The Winchester

Huge upgrade since my first time there. They didn’t have a hostess originally, and want a difference it makes. Now that I don’t have to box people out to get a table I found the whole experience wonderful. Great beer selection. Good wings and our waiter Mathew was incredible. He was pleasant and knowledgable. I will return for sure.

I think Jesus Christ himself is in this kitchen making sure every single order is the most tasteful thing going out to the customer. This is the best French dip I have ever had in my life hands down. The beer is not as expensive as I thought it would be either which is good. I wouldn’t come here if I was starving because the portions are on the smaller size however the flavors make up where the portion size lacks (even though it is still pretty filling). Definitely an A+ in my books. I want to try the duck poutine ASAP.

An outstanding gastro-​pub, with an excellent selection of beers, wine, and cocktails. The food menu is also excellent with an eclectic and varied menu. This is one of those places you never get tired of visiting.

Excellent spot one of the best spots in east town area for food! Great atmosphere and excellent spot for a first date or business meeting!

This used to be a staple favorite, but since the menu changed and they nix’ed the Na’an club and lettuce wraps? We have sadly moved on… :(

The Winchester absolutely won me over with their Veggie burgers man. I am definitely not a vegetarian, but I do like good food. I remember the first time I went to their Monday night burger specials night, my burger was good, but my girlfriend’s veggie burger blew my mind with the flavor and texture. This has happened every time I went back for the last 4 weeks. Their veggie burgers are so good!
Also, everything else I’ve had on the menu so far has just impressed the heck out of me. The roasted cauliflower heads, the bone marrow, the deviled eggs, the endless sandwiches, and my favorite… the Manhattans…
I love this joint.

Came here for dinner and drinks. The food is good, and the drinks are excellent! I had The Pear ’95 cocktail which was both delicious and pricey ($ 10). The beverage came in a cute 1960’s champagne glass which was endearing, but lead to my disappointment that there was not more!

I’d heard great things about the Winchester for a while so I was excited to try it on my last visit out to GR. I really enjoyed it but I think I might have enjoyed it a bit more had I been a bit more adventurous. The item I was most excited to try was sold out (the ham and cheese sandwich – goat cheese and jam is… well…my jam) and I wasn’t in the mood to go too heavy so ultimately I went soup and salad. But I’m anxious to come back with a heartier appetite to try some of their small plates like the pierogie, pigs head cubano, and/​or their burger.
So, yes. Back to what I DID order. Well, I had been on the road a lot the last few weeks and eating pretty heavy foods so, as previously mentioned, I decided to go light and get the panzanella salad and the corn chowder. Both were very good. The corn chowder in particular was fantastic. A little sweet but drizzled with a little chili oil to keep it from getting overly so. The panzanella was also great but not exactly what you might expect. Traditional panzanella is pretty much just tomatoes, bread, a few sliced veggies (peppers, cucumber) and basil. But The Winchester’s is like an actual salad with a ton of fresh romaine, plus the tomatoes and croutons, green beans and goat cheese, tossed with the vinaigrette. Delicious but keep that in mind if you’re expecting something that’s basically all tomato.
So yes, I did quite like the Winchester but I think by keeping it simple I kind of prevented myself from being blown away like many others on here have been. I’ll be sure to go back and get a little crazier next time!

This place has become one of my favorites in Grand Rapids, and for good reason.
Original cocktail menu offers a year round rotation of seasonal drinks that are full of flavor and fresh ingredients, no pre-​mix here, at all.
The food menu offers many original dishes that are great should be in the mood to experiment, but what I really love is that some of the gastro pub classics (burger, wings, French dip, etc.) are flat out delicious.
I enjoy Winchester anytime of day /​anytime of week — just a great place.
GO!

As a whole, it was a mediocre experience. Some portions were quite small for the cost, and the only thing I really liked of everything I tried was the BLT and fries. (Field & Fire bread saves the day!)
More hype than substance.

I heard great things about this place. My wife and I went there on a Saturday afternoon around 4:00 fter stopping by Elk Brewing right down the road. Honestly I wish I stayed at Elk Brewing.
My wife and I just wanted to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful day and a coupe of beers. Which we did but the girl who waited on us was so rude. She treated us like a nuisance.

