We took a daytrip to Grand Rapids and had visited ...

We took a daytrip to Grand Rapids and had visited only one other brewery in the same day (Brewery Vivant). It was a toss up between a cozier brewery, ELK, or Founders, and decided on the latter.

Founders, established in 1997, occupies a block in the downtown /river district of Grand Rapids. We were lucky to find parking in their private lot (free on Saturday evening) since it seemed the brewery was bursting at the seams.

There was a $5 cover since they had a band playing live music. There were 3 bar ordering lines, and it moved fairly quickly. If you're looking to have a leisurely chat with your beer pourer, go elsewhere. You have to know what you want it seems. There isn't any educational material to help you pick and we didn't want to hold up the line by asking what to get.



The oatmeal stout was dark chocolate and coffee flavored. Very smooth.

We found a seat at the gas firepit outside. There wasn't much seating inside to watch the band.

I would come again, on a weekday during the afternoon versus the evening. We're not into the young collegiate scene since we're in out late 30s and it felt overwhelmingly bro-ish.