REGISTER NOW: Uncomfortable Conversations: The Skills Crisis
REGISTER: 8THIRTYFOUR Skills Survival School Founding Cohort

Best GR Brunch Spots

Written by

Share This Post:

Waffles with blueberries and strawberries, pancakes with whipped cream and coffee with muted green illustrations over top

We like to eat, and we like to couple everything we inhale with a refreshing beverage of the alcohol variety. Since most of us are on our way to being fully vaccinated, we fully intend to take advantage of the amazing brunch spots in Grand Rapids. 

We last wrote this blog in 2019, so it is clearly time for an update.

Here are our favorite places to overindulge on delicious mimosas, screwdrivers, bloody marys, and so much more. 

Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant

Ok, so they technically don’t have a brunch menu, but their food is AMAZING.  If you haven’t eaten the potstickers, your life is not complete. Every single dish on the menu has a recommended wine pairing, or you can enjoy one of the many craft cocktails that change up weekly. 

You can also make a reservation, which during a pandemic is pretty flippin’ nice. 

Favorite Dish: Chicken Potstickers with Asian Slaw 
Favorite Drink: Red wine with ice (obvs) or the Island Mojito (Malibu Rum, Mint, Passion Fruit, Lime)

Lucy’s

This one ranks pretty high with us 8THIRTYFOURers, and it could be because it’s within walking distance of our office or simply a result of our longstanding love affair with all things Creston. Either way, Lucy’s has changed ownership a few times, and we keep benefiting from it. They’re now open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner – and they make a mean Bloody Mary. 

Favorite Dish: Biscuits & Gravy; the housemade sausage gravy will have you licking your plate.
Favorite Drink: Coffee with Bailey’s, of course

Terra

This highly popular eatery located in Eastown is known for its wood-fired pizzas and killer brunch, hence why they are on our list. You can sit in or outside, and you can make reservations – how did we ever live without reservations? 

We couldn’t decide on the best dishes, so we basically listed the entire menu. 

Favorite Dish(es): Mushroom Pizza with pebble creek mushrooms, EVOO, kale, roasted garlic spread, goat cheese, hand-pulled mozzarella, sarvecchio, and cracked black pepper. WE ARE DROOLING. If you’re not up for all the carbs (what is wrong with you?), go for the Smoked Salmon Benedict, which consists of smoked salmon cakes, marinated kale, poached eggs, hollandaise, an english muffin, and chives.
Favorite Drink: Bloody Mary with jalapeno tequila – trust us, it’s that good.

Butcher’s Union

If you haven’t been to Butcher’s you have obviously been living under a rock, as it is the coolest place to brunch. You can sit in the interior courtyard or out by Bridge Street. No reservations at this joint; be prepared to wait.

They’re always changing up the brunch menu, but some of our favorite staples are everything…literally everything. The entire menu is drool-worthy.

Favorite Dish: Biscuits & Gravy: pork sausage gravy, BU bacon cheddar biscuit, sunny side egg, chives. The Veggie Quiche is also worth selling your soul for; It features asparagus, caramelized onions, parmesan, mixed greens, and balsamic vinaigrette.

Honorable mentions (the blog was too long, we had to stop somewhere): Westsider, Field & Fire, SteelCat, and Stella’s, cause burgers are for every meal, and you can’t tell us otherwise.

As much as we love a good brunch and a bloody mary, we enjoy them even more when served up with a side of your marketing goals. So, don’t hesitate to holler at us

Responses

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Recent Posts

Something on Your Mind?

New Happy Hour Hustle episode out now! Kim sits down with Meredith Klein, the woman behind the iconic hat and the Substack everyone in comms actually wants to read, meredith.and.the.media. 

Kim and Meredith talk about personal branding, networking without the ick, why “believe it until you achieve it” beats “fake it till you make it,” and what it takes to really own your worth.

Meredith is a communications executive with nearly two decades of experience at some of the biggest names in the game: Walmart, Pinterest, and Jet.com, to name a few. She's the author of Meredith & The Media, a wildly popular Substack on the latest news, moves, and trends in media, featuring exclusive interviews with leading journalists on what's driving their coverage. She’s a PRWeek 40 Under 40 honoree and regular contributor to Inc. She’s the person in the room who actually knows everyone and makes sure everyone else knows each other too. Basically, if comms had a connector-in-chief, it would be her. 

Grab a martini (with extra olives) and get ready for some F-bomb filled wisdom. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and watch the whole episode on Youtube! 

Link in bio.
The way you show up at work shapes how people remember you.

Last month, alyshiahull joined bodespeaks on Happy Hour Hustle to talk about what workplace authenticity really means. Alyshia is a New York-based freelance journalist who writes for Business Insider, Fast Company, USA Today, Inc., and Entrepreneur. If you are ready to bring your authentic self to work, episode #134 is for you. 

Listen to Happy Hour Hustle on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Youtube. Link in bio.
The power of the Women's Entrepreneurial Fellowship, in a graduate's own words:

"Growth is never accidental, it comes from being willing to learn, adapt, and embrace change. After nine months of dedication, reflection, and business development, I proudly graduated from the Women's Entrepreneurial Fellowship (WEF) during the Small Business Association of Michigan Annual Meeting.

Throughout the program, I challenged myself to evaluate every aspect of my business, celebrating what was working while identifying opportunities for growth and improvement. The journey was made even more meaningful through the support of an incredible cohort of women entrepreneurs, the guidance of mentor Gina Jacquart Thorsen, and the leadership of bodespeaks and her team.

A sincere thank you to smallbusinessassocofmichigan for investing in second-stage women business owners and creating opportunities that empower entrepreneurs to build stronger, more sustainable businesses."

— Mary A. Barton, President and CEO of Equitable Accounting Solutions and proud WEF graduate.

Applications for the next cohort are now open. Link in comments.
"Out of failure comes growth – you have to see it as an opportunity." 

bodespeaks joined cuzzinjustin on the strictlyfromnowhere Podcast for an honest conversation about entrepreneurship, embracing your superpowers, and building a personal brand that's actually yours, the wins, the setbacks, and everything in between. And naturally, dropped an f-bomb or two along the way. You don't want to miss it.

Full episode in the comments 👇
AI doesn't treat every source equally; it trusts what's credible, cited, and current, like news coverage.

Showing up in the right places isn't just good PR. It's how the robots (and the humans) get you right.

Read the full blog at the link in bio.