Venues in Kalamazoo, Michigan

I loved The Thirsty Hound. We sat outside on the roofed, open-air front porch area where we could watch the wide green dog park—as big as a gold course—on which a bunch of dogs where running around playing and carrying on. We didn't eat but had beer and wine and the evening was lovely—a warm, festive, summery night. The service is attentive with no hovering.

I went there with my son and his food truck. The place is wonderful. Great work by the staff. Everyone was so welcoming. People, dogs, live music, and great beverages. Can not wait to go back again.

Fantastic drink masters ! The atmosphere is fantastic R&B and jazz music. So chill and the staff is great fun. These gems of venues are few and far between!

Went to Dabney & Co with a friend for Latin Night (8/29/25) and we had such a wonderful time! The Grandma’s Collard Green Dip w/ Pita Bread and Lemon Blueberry Cornbread were both so delicious. The cornbread in particular surprised us with how nice the lemon and blueberry were together as well as the soft, cake-like texture. For drinks, our server Nicki helped immensely by suggesting drinks tailored to our tastes that made the evening even more enjoyable. The highlight for me was trying the Mint Julep she had suggested which tasted so fresh and reminded me of my days working with mint plants in the greenhouse. Additionally, singer Jormilit Garcia was phenomenal to listen to! She absolutely embodied the music with such confidence and passion in her voice and made every song her own. She and the band held a great performance and I look forward to hearing them play again in the future. Between great service, lovely music, and delicious food, I’m looking forward to planning my next visit to Dabney with friends! Thank you!

Cool spot serving up dishes with big flavor and good service. There aren’t a ton of vegan options on the menu at Roca, but they did have an interesting option! I got the vegan chile relleno. What wasn’t to like? Fried to perfection, great filling that was….well, filling, and tons of flavor. The dish was seasoned well, slightly smokey, and carried a nice level of acidity. Super impressed to find a vegan cream being incorporated here as well. I came hungry, but left filled and happy with my meal. What more can one ask for?

Great food and atmosphere. I ordered the Tinga de Pollo and my husband ordered the Tetela. Both were very good.

Just passing through and discovered this great brewery. I was impressed by the size of the place. Rooms filled with pinball, ski ball, darts and tons of games. I did not eat there but they do have an extensive menu. The beer menu was great. I sampled two and their juicy hazy IPA is very good. I would recommend stopping in grabbing a drink or two.

Large brewery that's more a restaurant and a hangout spot. Honestly it reminds me of what Bilbo's used to be like before they moved to their current location. Plenty of seating inside and out, multiple bars and a large game room with mostly pinball, but includes pool, darts and mini bowling. I've never seen a spiderman avengers style cabinet. I sat outside and drank while I read. I'm not even sure what I had, other than a couple of IPAs. Nothing blew my mind, but they were both drinkable. Didn't try any food, or even look at their menu while there, but probably next visit.

This is my favorite place to go to in Kalamazoo. I frequent here for some quality time with my husband, good drinks, and consistent service every time. My favorite is the best intentions with a small charcuterie plate. We also love that pool is free and speaks volumes on what the owners are like. The decor is humorous in some areas which I appreciate and I like that they have card games too. Been going here for 3 years and love it every time.

Great cocktail bar with eclectic seating areas, can be quite intimate, with reasonably priced drinks. Owner bartends, and he’s easy going and provides generally decent service. Try the ‘The Gazette’ if you’re a bourbon person.

Fantastic experience. They even had a menu that highlighted menu items that contained dairy since I’m lactose intolerant. We had the toast and duck wings for appetizers and they were great. For entree we had the white fish and pork chop. We finished with the chocolate pudding. Perfect portions and great service.

One of the best dining experiences I've had downtown kzoo. The drinks were amazing and well thought out. The food, let me tell you about the food, ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. Only got photos of the apps as once the entrees hit our table we had no time for games.

The gluten free bun here is amazing! It holds its shape and is really soft. I honestly wouldn’t have known it was gluten free. The burgers and wings are delicious! The wings are crispy and perfectly lightly sauced. It’s bar food, but it was all fresh and not greasy. Our server wasn’t knowledgeable on gluten containing products on the menu and had to ask the back multiple things, so if you’re sensitive to gluten and wondering- the curly fries and wings are not coated in flour, and the cheese sauce also doesn’t contain gluten.

Great food and service. Price is reasonable too. I think it is great place to hang out with friends and family or group lunch or dinner.

