Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Gril

My boyfriend and I have a tradition: every Sunday we get a groupon and try a new restaurant as a date day. The deal for Tip Top was awesome so we were excited to go. We got there around 4pm on Sunday.
The outside of the building has large windows covered in heavy green curtains. As we walked up to the building an ominous middle finger came through the drapery at us…
Once we opened the door a punk band’s heart and soul poured out, loudly. The live band was so loud we couldn’t hear the random girl, who didn’t even work there, try to get us to pay a cover. After screaming over the noise a bartender/​waitress came over and took us to the entryway to speak with us. We didn’t have cash on us so we couldn’t pay the cover. The conversation was very confusing to be honest. We explained that we would pay the cover if she could put it on our bill. Then she offered us two for one cover when we told her we had a Groupon and just wanted to eat.
We ended up going in and seating ourselves as she told us to do. We sat at a booth. I felt extremely uncomfortable. Neither of us are part of the punk scene and it felt like everyone was staring at us, wondering why we were there.
The band’s lyrics were funny and snarky but it was impossible to communicate with the person sitting across from you because it was so intensely loud.
We waited for 15 minutes or so and no one came to even give us menus. The waitress new we hadn’t been there before and that we were there just for food, so if we were supposed to go to the bar to order we had no idea and she should have told us.
We ended up leaving hungry and unhappy.

Well, this was quite an experience. In an attempt for my girlfriend and myself to try different restaurants in the Grand Rapids area, we have been browsing Groupon a lot recently. We came across an $ 11 Groupon for the Tip Tip Deluxe Bar & Grill. This Groupon included an appetizer, two entrees, and two drinks for two, a $ 45.85 value. Sounded great! We decided to go on a Sunday afternoon about 4:00.
From the moment we parked across the street and started walking toward the bar, the bad experience began. As we approached the front, I tried looking through the windows. They were covered with curtains and all of a sudden a guys hand appeared with his middle finger sticking up, pointing straight at us. We should have turned around then. We entered thru a door on the side building and the music was deafening. We couldn’t even hear each other. We walked in and stopped at the bar to see what was going on. This is when we were told by another patron that there is a $ 4 cover. I explained that we were just here to eat and don’t have cash. She said there is an ATM outside and would get the bartender. The bartender came over to us and we had to walk away toward the entrance in order to communicate. I told her we were here to eat and she immediately asked if it was a Groupon. I said yes and she said there is a $ 3 cover. I again said we were just here to eat and she said that we still have to pay the cover and asked if we would be willing to pay a two for one on the cover. I reluctantly said yes and then she walked away. A little confused, we decided to seat ourselves in a booth along the wall. My girlfriend and I were sitting less than 20 inches away and couldn’t communicate. We waited nearly ten minutes with no service and decided it was time to leave.
The music was insanely loud, we couldn’t understand any of the words. There were about 20 – 25 people in there. No one was talking, they just looked like hypnotized beings as they stared blankly at the two man band playing on stage.
Because we already purchased the Groupon, we are obligated to return and use it. I will have to call ahead and ask if there is a band the next time we decide to give Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill a try.
Just a funny end to this, I browsed Groupon again just before writing this review, and the new deal for this place is exactly the same, but instead of costing $ 11 that we paid, it is now $ 19! Maybe they are trying to include the price of the cover into the deal.
Hopefully next time our ears will allow us to stay and actually use the Groupon. Follow up review to come.

Extremely small place with great live music and good drinks. No real parking, just Park on the street

Went to Tip Top a couple weeks ago just to check it out. I was pleasantly surprised. $ 1.50 domestic can beers & the burgers were great. Surfer band was decent too.

I stumbled across an article about The Vegan Kitchen Takeover and thought the concept sounded so cool– Two chefs take over a restaurant’s kitchen with a vegan menu for then night. With one ‘take over’ under their belt, I thought I’d check out their second go-​round at The Tip Top on Monday night.
The Tip Top is located off the beaten path but has a cool retro/​rockabilly vibe that makes the trip worth it. I’ve been here before for a concert and was excited to check this event out and try some food. With tickets in hand, I arrived at my scheduled dinner time. The tickets were free so I assumed it was to gage how many people would be attending.
As the night went on, the bar filled up but it was understaffed for the attendance they had. With only one bartender and one server on, we weren’t greeted, the menu wasn’t explained, and it took a while to get drinks. Our food came out sporadically too; half of our table got their order before the rest of us. I felt bad for the staff; they were running around like crazy but they did a good job under the stress.
The food was really good and made up for the service during the night. Two people at our table got the meetloaf, I got the cheezy mac and another person got chikin thumb sandwich. We all split two orders of cheezy fries. And yes, in true vegan fashion, all the food was misspelled on the menu to distinguish it from its meat and dairy counterparts.
I’m interested in checking out more Vegan Take Over nights and coming back to The Tip Top for drinks at another concert.

Came on a Friday afternoon around 5 and there were only 3 people at the bar, which was fine for my wife and I. We were not in the mood to try and talk over people to have a conversation. They had Dark Horse’s Crooked Tree IPA on tap! This alone will keep me coming back for a great pint without all the hassle you deal with at Founder’s. I liked the vibe of the place too, cool décor throughout with pinball machines as an added bonus. The waitress was very friendly.
Ordered the Mac and Cheese as a appetizer and both of us really enjoyed it. Good amount of several kinds of cheese without being too cheezy. The burger was very tasty as well. Not a big burger but good non the less, with some old school crinkle cut fries. It had a cafeteria feel and presentation.
Overall a very cool place, especially considering the neighborhood. I haven’t been but I heard their bringing in some really good music as well.

They’ve updated their menu to include a lot of great options, and they’re having lots of live music now!

Love it! Just went and saw Glean Infusion play there last Friday and I loved the atmosphere there was room to dance but also cozy seating! The best attribute though is there beer selection on tap! I was so happy all night, enjoying my delicious, cold beer…