Graydon's Crossing

cratez

Ontario (Canada)

4.63/5  rDev +4.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5 | $$

Final stop on a recent trip to Grand Rapids with nicktbm and our better halves.

Atmosphere: classic and pristine British pub, long wooden bar, numerous comfy booths, tap handles loom over the restaurant area, chalkboard shows all draught and cask offerings, hilarious posters in the washrooms, table-side lamps add a unique touch.

Service: staff seemed a bit withdrawn on this lazy Sunday afternoon but our waitress did a commendable job of describing the beers and everything arrived in reasonable time. She also gave us plenty of privacy in between drinks.

Selection: had an Arcadia Whitsun Wheat Ale with Hibiscus on cask and a North Peak Diabolical IPA out of the bottle. Both beers were in top form and my girlfriend enjoyed her pint of Delirium Tremens. Other standouts were Avery 18th Anniversary Ale, Blue Point Toasted Lager, Ommegang Belgian Saison, and Lagunitas IPA on tap. Very well-rounded menu.

Food: remarkable fare that exceeded our expectations. Ordered the House Salad, Chicken Tikka Masala, Bangalore Quesadilla, and Mackinaw Island Fudge, all of which were phenomenal. Each dish had an immaculate presentation and the free papadum was a nice surprise. They really nail the "England meets India" theme.

Overall: Graydon's is an archetype British pub that I will gladly revisit on future trips to the city. The attention to detail - from the pairing suggestions to the food descriptions to the style classifications on the beer list - is second to none. I highly recommend this bar.

12-27-2011 22:46:46 | More by cratez

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev -2.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Visited on a Wednesday night and the place was almost empty. Atmosphere would likely be even better on a busier night.

Still a good experience. Overall a good beer bar that was somewhat upscale. Service was good and was friendly.

Tap list was very good and had a good variety of breweries and styles, including a lot of Michigan locals and out of state beers. Taps included Founders, DFH, Dark Horse and others. Good bottle list too.

Did not have any food to comment on the food.

Prices were also reasonable on both pints and pitchers.

08-10-2012 21:23:57 | More by TheSevenDuffs

Bung

North Carolina

4.28/5  rDev -3.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Has that nice old building feel, like many midwestern pubs and breweries. Though I understand this place burned down, so they obviously rebuilt with the same intent. A little cramped, so is the parking, but there is an upstairs, which was closed.

Quality list of drafts and bottles. The tap handles were all under the bar top, it took me a while to figure out where all these drafts were coming from. Very good slection of locals and national micros. 2 casks, the one I wanted was out of coarse as it was 4 days after tapping. Dark Horse cream stout was a lower abv local stout on draft I had a couple of.

Food was good, with some unique pub fare and English/Irish dishes. Though I did get sick the next day, not necessarily blaming them for that though.

Been meaning to stop here and glad I finally did. Up there with Hopcat and Logans Alley. Good place to hit if you're in the area, more relaxed environment than Hopcat if you're looking for a lower key place.

12-29-2010 20:10:49 | More by Bung

mcallister

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev -7.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$$$

Well I went here on suggestions from fellow BA's. I only had one beer and decided that there wasn't really anything that I can't get back home and their prices were rather steep especially compared to the breweries, so I will hit up some of the local micro breweries. Not to take anything from Graydon's though.

Very nice formal looking place. Woodwork is beautiful and just nice overall. The selection was great and the menu looked fabulous although I did not eat. I went in the afternoon so it's hard to judge the atmosphere but the prices were pretty high so I'm not sure how much I would hang out here.

07-09-2006 18:00:48 | More by mcallister

granger10

Wisconsin

4.4/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Finally stopped by this place after it opened in January. Small, rather cool looking building with a semi-gated entrance. Parking lot is quite small.

Inside, there are two floors and two levels of decks. Very dark and unassuming on the inside. Small lamps by each table. Lots of cool authentic English, Irish, and Scottish decor around. Darts in the back along with board games and MJ beer books.

Food was really good, authentic, and freshly made. English countryside and some Indian options. Sheppards Pie, Burgers, Stew, Tandoori Chicken and the like. All priced quite reasonably. I didn't think the portions were huge but I was satisfied.

Tap list is very well thought out. Lots of English beers and a few Arcadia and Dragonmead offerings (which specialize in the English style). A few Belgian offerings, DFH 90 minute, Breck Vanilla Porter, Founder's, Bell's, a few more and of course PBR. They put a beer on cask every Thursday at 5 and it's always a new one. The hand pump is true cask.

Atmosphere was real casual and the place wasn't too filled, but I'd like to go on a Friday or Saturday and see how it is. Drink prices are a bit higher than some places but they have specials and with that list I'll gladly pay another $1 or so.

If you're in GR, you must check this place out for some grub and a few pints.

06-23-2006 22:51:17 | More by granger10

sarahspat

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +0.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

This is one of the better beer bars in GR. It's is supposed to be like an English pub and has very nice decor. There is an upper level and a lower level, which is kind of cool. To me it feels a little but stuffy here and the prices are a bit high, especially for the food (cuisine from the UK and India, kind of like a "British Empire" theme, I guess) which is delicious, but expensive! Both times I have gone here, I have woken up the next morning with an intense feeling of regret over how much money I spent the night before... but if you can afford it, more power to you.