A long overdue review, I absolutely love this place. I have probably neglected writing one because I always know I will be back soon and always think I will write it the next time. Then the next time leads to ten more times. Alas this is the time!
I don’t think you can ask for anything more out of this place.
Great Service, Great Food, Great Atmosphere and Great Drinks.
Their creativity on the menu is something to be appreciated! A few of my favorites are the roasted cauliflower head. I know, you may be asking yourself, well that seems simple and boring. Let me tell you friend it is anything but simple and boring. They way it is roasted and coated with loves make it nice and soft to chew but still gives it that roasted feel. With a few different dipping sauces, no bit has to be the same.
Something a little more crazy and delicious on the menu is the half pig head. Yes you are literally served the half of a pig with a knife shoved in its mouth. Sorry for all the vegetarians out there. The meat is tender and melts in your mouth! Definitely worth sharing!
I will also like to embarrassingly admit this is the place I tried my first Moscow Mule. And let me tell you, no other place lives up to this one! Very delicious and refreshing!
Fun atmosphere. I personally like to sit at the bar and chat up the employees and people around me. I have also come here with groups and they are pretty accommodating, even on a busy night. You may have to wait a bit but for how busy it always looks the wait is never too long!

Secret menu item ice cream sañdwhä, delectable, intriguing, a foodies paradise, garnished with exquisite edible flowers picked out back.
The dessert consisted of a frozen vanilla mouse in between two cocoa nibb cookies and a pineapple ring garnish.

The Winchester is a great, comfortable place to get dinner or have a few drinks later at night. The staff is all friendly and attentive, and prices are reasonable. I have never had a meal there I didn’t enjoy. Also check out their brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. I have had the steak and eggs and the Green Eggs and Hamm’s, both were very good. You can’t beat the $ 3 mimosa bar either! However, I am STILL mourning the loss of the Naan club and it’s been like 3 years.

I know this is a popular place, but after my dining experience there, I fear it is more reputation than reality. It is definitely a local hipster place and appears to be successful with that crowd. My group was family with kids. The kids ordered a classic hamburger to share, it was under cooked, had to send it back. I ordered the Fishwich, which was okay, nothing to rave about. My wife didn’t order with the rest of us, and the waitress completely forgot about taking her order. In between we had Beer cheese with pretzel bread and two deviled eggs. Both of which were like the Fishwich, nothing noteworthy. My wife ordered an egg sandwich. One of the pieces of bacon was on the burnt side. Maybe it was supposed to be, but that wasn’t what my wife was expecting.
I don’t know, maybe we watch to many coking shows and were expecting something more unique. I was hoping to expand the palette of my kids, but after leaving, they asked if next time they could just eat at home.

I love Winchester on the whole, their food is generally really good, I like the atmosphere and they have an outdoor back patio, lots of drink options, they even have some board games in the back you can borrow which is kinda cool.
My only negatives, hence the 4 stars:
1. Limited vegetarian options.
2. The menu rotates a bit too frequently (monthly I think), it would be nice if they kept some of the popular items on.
3. It can get too packed for my liking and if you don’t like waiting, it’s best to go off-​peak (e.g. before/​after main meal times, Mon-​Thurs, Sun eve etc.)
Definitely in my Top 15 GR gastro-​faves!

Try the pulled pork sandwich. It was probably one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. If the weather is nice, sit outside and have a glass of wine while you’re at it! (…And take a peak across the street at the Winchester gardens!)
I had only came here to drink, but I am so glad I tried the food. The hard work and dedication they put into their food is impressive. Everything is very fresh and house made. The service is great too!
This is one of those places you eat at knowing you’re giving back to the community. The food is delicious and really represents the culture in this area well.

This is one of my favorite places in GR. I have primarily stuck to their burgers (great burger specials on Monday nights!). I have ordered the Poutine, Olive and Black & Bleu burgers, each coming with handcut fries.
My only complaint is that the gravy in the Poutine lacked a bit of flavor, but it was still delicious.
Great beer selection — and they have Mexican Coke, major plus in my book!

Went there Friday night and had really high expectations based on others reviews and the fact that their «sister» restaurant Donkey is our favorite. However it just didn’t do it for me. The beer I ordered was out, not a huge deal but eh not a good way to start. I ordered the Manhattan clam chowder, and don’t get me wrong I like a chunky chowder, but this was basically quartered red potatoes in a little bit of red sauce. It came with 2 pieces of burnt baguette, burned not toasted, black burnt tops and bottoms. My husband ended up taking it over and ate the whole thing (minus the bread) with a fork it was so chunky. He didn’t find any clams either.
He ordered the Brussels (roasted brussel sprouts, parsnips, carrots and fennel sausage) it was good but $ 10 for a bowl of roasted veggies with a few tiny pieces of pizza topping sausage isn’t working for me. Our server was ok but didn’t seem very interested that we were less than enthused. I don’t know if I would try it again when there are so many other options around that I love.

I finally tried this place tonight, and I was not disappointed! My husband and I started out with the Cheddar Ale Fondue which was delicious. The bread is a pretzel loaf which goes great with the Cheddar Ale.
I got the Olive Burger which I really enjoyed. The fries are yummy, and not greasy at all. My hubby got the French Dip, and it’s the best French Dip I’ve ever tasted. The beef reminded me of pot roast my mom would make.
There’s a good selection of drinks, and our server was really attentive.