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Scholar, Grand Rapids, MI

Scholar

4.6
4.6
324 Reviews
$31 to $50
American

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 25 times today
Experiences are available.
  • 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 16:00–21:00 Tue–Thu 16:00–22:00 Fri, Sat 16:00–23:00 Sat, Sun 10:00–15:00
  • Phone number
    (616) 980-9073
  • Website
    http://www.scholargr.com/
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Taylor Boeschenstein
  • Location
    11 Ionia Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
  • Area
    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

Experiences

  • New Year's Eve Bash

    US$40.00 per person

    Prepaid

    31 Dec 2024 only
    21:00
    Join us for a very special evening as we say goodbye to 2024 by ringing in the new year with DJ Bob Marino, dazzling cocktails, & delicious snacks! -The purchase of a General Ticket includes entry to the bash during the entire timeframe of the event, appetizers(cocktail size), & a complementary champagne toast at midnight. -There are two 'ADD ON' options to upgrade a general admission ticket to either VIP or Very VIP. Please call or email (alivia@scholargr.com) for booking VIP options. *If you have any questions please don't hesitate to call the restaurant during regular business hours.*
    New Year's Eve Bash photo

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 324 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

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Grand Rapids / Western Michigan

    Best Ambience

  • Grand Rapids / Western Michigan

    American

  • Grand Rapids / Western Michigan

    Most Booked

  • Grand Rapids

    Best Ambience

  • Grand Rapids

    Romantic

  • Grand Rapids

    Lively

  • Grand Rapids

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Scholar is a culinary gem, offering "amazing and unique food" in a beautifully curated atmosphere. Guests rave about the "outstanding service" and "delicious cocktails," making it a top choice for both casual and special occasions. The "atmosphere is amazing," with cozy settings like the lower-level study enhancing the dining experience.

324 Reviews

  1. Mary

    Denver

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Very atmospheric restaurant with excellent food and wine. Expensive but worth it.

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  2. chris

    Detroit

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Took my wife for her birthday and it was such a cool experience. The basement had a intimate/speakeasy vibe that we loved. We will be back for sure.

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  3. Angela

    VIP

    Grand Rapids

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Enjoyable evening. Small but tasty menu. Cobb salad, tomato/squash bisque soup great! Deviled eggs were very delicious as well as the Salisbury steak. Drinks were very good as well!

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  4. Brian

    Grand Rapids

    5 reviews

    4.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The salsbury steak was incredibly dry and lacked flavor. Some pretty big red flags for a $30 dish. The meatball appetizer also lacked flavor. Overall, I was disappointed in the food. The service, however, was incredlble. We were in the study area and had the bartender as our server and he was truly great and made our experience.

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  5. VIEN

    San Diego

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 9 December 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The restaurant was nice, ambience was good but the food was subpar. My medium filet was way over done. The Shrimp cocktail was average with the sauce was basically ketchup with no other flavor. My wife clams were overcooked to the point of shrinkage like George Costanza’s anatomy. They were as if the clams were frozen and reheated with some extreme salty sauce thrown on top. Had a glass of a French red blend and it was sour and lack of any body. The only saving grace here was that my daughter mentioned her lamb was decent. Menu is quite limited. Not looking for a giant menu like Cheesecake Factory but if you can count all the items on your fingers then it’s limited. The server was polite and attentive. FoodieFromCali

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  6. Loren

    Detroit

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 8 December 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    It was very busy when we ate. We are very understanding during these times but our service was not up the the level that we expect from paying $46 a plate. We understand that he was probably juggling a lot of things and we would have been more than understanding if he had explained that and showed that he cared about giving us good service. Our server came to the table 3 times and the bartender who was extremely busy had to come clear our plates and check on us. We had waited for quite awhile to have a meal at Scholar and the service itself really ruined the evening and made it hard to stomach our $150 bill. The kitchen on the other hand did a phenomenal job pushing out food.

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  7. Paul

    VIP

    Atlanta Metro

    6 reviews

    4.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 2 December 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Food was very good, and the service was a little overly good. Waiter seemed a bit eager and then settled down and interrupted less. Our seating was nice and quiet. I would recommend Scholar and go back when in town.

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  8. Alicia

    Chicago

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 1 December 2024

    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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  9. Selena

    Grand Rapids

    7 reviews

    4.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 1 December 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 2
    The food was delicious the staff was friendly however the music was so loud you could not hear the person next to you. We are not old and their were four of us dining but the music was loud. We asked the waitress if possible if it could be turned down a bit so we could hear our conversations, she smiled and said yeah but then never did. There were only a few tables being used the parlor was not very busy I think the music was more for the staff.

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  10. Brandon

    Las Vegas

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 30 November 2024

    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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FAQs

Scholar is rated 4.6 stars by 324 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 25 times today
Experiences are available.
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.
  • Area
    Grand Rapids
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon, Sun 16:00–21:00 Tue–Thu 16:00–22:00 Fri, Sat 16:00–23:00 Sat, Sun 10:00–15:00
  • 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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