Finally made it to, IMO, the Home of the Best IPA. I’ve been drinking Bell’s IPA for over a decade and finally accomplished this bucket list. Took the train in from Milwaukee. Was an easy journey. The service was superb as well. Kind, funny and informative. They had others on tap as you would expect from this superior brewery that were excellent. One surprise was the cider. It was very yummy. 😋 🍎 One special note I need to make: I left my expense thermos behind but didn’t realize it until I was traveling back. I called them up, they found it, and mailed it back to me at no charge. I couldn’t believe it. It was part and parcel of my total experience. 🤩

I have been to Bell’s brewery now two times in the last 12 months. Both times to see a concert and grab some food and beer. Prior to these two visits, I have never been there before. On both occasions, I felt that everything was handled professionally for the concert portion of our visit, and I felt that the food and drink both times were above average well. Concerts were Will Wood and Bob Mould with winged wheel. In general, I’m old and don’t enjoy the concept of going to concerts anymore, but I’m actually excited for my next concert visit at this venue because the pricing is always really good and my only two experiences there have been exceptional.

Lucy provided great service tonight! She was welcoming and warm, just like the latitude 42 environment. I had the Tzatziki Chicken Salad Sandwich and it was very light and creamy. The food was perfect, the prices are great and the cozy atmosphere pictured here was at the end of the night. My only regret is not leaving room for dessert!

From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere at Latitude 42 was warm and welcoming. The vibe was energetic yet relaxed — the kind of place where you instantly feel at home. A huge shoutout to Evy, our server, who went above and beyond to make our experience exceptional. She was friendly, attentive, and had great recommendations that made our meal even more enjoyable. It’s rare to come across service that feels this genuine and thoughtful. Also want to recognize Monica, the manager, for creating such a great environment. You can tell the staff works well together and truly cares about the guest experience. Monica’s positive energy and attention to detail really stood out. Great service, awesome food, and an all-around fantastic vibe — we’ll definitely be back!

I enjoyed a few drinks here with friends. Admittedly, I didn’t know this place existed before my friend suggested it, but it has a nice casual atmosphere and a wonderful, old bar with great woodworking. The staff was friendly, and the drink menu was pretty nice. The English beer I enjoyed really hit the spot. I’ll definitely visit again with my friends in the hopefully not too distant future.

I stumbled across this tiny little Irish pub and was completely blown away by how magical this place really is. My bar tender was wonderful.Tell me all about the town and what things I could do while I was there. I didn't eat there but the food I saw being delivered to tables, looked very delicious. The patrons at the tables told me it was wonderful.

This has delicious and specialty type lunches and dinner, which include smashed potatoes deep fried or a salmon BLT burger. You enter in a bar type environment with a friendly greetings by the staff. Service was excellent.

Went in here because it was only place open in a Monday night, and wow!! Didn't expect that! Amazing food and drinks, will definitely make sure to stop the next time I'm in town. update: still good a second time!

The SugarBowl is exactly what you want in a working-class bar; cheap beer, pool tables, metal on the jukebox, and burgers that make you question why you ever ate anywhere else. We rolled in after wrapping four days of filming around Michigan. Everybody told us “get the burgers,” and they were dead right. Huge, messy, cooked with pride. I usually go vegetarian, and they were out of veggie patties that night. I asked if I could bring in my own Impossible Burger for the grill—bartender just laughed and said, “health code, can’t do it. But I’ll make you something. You won’t be disappointed.” What came out was one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. Not on the menu, totally improvised, and absolutely killer. My partner got a mushroom version, I got mine without. Both were seriously fantastic. I can’t tell you what to order because it doesn’t have a name, but if they ever add it to the menu I hope they call it The Crew Melt. It was the perfect end-of-shoot meal for a hungry film-crew vegetarian. Bottom line: this is a dive that punches way above its weight. Come for the metal, stay for the pool, and don’t sleep on the food.

Hands down the best burger in town. Andy and the gang are wonderful people and the live shows are a blast.

The building is full of Kalamzoo history and is a cozy spot to meet up with friends for drinks and food. Friday nights are karaoke and everyone was having a great time when I was there with friends! Staff were incredible and knowledgeable when making drinks and they were quick!

We had a great night enjoying the outdoor seating. From the cobblestone path to the twinkle lights and the scalloped fence, we took in all the details. A genuine experience not found in any chain. Grab a drink and a friend for a night away from the usual.

Very charming spot for fellow gamers/nerds! Staff were extremely kind (HUGE thank you to the bartender for getting a picture with my travel buddy 🥹🩵), drinks were great + humorously named, service was quick, and the game variety was nice. This was my first time coming here and they were very generous with the amount of tokens they gave, which made this spot even better. 10/10, ABSOLUTELY coming back again!!

