BigFrank's Father's Day Road Trip 6.0 Penn/Oh/Mich

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

BigFrank

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2015
Messages
4,553
Reaction score
14,428
Location
Long Beach, CA
So every year I talk my two sons on a road trip where and explore the sites, museums, baseball diamonds and breweries. This will be the sixth year. We call it a Father's Day trip, but this year it will be in August. In the past we have gone to:

2017 North Dakota/South Dakota
2016 Mexico City
2015 The South (Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Bama, Miss)
2014 Utah/Nevada
2013 Northern California

Jack is age 11 and Reed is age 9. This August we will fly into Philadelphia, spending a day there then hitting the road west. I have no set plans as of yet. I want to hit Pittsburgh, Columbus, Dayton, Cleveland, Ann Arbor, Detroit, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and lots of places in between. Hoping to hit lots of National and State Parks as well as any other points of historical/natural interest. I shy away from anything too pricey or generic (the local aquarium or kids museum). Minor league baseball? YES! Free local tradition? YES! Local killer brewery that doesn't distro, YES (if kid-tolerant).

Hoping to hit:
Brewgentlemen
Madtree
Odd Side
Founders
Voodoo


Here is where you guys come in. Looking for suggestions of breweries, points of interest, museums, restaurants (Primanti!!) and anything else you can suggest. Hoping I can meet some of you when out on the trail. This is totally self-indulgent and I will post pics in this thread this summer. Hope to hear from you!
 
Very cool! Great experience for your boys.

I’d suggest maybe a detour to Jackie O’s in Athens, OH. August is BB Oro time and you should be able to grab some.

Dancing Gnome and Hitchhiker in Pittsburgh might be worth it too.

Will follow along. Should be fun!

Might go from Pittsburgh through Athens to Columbus. Do you suggest one Jackie O's location from another? Any historic sites or points of interest you can suggest along that route would be appreciated.

Also, Dancing Gnome and BrewGents may be closed by the time I make it in to Pittburgh on Sunday night. Any suggestions for a restaurant/bottle shop where I can pick up or try them?
 
Might go from Pittsburgh through Athens to Columbus. Do you suggest one Jackie O's location from another? Any historic sites or points of interest you can suggest along that route would be appreciated.

Also, Dancing Gnome and BrewGents may be closed by the time I make it in to Pittburgh on Sunday night. Any suggestions for a restaurant/bottle shop where I can pick up or try them?

JO’s taproom for bottles and drafts of whatever BA beers of theirs that are hot at the time. They also have vintage bottles for on site consumption only at the taproom.
The Brew Pub is only 1 mile away from the taproom/production brewery. Much more extensive draft list there... IPA’s etc. Food is decent too. You could or should just hit both!

Independent brewing company in Pittsburgh may be open on Sundays come August. They typically have at least 1 or 2 BG or DG beers on tap along with other solid local offerings.
 
Also, Dancing Gnome and BrewGents may be closed by the time I make it in to Pittburgh on Sunday night. Any suggestions for a restaurant/bottle shop where I can pick up or try them?
I'm sure there would be someone in the Pittsburgh area willing to grab you some bottles/cans/growlers of DG and/or BG and meet up with you if you are getting in after they close on Sunday. Depending on the weekend I would be one such person.

Following along! Seems like an awesome tradition.
 
In Pittsburgh the Pirates attendance has been awful, so tickets should be quite available and reasonable. Good family -friendly options along the way from Philly could be Gettysburg and Fallingwater / Ohiopyle.

Brew Gentlemen and Voodoo are really close to one another. Be mindful of when you would go there as BG is Wednesday through Sunday, and opens at 5. Voodoo is open everyday at 4. If you signup for BG's emails they give a nice rundown of weekly releases (same goes for Dancing Gnome) and food trucks. Voodoo has food in house. Both places are family friendly. You don't want to wait in line for DG cans with the kids. Best bet is hopefully someone here can grab you some and do a meetup.

