house fifteen minutes later.
The restaurant we made the cross town trek to was Michelle’s. It’s on Gull Road in Kalamazoo Township just to the Southwest of Rockingham Avenue.
The building is not quite what I was expecting. It’s rather large and divided in to three rooms. There is a large, kind of awkward lobby area. There’s a lot of wasted space which I guess would be put to good use on nights when they are very busy. Otherwise, it’s a wide open area leading to the two restaurants and banquet room near the back. Read more…
Five Guys Burgers & Fries – Gurnee, IL
6310 Grand AvenueOur last meal in Gurnee before coming home was yet another chain restaurant. In way, I’m really disappointed in myself for not seeking out anything local in Gurnee, but Gurnee is such a tourist town and they had the chains I really like and can’t get here in Southwest Michigan.
After we ate at Rainforest Cafe on Sunday, I noticed a sign for a Five Guys in an outlying shopping center near Gurnee Mills. The shops address is on Grand Avenue, but the front door faces the mall and Prairie Creek Drive.
I always seek out Five Guys when I’m on my own. J’s not a beef eater although she will occasionally go for a fast food burger. I don’t really consider Five Guys a fast food burger, so I was nervous she wouldn’t really like it.
We made our way past the sacks of potatoes to the order counter. I pointed out to J that the stores advertise which town in Idaho the potatoes come from and since she lived in Idaho Falls for two years, she actually knew exactly where the town was that the potatoes came from on this particular day.
I stuck with my typical order of a Bacon Cheeseburger while J got the Little Bacon Cheeseburger. I never add any toppings to my burgers because they’re so good on their own. J added on BBQ sauce, pickles, and lettuce. We decided to split an order of regular fries instead of each getting one. The fries are so large, we both would have been overstuffed for the three hour drive home. Read more…
SW Michigan Dining 