Local Watering Holes

This local favorite (St. An's) has been in business over 75 years. Joe Stalec is the current owner and his great uncle, Stan Kulik bought the bar back when it was called Walt's Tavern. As part of his re-model, he moved the very long bar from one side of the building to the other. Because the building is so narrow, people carried the bar outside to turn it around, and carry it back into the building. That's a good story 😊 Although there is a very cool, neon sign above the front entrance, the regulars know to enter through the back. There are a few tables in the back and some in the front, along with a large booth. Otherwise it's just the very long bar. We took a table in the front and weren't sure if we had to order at the bar or if their was wait service. No one paid us any attention so we went up to the bar to figure it out. The man at the bar was not friendly at first but warmed up to us by the time we were finished for the night. The draft beer list was hung up ...

  So, we finally walked into Duke's and had a great experience. Before we noticed the menu on the wall, we asked our server (Carlie) for menus. She was a little taken aback and said "this is a dive." Haha. But they did have menus, although with many prices crossed out. Hazy IPA, Oberon, Sam Adams Cherry Wheat and vodka started us off along with some nicely prepared fried pickles. Although still listed on the board, neither the Philly Stack nor the French Dip were available this summer. Not a problem 😉 We ordered two bacon cheeseburgers. I asked if my onions could be grilled, and since Carlie was not only our server but also our chef, she said she'd be happy to oblige. The juicy burgers were excellent and came with a fresh tomato slice. The onion rings deserve special mention as the onion did not pull out on first bite but stayed with fried exterior. That may sound like a strange compliment but it's a pet peeve. Well done for a small kitchen and our server/chef! T...

In 2016, the first bar in Jenison opened here in an old Pizza Hut building. It's a great improvement 😊 The name comes from Baldwin Street (of which it's just off) and 1933, the year that prohibition ended. Pretty creative on the part of the owners. When we first were being seated, our server put us in a side room with garage doors that open in the summer. Being that it was winter, we asked to be in the main room and they obliged. I'm sure it's great in summer but it was really cold that night. The tavern has a full bar with lots of specialty drinks and craft beers. We started with Founders Reds Rye, 3 Floyds Zombie Dust, Imperial Peanuts and Cracker Jack (tasted like we were out at a baseball game), and a plain old Pinot Grigio. Beginning with tots for our appetizer is our tradition and we had multiple choices here. We went with the Totchos (pepperjack, queso, taco meat, romaine, pico de gallo, and avocado creme fraiche). So good! Keeping with their clever naming theme...