So fun - love all the Mario and other classic game themes and decor. The food was excellent we had the potato wedges and dip trio, and then a burger, a brat, and the pulled pork sandwich. The staff is super friendly and the pours were generous. So many classic arcade games, with different consoles and board games also throughout! I got to rock out at Guitar Hero and bring back awesome memories. Also the milkshake was TOP NOTCH!

My daughter and I came here before a speaker at Miller Auditorium. We ordered the Nachos, Pulled Pork Sandwich with fries, and the absolutely delicious Potato Croquettes. The food was delicious. Would definitely recommend. We each had a drink and enjoyed watching the start of the beer market. Fun atmosphere, good food, and even though the bartender was working alone, she was fast and accurate.

Nice place. Darts and pinball. Not sure how I feel about the tap prices adjusting every 15 minutes, but okay, I get it. Wish the restaurant had been open. Plenty of parking.

Emily was our waitress today and she was fantastic! Very attentive. I had their special of the day, chili and grilled cheese with a side of onion rings. The chili is house-made which was delicious , the grilled cheese was grilled just right. The onion rings I think were also house-made and the best I’ve had in a while. My husband had the it Italian grinder and he said it was also very good. We will definitely be back.

We stopped here on my birthday weekend getaway. The staff is awesome, and pretzel was delicious. They have 4 dartboards and a pool table. 10/10 recommend.

Been coming here for many (and many) years and it’s still my favorite local place to visit because of its atmosphere. It used to be a super hidden gem but now even the college kids come weekends after 9p. Customers and staff are friendly making it home-like dive bar atmosphere. Shout out to great service by Gillian yesterday! Thanks!

Pretty mediocre, both food and atmosphere. While certainly edible, the burger was nothing to write home about. Staff working the night I was there got the job done, but that’s about it. Oh well-it’s Kalamazoo.

We aren't from the area and decided to eat here after learning it has been a staple in Kalamazoo for a very long time. It was Tuesday, so we had the taco special. They were very good! Three tacos is plenty and the guacamole and salsa were very tasty! The price was very reasonable. It was a positive experience and we will return if ever we visit the area again.

It's nice to mingle at a place where the locals hang out. The decor was predictable with plenty of wildlife hanging in the walls. The service was efficient and the first was really good. We tried the fried cheese cubes and the dipping sauce was excellent. I chose the wet burrito, which turned into a man vs foods challenge. The large portion was excellent, but I was not able to finish it. We all enjoyed the food. While the colorful language didn't bother us adults, I wouldn't recommend bringing younger children.

We had a group of 7. It wasn’t overly busy when we went. Service was slow and we are actually a really patient group. We had to ask for every single thing and wave down the server several times. We had to repeatedly ask for refills, ask for silverware, appetizer plates, salt and pepper, etc. Atmosphere was nice but some cleaning needs to be done overhead. Every time the fans come on you can see dust flying around. The food was not that good. The egg on the burger was so over cooked it was crunchy and the fish was so overcooked it was chewy.

This place is very good. They have quite a variety of food and a good selection of drinks, especially beer!!!. The appetizer I ordered was cosmic curd. It was very tasty and good!!!. Their food is also good here!!. The staff here are very friendly and helpful. The atmosphere here is very nice, industrial and comfy. A very lovely place!!!

Food is always fresh, you can tell the chef knows what he’s doing. Their fries are fire, best burgers ever. Their chicken bang bang was realllyy good! Large portion too. They def batter their own chicken and fries. Carrot cake prob the best I’ve ever had. They should really think about adding onion rings to the menu

The best thing about our visit was the service. Our waiter was fantastic, made some wonderful recommendations based on the food we ate for appetizers and was a great conversationalist without being overbearing. Our food was good and there was plenty for what you paid for.

A true dive bar, if you like one just go for it! My food was a delightful dive bar burger!

A true dive bar, it reminds me of some of the bars in the Goula. I most recently stopped by to drop off something and to say hey to Britt. There was a bday party so it was fairly lively for an early Saturday evening. It was that oddly quiet time on St Patties when ppl were passed out from day drinking or had not made it out to join the green vomit celebrations. I just had a couple Labatts while I caught up with the bartender as I was traveling later that evening. They have pool, darts, jukebox and because it's Michigan, keno and lottery. I've been around for their jumping karaoke nights previously. It's a little too far for me to drink at regularly when I'm in town unless given an invite and a DD. Drinks are cheap and the regular clientele is interesting but nice to strangers. Make sure your car is locked, again dive bar. Haven't had the food here but plenty ppl order it. It's standard bar fare as far as I can tell. Be sure to tip!

