HopCat

mobius387

Wisconsin

4.9/5  rDev +5.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$

Stopped here for dinner and drinks one night on a road trip through western Michigan. This was undoubtedly the highlight of a trip filled with awesome breweries and brew pubs! Service is just flat out awesome. The people who work at this place go out of their way to make sure you get the most out of the beer they serve. Food was really good too. Atmosphere is very unique and the whole place seems centered around the bar which is perfect for a place that is known for their great beer. Some of the beer is a bit pricey, but considering that you can't find most of these beers on tap anywhere else, its understandable.

Overall, this was where we spent the most time at one place on our trip, and it was because this place is a fantastic place to drink beer and relax. Thanks HopCat! Can't wait to return

12-06-2011 23:58:56 | More by mobius387

jale

Michigan

4.83/5  rDev +4.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$

What more can you say about this place. Great tap selections and great bottle list. The staff here are friendly and if you have a question they don't know they will ask someone who does. The food here is just amazing. Everyone knows the crack fries are awesome. The burgers are just as great, the best burgers around. They have a cheese ale soup which must be tried. I can easily see why this is one of the best beer bars in the country. On the weekends during the busy hours the service can be slow, but that is to be expected. Mark has done a fantastic job making this place shine. This is a must stop place when you come to Michigan.

11-27-2011 15:05:39 | More by jale

JDizzle

Indiana

4.65/5  rDev +0.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$

What a classy beer bar!

I have had the pleasure of being here around 5 times and I can't say enough. The price is a little on the high side, but the quality of brew is sick. They have a ton of Michigan brews + a wide range of others that make them one of the premier bars on the planet.

The atmosphere is plush with a lot of wood-bar, tables, that make it seam plush without being cold. Great windows in the day time to light up the bar.

The taps go on foreva! Such great selection of beer that ranges to every style, and not the normal ones you usually see. Price is up there, but worth the experience IMO.

Food is solid, especially when you get it on special + one of their own beers they brew(which are solid).

Can't wait to come back!

11-19-2011 04:21:16 | More by JDizzle

cratez

Ontario (Canada)

4.9/5  rDev +5.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $

First stop on a recent trip to Grand Rapids with nicktbm and our significant others. This legendary pub is a beer geek’s wet dream. Inside sports a massive old-fashioned bar, 6 towers with 50 craft taps, countless tables throughout the interior, and a bustling, party-like atmosphere with killer background music and lots of college-aged beer drinkers. We grabbed a four-person booth beside the bar.

Our waitress was very friendly and efficient. Drinks and food arrived quickly and she made some helpful beer suggestions to my oenophile girlfriend.

The draught and bottle selections are redonkulous. All of the beers are sorted by style and they have tons of rare and cellared offerings from around the world. As an example of how insane the beer menu is, they had 6 barley wines on tap. That alone is worth a "5." Our group ordered a 2011 Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Arcadia Hopmouth DIPA, HopCat Weizen, and Bell’s Oarsman Ale on draught and a Saint Somewhere Saison Athene, BrewDog Mikkeller I Hardcore You, and Baird Red Rose Amber out of the bottle. The Hardcore and Oarsman were my favourites of the night.

Food is pretty good as well. I went for the Applewood Smoked Bacon Grilled Cheese while the lady had a Turkey Bruschetta Burger. Each came with a side of Crack Fries and both dishes tasted fantastic. Prices are incredibly fair as 8 drinks and 2 entrees came to less than $70.

Overall, this place boasts an unmatched beer list at excellent value with a really fun vibe. HopCat is the main reason we came to Grand Rapids and we were not disappointed. An essential stop in Michigan and the best beer bar that I’ve encountered so far.

11-02-2011 20:32:33 | More by cratez

freehafe

Michigan

4.78/5  rDev +3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

One of the nicest bars in Grand Rapids, the vibe is very chill and laid back. Many tables up front with booths towards the back, long wood bar, and outdoor patio.

The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful if you have trouble deciding (which is a good possibility with so many options.)

The beer selection here is epic. 49 on draft, 150 bottles, all served in appropriate glassware. Drafts rotated frequently. Beers range from "lawnmower" beers to locals to imports.