A cheap, but mandatory option for Pgh visitors is to do the incline. Probably a 15-20 minute drive from Voodoo. Along the way is Carson St where Fat Heads is located. Great food and very family friendly.

If Primanti's is on the list then there are a bunch around the city. If going to the original in the Strip District then there are several local breweries fairly close: 11th Hour, Cinderlands, Penn, Church Brew Works, Roundabout, Grist House, Hitchhiker, Dancing Gnome, Hop Farm...
 
How long is your day in Philly? If the kids have never been to Philly before, hit Old City for the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Constitution Center, Betsy Ross House, etc. Franklin Fountain has good ice cream. Valley Forge is on your way out of the city. Not many convenient breweries that are kid-friendly with limited distro around here. Maybe urban village or dock street? Yards is an option too.
 
How long is your day in Philly? If the kids have never been to Philly before, hit Old City for the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Constitution Center, Betsy Ross House, etc. Franklin Fountain has good ice cream. Valley Forge is on your way out of the city. Not many convenient breweries that are kid-friendly with limited distro around here. Maybe urban village or dock street? Yards is an option too.
We have a full day in Philly. Had all of that planned except Franklin Fountain which sounds perfect. Any beer friendly lunch spots you would suggest in that area?

I had planned on Khyber Pass based on other posts.
 
COSI is a cool science museum in Columbus and worth the price of admission once. Plenty of breweries around the Columbus area. Will also vote +1 on Athens and Jackie O's. Hocking Hills is a great place to go hiking in Athens also.

If you go to Dayton the Wright Patterson Air Force Musuem is cool. The Dayton Dragons minor league baseball stadium is a nice visit. It's also close to where bretts545 and a friend of mine are opening a brewery soon. It's called Branch & Bone.
Also Marion's pizza is a local favorite of mine.
 
If you want something different to check out in Pittsburgh, you should check out the Andy Warhol museum. Also the science museum and Zoo are nice. Primanti’s is overrated and I would much rather have a Fatheads sandwich any day. Fun city for kids, but add more drive time then you would think for how far you are going mileage wise.
 
You mentioned Grand Rapids. Let me first suggest that the best breweries in the area are not in Grand Rapids itself, but within ~1 hour of the city. I say this specifically with Transient and Arclight in mind, though no doubt many would suggest Old Nation or One Well in that same spirit. Of course, Transient and Arclight are in the middle of nowhere; Transient is in Bridgman, whose only other feature is a couple of other breweries (Haymarket and Tapistry), and Watervliet, where you'll find Arclight, has even less going on.

That said, you definitely have plenty of options within Grand Rapids. And the good news is that Transient in particular shows up reliably in the city these days. Better bars frequently have one or more of their beers on tap regularly, and sometimes a few bottles or cans. Better bottle shops will usually have a few things from them, and their hops are some of the only ones that turn over quickly in town, so you can confidently buy anything you see from it.

I can certainly provide bottle shop suggestions or non-beer restaurant suggestions if you'd like, but I'll provide you with the general highlights. I'm going to list only places I believe welcome children through the dinner hour or later, but I don't have any, so it isn't something I've ever paid close attention to, so double checking may be in order.