The cask ale is a very nice feature, and the beer prices in general are reasonable, running about $4-6 a pint for draughts. They have a great selection of craft beer (about 30-35 taps, I think) including some things I have never heard of before like Rogue Honey Orange Wheat. HopCat has more taps than they do, but HopCat's are mostly just Michigan, and some American craft brews. However, as far as imports go, I think Graydon's might rival HopCat's selection.

No complaints about the service; they have been attentive and courteous, in my experience.

Overall, this is a great place to go to try some new beers on draught... but unless you are rich, I would recommend eating somewhere else.

03-29-2009 15:57:10 | More by sarahspat

Roeters

Michigan

3.83/5  rDev -13.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

Stopped in for the first time last Sunday for a late lunch.

It is small inside whit a lot of dark wood work throughout. Kinda English Pub like. All of their taps hidden bellow that bar I walked in a little confused knowing that they were suppose to have a bunch f draught beers

Beer ranges from Stroh's, Old Style, Bud light to locals like Arcadia cereal killer, Stone arrogant bastard, some Belgians and English beers.

It was a Sunday afternoon, there where not busy and I ended up having to ask for things a couple times like a food menu, then trying to order.

The food was really good, had some nice twists on standard bar food.

01-14-2009 02:53:30 | More by Roeters

GRPunk

Michigan

4.38/5  rDev -0.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

I went to Graydon's Crossing for an early dinner on Friday night on one of these really warm fall evenings and enjoyed the second floor deck.

The atmosphere seemed really nice. I didn't get the full effect of the bar and inside dining areas as I chose the enjoy the great weather on the upper deck. The lower deck area was nicely sheilded from the road and parking lot by a high fence and the upper deck was situated to minimize any street noise. From what I did see of the inside, it was tastefully decorated with a lot of wood finish.

The quality of the actual building, food, and beer was top notch. Everything was very clean, including the taste of the beer. I didn't get any "off" flavors from unclean tap lines.

Service was good. We were seated and had our drink orders taken quickly. Our server gave honest food recommendations and seemed, at least, familiar with the tap and bottled beer offerings.

Selection was great. As was the theme of the restaurant, they had a great selection of English, Irish, and Scottish beers as well as many local and regional favorites, many national microbrews (a bunch of European Imports were also thrown in for good measure). They also had what seemed to be an extensive wine and mixed drink list.

The food was also English, Irish, and Scottish as well as many Indian items. Some customers across from us were questioning the inclusion of Indian food on the menu, but it made sense to me. There were many appetizer options and it's my understanding that the seasonal menu changes quite regularly.

As for value, it wasn't the cheapest place in the world, but still a good value. Our entrees were under $15 each and I was still very impressed with the quality of the food.

Overall- This will be a new favorite of mine. I was able to have a spicy curry dish, while my wife played it a little safer with a pork entree. I was also able to try a Sam's Imperial Pilsner, while she enjoyed a New Holland pumpkin beer on tap. It wasn't too busy for an early dinner and I didn't have to break the bank while still ordering appetizers, entrees, and multiple quality brews.

10-11-2007 21:53:52 | More by GRPunk

slowbie

North Carolina

4.72/5  rDev +6.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Nice quiet place. Good for me since I prefer to go with friends and enjoy the crowds, but places with good beer selection tend to be very crowded around here.

Second best selection I've seen in the area, with at least as many taps as Hopcat, but I'd give Hopcat the edge on selection because of the variety of beers they bring in. I'd much rather go here than hopcat though because the prices are much better, and it's much less crowded. Different serving size options for some beers are a nice touch too. I got a 10 oz. tulip of Bourbon County Stout for 5.50, which is very comparable to the price per ounce if I were to get a single bottle around here.

Service was great, and I didn't try the food but it looked good and the people with me who tried it seemed to be happy as well.

01-06-2011 16:25:37 | More by slowbie

brew4health

Ohio

4.56/5  rDev +3.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

The atmosphere is good, very English pub-like with lots of warm dark wood. They have tables and booths and of course a large bar. This was a refreshing change after going to a local brewery with an atmosphere much like a high school cafeteria.

The beer selection is very good. They have 48 beers on tap from all over the country and some imports. Regional beers are well represented. Most beers are served in pint glasses with the "big beers" offered in 12 ounce tulips or brandy snifters. Prices are reasonable, mostly $4 to $5 per glass with some as high as $8 when I visited (2/26/11). I particularly appreciate the fact that they have many obscure and hard-to-find beers. The bartender was very attentive. The staff is knowledgeable about the beers as are most of the patrons. All are happy to discuss beers and recommend their favorites. Beer samples are available on a sliding scale price which varies from $2 to $3 per sample. In addition, they have a large selection of bottled beer on hand.

I did not eat dinner there but found the appetizers adequate.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and will stop there whenever I am in the neighborhood.

03-03-2011 23:26:29 | More by brew4health