Shakespeare's Pub

adamdd

Michigan

3.15/5  rDev -15.5%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 2.5 | $

Shakespeare's is a great place to go for a beer when in Kalamazoo. They have the largest selection in town, and are up to 44+ taps. Half of the taps are rotating, and they seem to get first crack at anything new that comes to town. Their draft prices are very low, and are usually between $4 and $5 per pint. They also provide ample free popcorn, which is always a bonus.

One of the worst things about Shakespeare's is that it is not clean. It has a "college bar" atmosphere and the look of a frat house. They recently had their 9th anniversary, and the carpeting (yes, a bar that has carpeting) has been there the whole time and is filthy. The crowd definitely changes as the night goes on, so if you want to avoid hanging out with some of the less desirable patrons make sure you go earlier in the evening. The service is typically quite bad, unless you sit at the bar. The food is average to below average, and will definitely take a while to arrive, no matter how busy (or not) they are.

Overall, expect some great draft beer at reasonable prices. Just don't expect much else! It is still one of the four places I recommend stopping at when in Kalamazoo, especially if you are in town to visit Bell's.

10-01-2012 23:32:04 | More by adamdd

wellestone

Minnesota

4.9/5  rDev +31.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $

Great beer list with 44 taps of national and Michigan craft beers (6-8 macros). Specials on the weekends are $3 taps with great food specials as well. Food is awesome..bar food but awesome bar food. Service is friendly, fast. Ownership is also friendly. Highly recommended. Great beer list with 44 taps of national and Michigan craft beers (6-8 macros). Specials on the weekends are $3 taps with great food specials as well. Food is awesome..bar food but awesome bar food. Service is friendly, fast. Ownership is also friendly. Highly recommended.

03-17-2012 14:49:10 | More by wellestone

b3shine

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev +19.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

As someone from Kalamazoo, I LOVE SHAKESPEARE'S! The pub has good food and the best selection of draft beers in Kalamazoo, if not SW Michigan. Tons of great drafts that rotate regularly. Atmosphere is excellent. Phenomenal food and beer specials, especially on the weekends. It's cheaper to drink Bell's Beer at Shakespeare's than it is two blocks away at Bell's Brewery. This place is home base for my wife and I, along with all of our friends. We even had our rehearsal dinner there. The bottle list is the only complaint, but it's minor because of all the esoteric beers they have on draft. A must-visit if you're in the Kalamazoo area!

03-29-2011 20:58:36 | More by b3shine

sweett3k

Michigan

4/5  rDev +7.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Take an old fishing pole factory and turn it into a pub what not to love about this place. They have a great Saturday and Sunday afternoon special. Cheap draft beers with great selection. This bar is come as you are style. A verity of people are always there and everyone seems to fit just right in, so put on you people watching glasses. I have been going to this establishment for over 8 years know. Great place to play Golden Tee or throw darts. Great food (Pizza, wings, nachos) and local beer selection as well with all over the globe. The new place Kalamazoo Beer exchange is too trendy and too busy. Cross the street, stop in and check it out. You'll fit right in without the head aches.

03-07-2011 23:55:27 | More by sweett3k

Spiekerbox

Michigan

2.55/5  rDev -31.6%
vibe: 2 | quality: 2 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3.5 | $$

This place is a louder, college style bar. The place itself seems pretty nice but had never been able to impress me. The prices on drinks are relatively normal and I am not very familiar with their specials, but they seem to be alright from what I hear.

The main thing that I have noticed about this place is that they think that they are the best place in town. I have seen and know many people who got kicked out of the place for things that most normal college bars would not care about. From small arguments (not physical fights, like what people should be booted for), to "looking" sick, to puking discreetly in the bathroom. Also the "bouncers" seem to not even be 21 and some look like high school kids.

This is not a rant either because I myself had a bad time there, it is just an observation I have made after being there multiple times. My suggestion is if you are looking for either a nicer college style bar or a bar downtown to look elsewhere, there is definitely many better places to be.

06-08-2010 00:45:53 | More by Spiekerbox

TheBear11D

Michigan

2.86/5  rDev -23.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 2 | $$$

This is usually a noisier place. You can find a rather large college crowd with a small mix of the thirty to forty age range. They have a kareoke night which can feature some decent singers along with some who are awful (of course to be expected), however, that is always a popular night.

The servers are pretty good. I tend to find the servers who are distracted by a friend or relative and get poor service, but my friends seem to find good service when they go here.

The selection is nothing to get excited for. They have beer which is about all I can say for them. Pretty much your average bar stuff here.

I haven't tried the food.

12-24-2008 03:02:17 | More by TheBear11D

sloppymoose

Michigan

3.56/5  rDev -4.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | $$

The best thing about this place is when you find a brewery special or a day when micro's are on special. hella beers on tap, but only 5 to 6 ever worth trying, the rest are macro or fake ass micro. love the length of the bar and the quality of the booths, the pool tables, and if you dig on butter, the free popcorn could be a plus. one of my favorite places to go during the afternoon and have a beer, it's just hard to go here when it's literally a block away from bells tap room. make sure you don't go on a weekend night or you will be bombarded by fraternity humans.

12-10-2008 23:52:55 | More by sloppymoose

Magpie14

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev +5.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

This was my main hangout when going to WMU. Large rectangular bar and bustling atmosphere. Typical bar feel, nothing really stands out. But in any event, I always try to get to this place when in town.

I always found the draft beer selection great and accommodating. The patio, although somewhat prefabricated, is a nice feature in the summer. Good quality all around!
Service is always pretty good, it can have its lapses and mishaps on busy nights. I like the nice row of taps and they always have some special whether beer, food, or cocktails on every night.

I regularly enjoyed the hummus with a cold one in hand.
I must say, for Kalamazoo, they have a nice large selection of drafts overall.
The only quarrel I have is the smokiness in the place

12-05-2008 07:10:25 | More by Magpie14

david131

Michigan

3.83/5  rDev +2.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

I visited Shakespeare's recently with BMoney575 and was not expecting much. The establishment is very unique and surprisingly large. The beer selection was pretty good which included Rogue, Sierra Nevada, Bell's, Founders, etc. I am not sure of everything they had because there was no list of what was available in the menu or at the table. The service was about what you would expect at a sports bar-ish place. The best thing about when we were there was all pints of micro brew was $2.50- which was quite a steal. The food was very enjoyable and they had some unique offerings. I was impressed.

02-09-2008 06:09:42 | More by david131

BMoney575

Michigan

3.7/5  rDev -0.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

I visited Shakespeare's for the first time recently, and was impressed. The interior is very sports bar, which is a good thing if you're watching the game. The place is quite large, with tables lining the exterior walls. It was noisy, but most bars like this are. The beer selection was good, but they don't do a very good job of displaying what the have. I had a Rogue Shakespeare, because it was the easy choice. The service was decent, our waitress seemed friendly, but very busy. The selection of food was very good, and what I had was very tasty. As far as value goes, this place is great. On Saturday, pints are only $2.50, and they have all kinds of other deals. Definitely worth a try, I'll be going there often.

02-09-2008 00:12:23 | More by BMoney575