Breweries:
  • Founders Brewing - At any given time there will be upwards of a dozen beers available exclusively at the Grand Rapids (or in some cases Grand Rapids and Detroit) taproom(s), some of which are really fun barrel aged experiments. If you're among those who still care about KBS and CBS, they aren't permanent features at Founders, but they show up significantly more often than in the wild. The food sounds much better than it is, so I'd suggest eating elsewhere first. A word of caution: nights and weekends at Founders are often absurdly busy, even with their massive expansion. If you have the luxury of doing so, mid-day visits during the work week are your best bet.
  • Speciation Artisan Ales - Michigan's first all wild ale brewery, Speciation is widely considered to be the best brewery in the state. Their Comstock Park taproom is inconvenient in location, but even more so with respect to its hours of operation. At present, Speciation is usually only open one day a month for bottle sales, during which time there are also a few draft offerings. However, they've been known to open up especially for non-locals who ask nicely, so call in advance if you'll be in town when they're closed and can get there. Note that the taproom is supposed to have regular hours "soon," though nobody is clear on what that actually means. Also note that they are probably the most expensive brewery in town. Expect to pay around $25 per 750 ml for their more interesting/desirable options. And some bottles are restricted to "Culture Club" members, so you'll need to trade to acquire those. On the upside, you can find them almost everywhere in bottles or on tap.
  • Brewery Vivant - A Belgian-style-focused brewery built in a former crematorium. Usually a number of taproom exclusive beers available. Food is often excellent, but just as often painfully overpriced (see: Duck Nachos). The poutine is the best in town. A fairly respectable sour program going. Check for special events, as they sometimes host festivals or special events. Most recently they did a "Weird Beer Weekend" which featured a surprisingly good banana curry beer.
  • Greyline - One of the city's relatively newer breweries, Their head brewer cut his teeth working at Founders, helping develop recipes for Dirty Bastard, KBS, and Blushing Monk, before going over to Perrin and developing several of their core beers. Their Alpine location is somewhat inconveniently located, but much less so than Speciation.
  • Harmony Brewing/Harmony Hall - Two locations, there's the Eastown original and the somewhat larger and much more centrally located downtown Harmony Hall. Their beers are very hit or miss, but there are some gems in their lineup, and their sour program was started by Mitch Ermatinger, owner/brewmaster of Speciation. The original location has by far the best pizza in town. Apparently as of a month or so ago, the downtown location has abandoned its sausage menu and now serves the same pizza.
  • Hopcat - Hopcat brews some of their own beer, a number of which are excellent, though just as many of them are terrible. However, Hopcat's focus and its main strength is as a beer bar carrying others. Save for special events elsewhere, they almost always have the best taplist in the city. The food is also pretty good. Note that Hopcat is now a chain, but the Grand Rapids location is the original. Frankly, some of the expansion locations are better, and all of them have more taps than the Grand Rapids location, but it is on the strength of this one venue that Hopcat became a national player.
The other spots I would tend to suggest are places where I've never once seen kids, so even if technically permitted are likely to be poor choices.

We do have minor league baseball, and their stadium is out in Comstock Park, somewhere in the general vicinity of Speciation. The only real locally significant site that one might tend to suggest, though its merits with younger children are dubious at best, would be the Ford Presidential Museum.
 
I was going to suggest Buffalo (AAA blue jays) and Niagara Falls between Pittsburgh and Cleveland but see you're going Pitt > C-bus.
Maybe in the future Buffalo > Rochester > Syracuse > Cooperstown > VT > Mass. Just a thought.
 
Sounds good...also near Kuhnenn...thinking of trying that place.

Anyone done the Ford Museum/Factory tour? Kind of pricey for what I normally do, but may be a special opportunity.

Haven't done the the factory tour bit, so I can't speak to its merits, but the Henry Ford Museum is without a doubt the best museum in the state.

Now, I don't know when in August you'd be hitting the area, but check those dates against the University of Michigan's calendar. Especially if it is around move-in, you should stay in Detroit. I might argue the same if they have a home football game. Otherwise, given its safety advantages and walkability, I'd favor Ann Arbor for an overnight in the area. Obviously keep in mind where and when you plan to drink before making any final decisions.
 
If you come through Cleveland, let me know. If it's in August, Fat Head's new brewery should be open. Plenty of other things to check out as well around the city.
 
Haven't done the the factory tour bit, so I can't speak to its merits, but the Henry Ford Museum is without a doubt the best museum in the state.

Now, I don't know when in August you'd be hitting the area, but check those dates against the University of Michigan's calendar. Especially if it is around move-in, you should stay in Detroit. I might argue the same if they have a home football game. Otherwise, given its safety advantages and walkability, I'd favor Ann Arbor for an overnight in the area. Obviously keep in mind where and when you plan to drink before making any final decisions.

