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Scholar, Grand Rapids, MI

Scholar

4.6
4.6
314 Reviews
$31 to $50
American

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 29 times today
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
History, specifically America’s culinary history, is the central focus of our food and cocktail programs here at Scholar. Situated downtown on Grand Rapids’ iconic red brick road at 11 Ionia SW, Scholar honors previous residents of the same address while striving to achieve our goal; to earn the title of the city’s best restaurant.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Breakfast, Cocktail Bar
  • Hours of operation
    Mon, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Tue–Thu 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–11:00 pm Sat, Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (616) 980-9073
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive chef
    Taylor Boeschenstein
  • Neighborhood
    Grand Rapids
  • Cross street
    Our cross streets are Fulton and Weston.
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Weekend Brunch, Wine

What 314 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Grand Rapids / Western Michigan

    Best Ambiance

  • Grand Rapids / Western Michigan

    Romantic

  • Grand Rapids / Western Michigan

    Lively

  • Grand Rapids / Western Michigan

    American

  • Grand Rapids / Western Michigan

    Most Booked

  • Grand Rapids

    Best Ambiance

  • Grand Rapids

    Great for brunch

  • Grand Rapids

    Good for groups

  • Grand Rapids

    Healthy

  • Grand Rapids

    Romantic

  • Grand Rapids

    Good for special occasions

  • Grand Rapids

    Lively

  • Grand Rapids

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Scholar offers a "wonderful experience" with its "excellent & innovative food," "amazing cocktails," and a "great ambience." The service is "attentive," and the décor provides a unique, cozy atmosphere reminiscent of a "1920's study." While some find the prices high, the overall dining experience is highly praised.

314 Reviews
  1. Alicia

    Chicago

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined today

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We went to brunch there and it was outstanding! We can’t wait to go back again.

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  2. Brandon

    Las Vegas

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Service was just ok but food was DELICIOUS! Cocktails too. Absolutely spot on with every single item! Would recommend!

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  3. OpenTable Diner

    Grand Rapids

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Atmosphere, food and service was great. More pasta options would have been nice but overall- a great night.

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  4. Jack

    Detroit

    13 reviews

    3.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on November 23, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    I have loved Scholar both times I went for dinner. Brunch however was another matter: Coffee was repeatedly given cold. They served coffee out of a creamer carafe. When they asked if we wanted cream or oat milk we asked for cream. They gave oatmilk and when asked for cream they insisted it was cream but then when we showed it was oat milk, they said they were out of cream 🤷🏻‍♂️. Food came fairly cold as well and it was unremarkable. My guess is that the brunch server team was the "C team". I will stick to dinner. 😋

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  5. Jack

    Grand Rapids

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 23, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 2
    Food was excellent with great service. This a great place, but not if you're looking for a relaxing or romantic atmosphere.

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  6. marty

    Grand Rapids

    3 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 17, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    The server was also a bartender and she wasn't very pleasant. We looked over the menu, placed app order (based on our main course choice) then when she returned to take our main order she informed us that our choice was sold out...we would have ordered a different app if we had known this. Then our second choice for a main wasn't great, was fair.

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  7. Maria

    Detroit

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 16, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We were in from out of town and thoroughly enjoyed our time at Scholar. The ambiance, we sat in the lower level, was perfect. Beautifully decorated and very comfortable. Our food was wonderful. We had the flatbread, crab cakes and ribeye with scallops and loved it all. Service was great!

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  8. Robert

    Grand Rapids

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on November 9, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Lot’s of groups of women so the sound was quite loud. Last time we went there it was a quiet ambiance, but last night there were a few rather loud voices. Food and service were very good! We’ll be back soon!

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  9. Deb

    Detroit

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 6, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Ambiance was everything! The food delicious and wine selection great!

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  10. Todd

    Grand Rapids

    2 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 3, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    First time at Scholar and it was very very good. The restaurant is very nice and the food was excellent. Thank you!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Scholar is rated 4.6 stars by 314 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 29 times today
Google Map for Scholar

11 Ionia Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Our cross streets are Fulton and Weston.
  • Neighborhood
    Grand Rapids
  • Hours of operation
    Mon, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Tue–Thu 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–11:00 pm Sat, Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Breakfast, Cocktail Bar
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Executive chef
    Taylor Boeschenstein
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Weekend Brunch, Wine
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  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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