By Dana Kroll, Uptown Marketing and Communications Specialist

 

There’s something special about summertime in Michigan, and we’d like to think something extra special about summer fun here in Uptown Grand Rapids. Maybe it’s the way our neighborhoods come alive with people and pets strolling the sidewalks, or the way that sounds of conversation and music drift from open-air patios. Maybe it’s the simple joy of enjoying an awesome meal or an ice-cold drink or an extra tall ice cream cone out in the fresh air, after so many months of indoor-only activities.  Perhaps it’s a little bit of “all of the above.” Any way you slice it, outdoor season has officially arrived, and you can bet that Uptown is as ready as you are. 

 

Across our Eastown, East Hills, East Fulton, and Wealthy Street corridors, you’ll find an incredible variety of outdoor dining and gathering spaces. In preparation for today’s blog, we decided to embark on a deep dive to tally the outdoor seating and hanging-out offerings in our district. The exercise blew us away! By our count, there are collectively more than fifty businesses in Uptown that offer their guests patios, courtyards, tea gardens, curbside bistro seating and benches, covered outdoor grottos and hidden alleyways, and more (and that doesn’t even include our many public parks!). That’s a lot of places to spend an afternoon or evening relaxing in our district while lingering over coffee, people-watching, menu sampling, book reading, family time, and anything else that you find yourself craving the experience of, out in the great outdoors, after the long winter’s months.

 

With so many of our locally owned restaurants, cafes, breweries, bakeries, and bars offering countless unique outdoor experiences, we’ll only be able to feature a modest handful of favorites in today’s article. However, we’ll recap the full list comprehensively below as well. Meanwhile, check back on our digital business directory often. We’ll be working to add an ‘outdoor seating’ tag to soon make it even easier to quickly peruse your options when you’re ready to head to a patio in Uptown next. 

 

HARMONY BREWING CO.

Harmony Brewing Co., located in our Eastown district, serves up unique wood fired pizzas and breadsticks plus a regularly rotating menu of other sandwiches, salads, and crowd pleasers. All presented alongside their delicious beers and cider menu, and all out of a cool and eclectic indoor+outdoor hybrid space. Outdoor seating stretches along the Lake Drive curbside, while the open air “indoor” seating seamlessly melds into the dedicated patio area that offers a firepit and is dog-friendly (there’s even a “beer” specially made for your pups!). LOCATED AT 1551 LAKE DR. SE.

 

 

PICNIC ON WEALTHY

 

Picnic On Wealthy, which opened in May, is Uptown’s first ever dedicated permanent food truck court. Located in the lovely courtyard located at the corners of Wealthy and Charles Streets, it occupies the former home of Outdoor Coffee Company. When we received word that Picnic was to be the space’s new tenants, we were delighted to learn that the yard would continue to be a place for friends and neighbors to gather outdoors – and this time, with food as well as beverages! Two vendors currently reside at Picnic on Wealthy: Pacific Moon, which offers an always changing menu of comforting, soulful dishes inspired by the owners’ culinary heritage and recipes handed down from generations past with items like plate lunches, milk bun sandwiches, seasonal curry and salad bowls (and much more); and Waldorf Creamery (formerly SemiFreddo) which offers artisanal ice creams and cheeses as well as traditional semifreddo, which is a mousse-like Italian frozen dessert. 

Enjoy dinner and desert from one of the court’s many picnic tables or Adirondack chairs…and keep an eye out for additional delicious joiners to the party, coming later this summer! LOCATED AT 734 WEALTHY ST. SE.

 

(All images are courtesy Picnic On Wealthy)

 

 

TESTA ROSSA

Brought to us in 2023 by the culinary pros who offer GR many other delicious establishments such as The Electric Cheetah, The Old Goat, and Uncle Cheetah’s Soup Shop, Testa Rossa (and its accompanying uber-cozy back bar, The Duck’s Nest) offers patrons a creative + comfort Italian scratch-made menu, fun and traditional Italian wine and cocktails, and regularly scheduled live music. Last year they expanded into the outdoor seating game by carving out a fabulous awning-covered patio space from its parking lot area, that spans the length of the building. Dining here magically transports visitors to a time and a place that feels very unexpected, in a delightfully cozy way. LOCATED AT 1017 WEALTHY ST. SE.

 

 

BUFFALO TRADER’S LOUNGE

All summer long, Buffalo Trader’s, and its companion bar Hard Times GR (located directly next door) invite you to make yourself at home in their expansive back courtyard. Tucked away from the Fulton Street front, this patio space feels like a secret hideaway and yet invites you to spread out, grab a soft seat, and stay awhile. Whether you’re into highbrow specialty pours and cocktails or whether your vibe is more cans and koozies, you’ll find your flavor and a really fun place to hang, here. And don’t miss out on their fun and free outdoor programming, like their recurring Monday summertime stand-up comedy nights for example, either! LOCATED AT 950 FULTON ST. E.

 

 

ZIVIO BAR AND GRILLE

This family owned restaurant, which serves modern European dishes such as shawarma, shish kabob, assorted sandwiches and gyro on their famous pillowy housemade lepinja bread (it is So. Good.) and much more, is extra special in that it has not one but TWO spots to grab a table in the fresh air: From their curbside bistro seating which is cheerily located along the brick-lined street it is located on, or from their covered backyard patio space, where cocktails and refreshments are served from their adorable red bar bus. LOCATED AT 724 WEALTHY ST. SE.

(All imagery above is courtesy their respective businesses)

 

In our East Fulton District (click for directory information on all)

Buffalo Traders Lounge
The Cakabakery
Fulton Street Market
Hard Times
Madcap Coffee
Stovetop Coffee Roasters
Sugah Please
Van’s Pastry Shoppe

 

In our East Hills District (click for directory information on all)

Chateau Grand Rapids
Cherry Hill Market
Commons, The
Furniture City Creamery
Global Infusion
Grove
Le Bon Macaron
Less Traveled
Mangiamo
Maru Sushi & Grill
Parlor at Cherry Hill Market, The
Partage
Porch Light Gatherings
Red Bowl
Vivant Brewery & Spirits

 

In our Eastown District (click for directory information on all)

Brown Butter Creperie & Cafe
El Cerrito
Fruition Acai & Juice Bar
Harmony Brewing Company
Matchbox Diner
Pursuit of Happiness Co
Terra GR
That Early Bird
Yesterdog

 

In our Wealthy Street District (click for directory information on all)

The Bradbury Cafe
Donkey Taqueria
Foxtail Coffee
Good Judys Market and Juice Bar
Hancock
Mammoth Distillery
The Meanwhile
Picnic on Wealthy
Pinkie’s Ice Cream and Desserts
Rowster Coffee
Scorpion Hearts Club
Speciation Cellars
Squibb Coffee & Wine Bar
Taqueria Chilango
Testa Rossa Pizzeria
The Grey Rabbit
Wealthy Street Bakery
The Winchester
Zivio Bar and Grille

 

 

 

 

So grab your sunglasses, invite a friend, and make the most of Michigan’s best outdoor months. From morning coffee to late-night cocktails, Uptown Grand Rapids is serving up fresh air, local flavor, and plenty of places to soak it all in, and that doesn’t even include our many great parks and public spaces that await you and your hammock, your picnic basket, or your lawn blanket. 

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A note, as you peruse: Gathering this information is an ongoing crowd-sourcing effort and we do our best to be accurate. Did we miss something? Do you have some historical business insight to share with us? Let us know!