Great tips. usually my plan is to pick up crowlers and head back to the hotel unless I get a hotel close enough to a brewery and leave the kids with my mom.

Edit: just called the University of Michigan and they said move in starts August 29th. Should be good to stay in Ann Arbor I guess.

If you come through Cleveland, let me know. If it's in August, Fat Head's new brewery should be open. Plenty of other things to check out as well around the city.

We will definitely be hitting Cleveland and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Should be around August 17th or 18th.
 
A few years ago at gabf Madtree was the best Brewery I tried that I had never heard of before. Since that time I have received several bottles from madtree and if enjoyed every one. Anybody know where in Dayton or Columbus they might have a good selection? I won't be getting to Cincinnati. In particular, I would like to pick up some bottles of Joon.
 
A few years ago at gabf Madtree was the best Brewery I tried that I had never heard of before. Since that time I have received several bottles from madtree and if enjoyed every one. Anybody know where in Dayton or Columbus they might have a good selection? I won't be getting to Cincinnati. In particular, I would like to pick up some bottles of Joon.
A few of the better bottle shops in Dayton:
Belmont Party Supply
Ollie's Place
The Barrel House
 
Not sure about the Detroit hotel situation, but the hotel selection in Ann Arbor was not excellent when I graduated in 2009 (could definitely have changed since then). The nice thing about Ann Arbor is having good restaurants and bars walking distance from wherever you are staying - Detroit is a pretty big sprawl (but, as others have mentioned, Ferndale is very cool - I much enjoyed Schramms in particular when I visited a few years ago). The boys might enjoy seeing the U of M campus and the Big House.

Even though it's been a while, I can probably assist with some restaurant recs if you decide on Ann Arbor (most would say Zingerman's is obligatory). cneville would be a good Ann Arbor resource (sorry if he's already posted in here).
 
Even though it's been a while, I can probably assist with some restaurant recs if you decide on Ann Arbor (most would say Zingerman's is obligatory). cneville would be a good Ann Arbor resource (sorry if he's already posted in here).

In re Zingerman's, it is worth noting that the wait can be considerable when busy, which it very of is, even far removed from mealtime, and even when U of M isn't in session. My longest ever wait was a random weekday in July. But if you're flexible BigFrank, they open at 7 AM daily and serve their entire menu at opening (except the mac & cheese, which comes out at 11, and is decent enough but non-essential). So, depending on how everything else aligns, one good approach to fitting it in without a lengthy weight might be to grab breakfast there before making the drive to Dearborn for the Ford Museum.
 
In re Zingerman's, it is worth noting that the wait can be considerable when busy, which it very of is, even far removed from mealtime, and even when U of M isn't in session. My longest ever wait was a random weekday in July. But if you're flexible BigFrank, they open at 7 AM daily and serve their entire menu at opening (except the mac & cheese, which comes out at 11, and is decent enough but non-essential). So, depending on how everything else aligns, one good approach to fitting it in without a lengthy weight might be to grab breakfast there before making the drive to Dearborn for the Ford Museum.

Good call.

I should also mention that, while I haven't been to the new location, Krazy Jim's Blimpie Burger is an Ann Arbor institution.
 
Good call.

I should also mention that, while I haven't been to the new location, Krazy Jim's Blimpie Burger is an Ann Arbor institution.

If I only have one meal there, what's the must do?

Crap, didn't realize that's where Schramm's is... Are they seriously only open on the weekends? What the heck? Do any local shops carry their bottles?
 
If I only have one meal there, what's the must do?

Crap, didn't realize that's where Schramm's is... Are they seriously only open on the weekends? What the heck? Do any local shops carry their bottles?

So I just called and they recommended a place called 8 degrees Plato.
 
If I only have one meal there, what's the must do?

Crap, didn't realize that's where Schramm's is... Are they seriously only open on the weekends? What the heck? Do any local shops carry their bottles?

