Bob's Bar, 725 Michigan St NE, Grand Rapids ~ 4/17/19 & 9/16/21

The building began as an A & P Tea Grocery Story in 1932 and by 1971 it became Bob's Bar. The current Bob has owned it since 2013. And it is open 24/7!

Here are some old photos hanging in the bar, dates unknown.

We loved Bob's Bar the first time we walked in and loved it just as much the second time. The first series of photos are from our 2019 visit. At that time, there were six high-tops, four regular tables and some small tables by the window ~ and a charming bar, which is still the same.

The games, TVs, and green lights are also still present.

These quite delicious fried green beans were an appetizer special of the night.

The $5.00 hot dog special came with a La Batt's "domestic" (that was joined by a Founders Pale Ale).

The dogs arrived, two Chicagos and a Chicago & Coney. They were as good as they looked.

The Chicago style Italian Beef was ordered with cheese, and extra was paid for the onion rings (worth it). It might not have been as good as one can get in Chicago, but it came close.

The shrimp basket is no longer on the menu and shrimp is also gone from the taco selections, which probably simplified things for the kitchen. Shrimp was the only seafood item on the old menu and the new menu has none.

At one point in the evening, we were greeted by the owner, Bob, and introduced him to our Bob 😊 

Bob is the third owner of the bar, the first owner being a Bob and the second being Dick.

People still obviously write on bathroom walls 😏 

Lucky for Bob's Bar patrons, a parking lot across the street belongs to the bar, and a parking lot person was in attendance.

There are also a few parking spots behind the bar.

This is the biggest difference between our 2019 visit and our visit of 2021. Bob put on a deck, and it was a wonderful place to enjoy a drink.

The deck has eight high tops and two large picnic tables.

We were informed that no meals were served out here, only drinks and appetizers. But our server, Stacy, told us we could move inside when we were ready for dinner. Stacy, by the way, was working the entire restaurant, both inside and out, and gave us superb service in spite of that.

We enjoyed the Tangerine Space Machine, Sam Adams OctoberFest, Guinness, and a Pinot Grigio.

Tater tots were a new addition to the menu and they were amazing! Instead of the toppings being loaded on top of the tots, these ingredients were inside of the tots. The two choices were Bacon, Cheddar & Chive Tots, and Irish Tater tots, so we ordered both and were glad we did.

Our blue cheese for dipping arrived like this. Not a big deal 😊

This hall connects the deck to the main restaurant.

The interior was mostly the same, with a few less seats and the addition of sanitizer.

The Italian Beef was ordered again, and was still better than good. The hot giardiniera and peppers were great and the au jus had super flavor.

We also ordered the smoked chicken tacos with lettuce and tomato. Tacos are served in a soft tortilla or a fried corn shell and the fried corn shell was an excellent choice. The smoked flavor of the chicken came through nicely but the salsa was a little mild for our taste. 

The juke box was playing but at a volume where we did not have to raise our voices to each other to be heard.  Nine TVs were on but without sound.

There's apparently a problem with people opening this door 😃

This is a great neighborhood bar with a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, even if you're not a regular (which we are now 😊). Check out Bob's sometime soon!

Merry Christmas (2023)!!