The food here is good, try the crack fries or the mac and cheese, wide selection, several vegetarian options, has the standard pub fare as well as more adventurous options.

Prices are reasonable, food is inline with what you expect for the price. Most beer prices are in the 4-8 $ range. The beer prices may be a bit more for those used to $2 you call its or happy hour tankards, but it is definitely within reason of what you expect for the quality beer you are getting in return.

10-11-2011 23:16:46 | More by freehafe

Labonix

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev -4.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

This is a must if you're ever in Grand Rapids. They have a huge selection of beers to choose from both bottle and on tap. I liked how they had the beer menu set up. The beers were split up into differnt catagories based on the style of beer. The bartenders do a nice job with the service even though they have a full bar to tend. The food here was really good and it wasn't too pricey. It wasn't a long wait for my food after I placed my order. I would actually say that this place is worth a 30min or so wait for a seat.

10-09-2011 19:19:26 | More by Labonix

JohnPPutz

Illinois

4.9/5  rDev +5.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Visited Hopcat this past weekend while I was in the Grand Rapids area for my 24th birthday weekend and this was on our agenda for the first night. First of all the beer menu was fantastic. I won't be able to remember everything I had but Key Lime Pie, BB4D, BA Shipwreck and the HopCat Hefe come to mind. All were very good, and the service was excellent. As for food, let me just say the crack fries with cheese have that name for a reason. Everything we ordered was awesome. Prices are reasonable, as 4 of us spent only about 200$ total for a few hours of beer and food(although the GF's didn't drink more than a couple) and tip. I recommend this place to anyone in the GR area and I know I'll be making a return trip in the future.

09-21-2011 04:51:59 | More by JohnPPutz

DoctorB2B

Massachusetts

4.78/5  rDev +3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Last stop on my Grand Rapids bonanza. I saved the best for last apparently. Very good looking spot inside ... very high ceilings with some old time framed artwork. The bar is long with taps o'plenty.

I had the pleasure of being taken care of by Mr. Steve Schultz (hope I spelled that right). I ordered the Sage Against the Machine to sip on and the Bar-Zee Burger which was DELICIOUS!!!

I noticed they had a couple bottles I had been looking for in Michigan but couldn't get my hands on. I asked if they sold bottles to go, which they do. So I was able to walk away with a Kuhnhenn 4D and Arcadia Bourbon Barrel Shipwreck.

The service was top notch, so when you do go in, ask for Steve, you'll be well taken care of!

09-19-2011 01:53:12 | More by DoctorB2B

b3shine

Ohio

5/5  rDev +7.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$

I can't say enough good about this place! It's AMAZING!!! Everything exceeded our expectations! The food was outstanding, especially for the price! Generous servings too! The wings are a must-try! The staff is super! I wore in a 3 Floyds t-shirt, and Steve, the beer ordered (and I think brewer) complimented me on it. Not long after, he brought my wife and I over an unnamed rare beer (I don't want to get them into any trouble) that was FANTASTIC, and told us I won the "beer gear of the day award." They made customers out of us for life! And oh yeah, the beer... Outstanding esoteric selection complemented by a small but excellent selection of in-house brewed libations. We used to live in the area, bur moved away a little over 3 years ago, and they've been open slightly after we moved. I will now come here every time we come home, as my wife and I both LOVED it! Do yourself a favor and stop in. It's fantastic, and the value is great too!

09-05-2011 17:55:31 | More by b3shine

MarvinTheMarzen

Iowa

4.68/5  rDev +0.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Hop Cat has to be one of my favorite bars - bar none. The place has a great atmosphere and enough room to accommodate crowds. The beer selection is really good and they rotate brews rapidly - and the write updated to the beer menu on chalkboards.

We've eaten there a few times and the selection and quality is good. Once you try the "Crack Fries" you'll understand how they got their name. The staff is also good - we got to sit at the bar during one visit and had a great time chatting with the staff. The owners even stopped by (they had seen us at another bar earlier) and we compared notes on several brews. Overall a great time and a great place.

08-22-2011 03:02:53 | More by MarvinTheMarzen