I'm not sure what's opened since 2009, but most would tell you Zingerman's is the must-do. Krazy Jim's is a cool local spot that's been there a long time. It's the kind of place where they send you to the back of the line if you aren't ready to order when it's your turn.

Looks like Schramm's is open Friday-Sunday, and other days by appointment (reach out, they are super nice). Yes - liquor stores do carry Schramm's. I'm sure someone local could help you with which ones (I think some used to be listed on the Schramm's website as well).
 
In Ann Arbor I’ll suggest a stop at Homes brewery, awesome food and beer and kid and pet friendly.

Yes, Kuhnhenn is about 15 minutes from Schramms and BNektar is on the way.

If you go to Detroit you can also probably see a baseball game for under $10. I usually park at Greektown Casino for free and walk(15 minutes).
 
As to the availability of Schramms bottles, you needn't worry. Even here in Grand Rapids, two hours away, we see periodic drops of their more limited stuff, like Red Agnes and Madeline (which just showed up today at $50 a bottle). And if you just want standard stuff like The Statement, that is usually available at most decent bottle shops, and even frequently at grocery stores.
 
As to the availability of Schramms bottles, you needn't worry. Even here in Grand Rapids, two hours away, we see periodic drops of their more limited stuff, like Red Agnes and Madeline (which just showed up today at $50 a bottle). And if you just want standard stuff like The Statement, that is usually available at most decent bottle shops, and even frequently at grocery stores.

:eek::eek::eek::eek:
 
No opinion on AA vs. Detroit when it comes to lodging, other than to agree that if you can find a place in AA, bars and restaurants are probably more walkable than in Detroit. But don't let any worries about "safety" deter you from staying in Detroit. In the areas where you'll be, it'll be fine.

On your way from AA to Detroit, stop at Cultivate in Ypsilanti for a beer and some great coffee and a cool beer garden. Look for the plaque that has TalkBeer on it and tell Ryan that Brian sent you. He'll also have Schramm's bottles for sale and other cool bottles as well possibly cans from Transient. He'll crowler anything from their excellent tap list for you, too.

In Detroit, I'd recommend beer at Founders and beer and pizza at Jolly Pumpkin. Very close to each other, with 8 Degrees Plato in between for some bottle shopping. If the Tigers are in town, tickets will indeed be cheap from any scalper you may find. Comerica isn't too far from JP and Founders. There's also Batch, in a different section of the city. I'm not huge on their beer, but lots of folks like it and I hear all sorts of good reports on the food. And you should go to American or Lafayette and have coneys while you're here.

There's absolutely no reason whatsoever to go to Kuhnhenn. The beer hasn't been good for years and there's nothing there I can think of that would be interesting or fun for the kids. Avoid.

As for Schramm's, it's probably the last kid-friendly place I can think of. It's basically a wine tasting room. It's fine for what it is, but I wouldn't bother taking kids there. B Nektar is probably a better option as far as the space goes, but I wouldn't bother with either if I was you. Just get some bottles somewhere and call it good.

And, if you're in Kalamazoo, you have to go to Bell's. The food is fantastic (Jambalaya!) and there's no better beer experience than super fresh Two Hearted on tap. They'll also have a bunch of taproom only beers and maybe a surprise or two.

Minor league baseball--Mud Hens in Toledo. rpbuckeye can help you out with Toledo recs.

Shoot me a PM and I'll try and get away for a beer. Enjoy your trip!
 
No opinion on AA vs. Detroit when it comes to lodging, other than to agree that if you can find a place in AA, bars and restaurants are probably more walkable than in Detroit. But don't let any worries about "safety" deter you from staying in Detroit. In the areas where you'll be, it'll be fine.

On your way from AA to Detroit, stop at Cultivate in Ypsilanti for a beer and some great coffee and a cool beer garden. Look for the plaque that has TalkBeer on it and tell Ryan that Brian sent you. He'll also have Schramm's bottles for sale and other cool bottles as well possibly cans from Transient. He'll crowler anything from their excellent tap list for you, too.