Hole in the wall pub with a ton of kinds of beer and great drink specials. Their food is delicious too. Grab a game of bingo or pool, or watch one of the many TV's showing all the hottest sporting events.

Great hang! HUGE spot. Surprised at how large it is. Food was pretty good. Standard bar food options and then some. The highlight is their draft beer menu — tons of craft beers from the area breweries on tap and they let you try them too! Pool tables are very chill and clean! They have 2!

Stopped in from out of town today for a quick beer and duckpin after seeing a Facebook recommendation. Ty was amazing, so helpful and knowledgeable about the space and the 1000 questions we had about duckpin. He made our experience in Kalamazoo worth it. We will be coming back because of him.

Loved it! Came here with friends for a birthday and had a great time. Loved the duck pin bowling and overall atmosphere. Pretzels are yummy. Definitely will come back. Friendly staff. And shout out to Avery who is a terrific hostess.

My husband and I had the privilege to celebrate our marriage over lunch at Burdick's. The staff put in so much effort to make our celebration one to remember! We were treated with so much kindness and respect. The food was delicious and the dessert and champagne made this such a memorable experience!

Always been a fan of burdicks nachos. Haven’t had the chance to get them here but frequented the wings west location. I was at the bar and the couple next to me got a burger and it looked and smelled good enough for me to switch up my plan. Superb. The tv behind the bar is awesome. Can’t wait to watch the masters on it come April. Only thing better than the burger and tv was the service bartenders were awesome. Shoutout to Kaelynne for the burger build. I said surprise me!

It was a cute little spot.. about one of the only places remotely close to a club in Kalamazoo.. definitely have to be cultured and diverse for the crowd. Smaller more intimate atmosphere. But it was fun. It would be awesome if it was both sides combined!

Fantastic staff, great entertainment drinks where fantastic I live out of town and made the best choice of visiting club Vortex on my trip will make a point of making an every weekend trip!!! Cheers keep it up CLUB VORTEX

This place definitely deserves five stars, and it’s mainly because of how they handled things when the night didn’t go perfectly. They were absolutely slammed when we came in — it was Parents Weekend, plus the Western Michigan game, so the place was packed. The kitchen was backed up, everything came out late, and out of the three pizzas we ordered, one of them arrived room temp instead of hot. Normally that would’ve been pretty frustrating, but the way the staff handled it completely changed the experience. Our server, Jack, was outstanding. Even under pressure he stayed friendly, attentive, and on top of things. Honestly one of the best servers I’ve had in a long time. The manager also came by to apologize personally, explained that this isn’t their usual standard, and offered to make it right. They comped one pizza completely and even gave us a discount on the rest of the bill. That kind of accountability goes a long way. The food itself was really good — great flavors, high-quality ingredients — and the vibe in the restaurant is super lively. Considering how busy it was, I can totally see how the delays happened, and I appreciate that the team owned up to it and made sure we left happy. At the end of the day, mistakes happen, but the way they handled it showed a lot of professionalism and care for their customers. That’s why it’s still a full five stars from me.

We went as a large group and we had very good service and the food was great. Our server let us take our time to see each other but was also great at checking in with us incase we needed anything. It is on the more spendy side of things but the portions were very generous and the flavors were fantastic! I can't speak to how fast service is, as I said before, we were in a larger party and were given more time for socializing. I can say there were smaller tables near by us with couples that were sat after us but were also served food before us, in what I would consider, a very reasonable time. It was a very good experience.

Great people in a great place! The staff is incredible and right on top of their jobs but not you in a bad way. If I had more in my pocket I would have tipped more. So maybe you can make up for my lack next time you're in here. You'll know what I'm talking about once you experience it yourself!

I've been to this local chain of sports bar/pubs before. I typically end up at the one in portage. The service is usually good and the food consistent. I have not had too much from their menu, and didn't eat this time. I know the sweet potato fries are good, and so is the black bean burger. The nachos look epic. I come for the bloody's. Now this was my first time seeing that they offered a bloody mary bar to make your own. But I'm on vacation so I made the bartender make mine instead. She did a good job, it's was salty and spicy like I like it. And she didn't throw in a bunch of craziness I've seen others do. The bartender Brooke was awesome. She greeted everyone with a smile, introduced herself(which is why I actually remembered her name) and joked/talked with her guests. I want to see those dinosaur pics on the video board next time.