In Detroit, I'd recommend beer at Founders and beer and pizza at Jolly Pumpkin. Very close to each other, with 8 Degrees Plato in between for some bottle shopping. If the Tigers are in town, tickets will indeed be cheap from any scalper you may find. Comerica isn't too far from JP and Founders. There's also Batch, in a different section of the city. I'm not huge on their beer, but lots of folks like it and I hear all sorts of good reports on the food. And you should go to American or Lafayette and have coneys while you're here.

There's absolutely no reason whatsoever to go to Kuhnhenn. The beer hasn't been good for years and there's nothing there I can think of that would be interesting or fun for the kids. Avoid.

As for Schramm's, it's probably the last kid-friendly place I can think of. It's basically a wine tasting room. It's fine for what it is, but I wouldn't bother taking kids there. B Nektar is probably a better option as far as the space goes, but I wouldn't bother with either if I was you. Just get some bottles somewhere and call it good.

And, if you're in Kalamazoo, you have to go to Bell's. The food is fantastic (Jambalaya!) and there's no better beer experience than super fresh Two Hearted on tap. They'll also have a bunch of taproom only beers and maybe a surprise or two.

Minor league baseball--Mud Hens in Toledo. rpbuckeye can help you out with Toledo recs.

Shoot me a PM and I'll try and get away for a beer. Enjoy your trip!

Great stuff!
 
Not sure about the Detroit hotel situation, but the hotel selection in Ann Arbor was not excellent when I graduated in 2009 (could definitely have changed since then). The nice thing about Ann Arbor is having good restaurants and bars walking distance from wherever you are staying - Detroit is a pretty big sprawl (but, as others have mentioned, Ferndale is very cool - I much enjoyed Schramms in particular when I visited a few years ago). The boys might enjoy seeing the U of M campus and the Big House.

Even though it's been a while, I can probably assist with some restaurant recs if you decide on Ann Arbor (most would say Zingerman's is obligatory). cneville would be a good Ann Arbor resource (sorry if he's already posted in here).
BigFrank, ann arbor in the summer>>>ann arbor when students are here. they've built a few new hotels here so the selection is a little better (and hopefully the prices as well). zingerman's is definitely the one ann arbor institution to hit (though overpriced, it's still delicious) and as a few people have said, cultivate in ypsilanti would be a great place to stop at any time. really kid friendly, great beer garden, terrific beer selection, and they have a lot of board games and things like that so your kids wouldn't be bored. not much food but i like sidetrack (burger joint with a good tap list) nearby. ypsi is about 15-20 minutes from ann arbor so it's easy to stop there. homes is the cool new brewery in ann arbor though not downtown. the food is good but asian fusion-y so if your kids are picky maybe not the best spot for a meal.

i've heard good things about the ann arbor hands on museum though your kids might be a little old for that. canoeing on the huron river if the weather is good can be a lot of fun, though on weekends it will be pretty crowded. there's low level minor league soccer team here (ann arbor fc) that has pretty fun games too. like steimie said, go to a mudhens game in toledo if you can. awesome stadium and a really great aaa experience. probably as good of a team as the tigers now, too.

if you have ann arbor specific questions i'd be happy to answer them. it's not a big city at all so it's very easy to get around.
 
You mentioned Grand Rapids. Let me first suggest that the best breweries in the area are not in Grand Rapids itself, but within ~1 hour of the city. I say this specifically with Transient and Arclight in mind, though no doubt many would suggest Old Nation or One Well in that same spirit. Of course, Transient and Arclight are in the middle of nowhere; Transient is in Bridgman, whose only other feature is a couple of other breweries (Haymarket and Tapistry), and Watervliet, where you'll find Arclight, has even less going on.

That said, you definitely have plenty of options within Grand Rapids. And the good news is that Transient in particular shows up reliably in the city these days. Better bars frequently have one or more of their beers on tap regularly, and sometimes a few bottles or cans. Better bottle shops will usually have a few things from them, and their hops are some of the only ones that turn over quickly in town, so you can confidently buy anything you see from it.

I can certainly provide bottle shop suggestions or non-beer restaurant suggestions if you'd like, but I'll provide you with the general highlights. I'm going to list only places I believe welcome children through the dinner hour or later, but I don't have any, so it isn't something I've ever paid close attention to, so double checking may be in order.

Breweries:
  • Founders Brewing - At any given time there will be upwards of a dozen beers available exclusively at the Grand Rapids (or in some cases Grand Rapids and Detroit) taproom(s), some of which are really fun barrel aged experiments. If you're among those who still care about KBS and CBS, they aren't permanent features at Founders, but they show up significantly more often than in the wild. The food sounds much better than it is, so I'd suggest eating elsewhere first. A word of caution: nights and weekends at Founders are often absurdly busy, even with their massive expansion. If you have the luxury of doing so, mid-day visits during the work week are your best bet.
  • Speciation Artisan Ales - Michigan's first all wild ale brewery, Speciation is widely considered to be the best brewery in the state. Their Comstock Park taproom is inconvenient in location, but even more so with respect to its hours of operation. At present, Speciation is usually only open one day a month for bottle sales, during which time there are also a few draft offerings. However, they've been known to open up especially for non-locals who ask nicely, so call in advance if you'll be in town when they're closed and can get there. Note that the taproom is supposed to have regular hours "soon," though nobody is clear on what that actually means. Also note that they are probably the most expensive brewery in town. Expect to pay around $25 per 750 ml for their more interesting/desirable options. And some bottles are restricted to "Culture Club" members, so you'll need to trade to acquire those. On the upside, you can find them almost everywhere in bottles or on tap.
  • Brewery Vivant - A Belgian-style-focused brewery built in a former crematorium. Usually a number of taproom exclusive beers available. Food is often excellent, but just as often painfully overpriced (see: Duck Nachos). The poutine is the best in town. A fairly respectable sour program going. Check for special events, as they sometimes host festivals or special events. Most recently they did a "Weird Beer Weekend" which featured a surprisingly good banana curry beer.
  • Greyline - One of the city's relatively newer breweries, Their head brewer cut his teeth working at Founders, helping develop recipes for Dirty Bastard, KBS, and Blushing Monk, before going over to Perrin and developing several of their core beers. Their Alpine location is somewhat inconveniently located, but much less so than Speciation.
  • Harmony Brewing/Harmony Hall - Two locations, there's the Eastown original and the somewhat larger and much more centrally located downtown Harmony Hall. Their beers are very hit or miss, but there are some gems in their lineup, and their sour program was started by Mitch Ermatinger, owner/brewmaster of Speciation. The original location has by far the best pizza in town. Apparently as of a month or so ago, the downtown location has abandoned its sausage menu and now serves the same pizza.
  • Hopcat - Hopcat brews some of their own beer, a number of which are excellent, though just as many of them are terrible. However, Hopcat's focus and its main strength is as a beer bar carrying others. Save for special events elsewhere, they almost always have the best taplist in the city. The food is also pretty good. Note that Hopcat is now a chain, but the Grand Rapids location is the original. Frankly, some of the expansion locations are better, and all of them have more taps than the Grand Rapids location, but it is on the strength of this one venue that Hopcat became a national player.
The other spots I would tend to suggest are places where I've never once seen kids, so even if technically permitted are likely to be poor choices.

We do have minor league baseball, and their stadium is out in Comstock Park, somewhere in the general vicinity of Speciation. The only real locally significant site that one might tend to suggest, though its merits with younger children are dubious at best, would be the Ford Presidential Museum.

Really appreciate these great tips. Just booked a room in Comstock Park for 8/16 near the baseball stadium. Looks like the team is in town. Any idea if they routinely sell out? Last year we got shut out of a Bismarck Larks (ND) game...never would have thought it was a hot ticket. I'm willing to buy a ticket ahead of time to ensure we can attend, but would prefer flexibility if tickets are usually available. If anyone is around Grand Rapids that night, hit me up.
 
Back
Top