Craft cocktails were delish! Relaxing atmosphere and Lexi was the best bartender! Will be back to try the food, definitely a place to stop for a drink

Full transparency, I am a pilot (how do you know there is a pilot in the room? They will tell you). Just left another business in the area and saw this place about a 1/2 mile down the road and had to check it out. Love the aviation theme. Nicely done. Beer was cold and staff was nice. Tons of TVs with a variety of different things on. A few video games, but no pinball unfortunately. If you like beer, check it out, if you like aviation, REALLY check it out. Lots of cool photos in the back.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the quesadilla I ordered. I also tried their “goat fries” and they were INCREDIBLE. The service was great as well. Definitely worth checking out!

One of the best burgers in Michigan. The house fries are amazing! Food was great, price was right, and service was on point.

Friendly staff, food was decent bar food! There was live music that night.

Great fried foods, nice little dive bar. Somewhat out of the way but it’s a staple. To be honest, I’ve gone there a handful of times in the last 10 years and the staff hasn’t been the friendliest or most attentive. Other patrons aren’t super friendly either, which is why I usually order take out. Drinks are average prices. Overall, the food makes it worth the take out order. Get the olive burger and mushrooms!

Walked in, then we walked out. There was a line at the bar. No waitresses only one bartender, go to bar and order food and drinks. Then sit at a table and wait for your food. Well considering I am handicap there was no way I could stand in line to order. So we just left. I have no idea if the food was good or not. Actually very disappointed. Will not be back.

We went for Friday karaoke night on one of our rare Fridays off. I was somewhat put off though when we went to go sing our one and only song of the evening and came back to the table to find our food and beers had been bussed away. We were only gone for the 3 minutes of our song. When we brought this up to the bar manager, she basically said "Sorry, the food was over half gone and so were the drinks so I'm not going to do anything to fix this". We don't get too many nights out so I can't honestly say that the $75 we spent here was worth it. The one redeeming factor was the bartender (who is always super friendly and awesome and we apologize for not knowing your name!) who saw what happened, apologized profusely, and knew it was a lame situation.

Expensive drinks, so get drunk before you come! Overall a decent experience, Saturdays are best when the outside is open, the bull is fun to ride too. Has space to walk around - overall happy it opened back up, Kzoo at least needs something. I did have a bad bartender, no tips for you sir.

Every time I come here, had a Real Fun Time Dancing! Drinks…Top Notch! Met some Fun People. The Staff always makes sure you have a Fun and Safe Experience. Meet Jesse, really Awesome guy! Always looking forward to coming here! Come experience for yourself if you haven’t yet!

Normally go here weekly. Like every week. I get the same thing. Now apparently the manager told the server they don’t do modifications. In this case no pickle. So subtracting something that would save them money is not something they will no longer do.

I went to college in the area around 30 years ago, and Waldo's is still the same friendly watering hole. Friendly staff behind the bar, and ice cold beer on tap. It's nice to see the place stay the same. I'll definitely visit again when in the area.

Had the best experience tonight, the staff was phenomenal, the girls are gorgeous and so welcoming and the lovely lady tending bar was an absolute gem. She definitely made the choice to come back frequently very easy to settle on.

Since they took the stage out, put in a very expensive bourbon bar, less people come the atmosphere has become geriatric and boring. Entertainers are boring and don’t even try to make it exciting. Not sure if they have new management or not but before COVID this was an amazing place to be!

Fun place to hang out. Service was so slow and DJ was terrible. Bathrooms were horrible especially since some of the doors do not lock, close or even have a door for privacy! Typical college dive bar that could be better but then again, it is Kalamazoo. Such a dumpy area to begin with

Love the big themed tabletops-each one different. Huge full-service bar. Attentive staff. Zander perch, good burgers lots of appetizers to choose from. Pool table, basketball hoop available.

First time customer. The staff people were very nice. Also, the customers were nice as well, Entertainers are nice and the prices are reasonable. However, the reason why it’s a four star is because none of the entertainers asked if I wanted a dance or a VIP room. Other then that it’s a nice environment so 4 stars.

Some of the girls are cool. Waitresses are the nicest thing about this club but the real downfall is the ownership, management and security. One of their security guards repeatedly followed me into bathroom to stand there and watch me urinate then proceeded to accuse me of stuff that was obviously not happening if there garbage management bothered to review their cameras. The other security guards complain about the one guy and the girls do to yet the wanna be cop who obviously wasn't qualified to be a cop or didnt pass the psych eval still harasses people. I spend about 500 on an average night out and work as upper management for a solar company and was accused of selling drugs just because I spend money. After bringing it to management's attention a second time I was walked outside, cut off, and threatened by a co-owner of the club. Dont waste your time getting harrassed as there are better clubs out there with a friendly atmosphere and girls that actually pretend they care at least.