Founders Brewing Co. Reviews

Been a fan since the Brassworks building and they're killing it. Awesome venue/talent and the deli is great. Cheesy garlic bread is a favorite and they're sandwiches are great with large portions. What good is life without a craft beer and a sandwich, ya turkey? 10/10 would found again.

Great food, great beer, great entertainment!

We got flights of beer, which were reasonably priced, and the beer was fantastic! We had some of the best beer of our trip here. An unexpected favorite was the Nitro Rubaeus. Actually buying beer to go is a bit pricy though, they have really good beer but I think it costs more than comparable beers.

The food was great, we got the cheesesteak, which was solid. The food was ready relatively quickly. They have three bars there, two with beer, and one with food. If you open a tab, they actually give you your card back, and you can order off your tab at any of the bars, which was convenient.

It was a Thursday night, and there was a free performance by a band, which was really good. The whole place had a modern day beer hall feel to it.

Great place for a night out!

Amazing beer and the food was great too! My all time favorite place to go while I'm up in GR!

Great atmosphere. Easy to find a seat. Fast service for drink and good food.

Pretty much always busy, but the food is great and you'll be hard pressed to find better beer.

Love this place! Not a local so I wasn t sure what to expect. Showed up late on a Saturday night and place was pretty packed but we were able to get in and get a seat. Drinks were phenomenal, food was delicious and service was top notch. Ordered a beer that was not available at the bar I was at and the bartender went across the building to get my drink for me. Have always loved founders beer and now I m a big fan of their brewery, will be back for sure!

Founders is back open now at 25% capacity; the food and beer is as good as ever. Use Yelp to reserve a table.

Excellent service and food. Beer also top notch. Overall a great experience, especially the outdoor seating in this warmer weather!

It's typically packed with people and isn't that great of an environment in my opinion. I would rather go to one of the smaller breweries around town than here.

Incredible brewery! Went on the tour and tasting, and had some delicious beer. The gift shop is huge and has some great stuff! Everyone is really nice and the atmosphere is awesome!

Love the outdoor setting in the summer, and the expanded beer menu. The wait staff was quite attentive but I feel that the food menu leaves something to be desired.

Really cool place with huge brew selection and food. Drink the Dirty Bastard, but don't drive.

Went to Founders on a Sunday evening about a month back and it was a rather disappointing experience. We sat down at a table but no one ever came to get our drink orders despite the tables behind us having someone come take their order, multiple times. We went up to the bar and ordered there. We were told that anyone could take our drink orders and to feel free to wander around the place. We ordered food from the deli, which was delicious. I got the pulled pork and my boyfriend got their brats. However service still sucked. Frankly it rather felt like we were outcasts, I had to ask two different gentlemen for a to go box. Even the bartenders didn't seem interested in making recommendations or even making suggestions when we went up to order more drinks.
I'm not really interested in going to Founders again. I'll just buy their beer at the store and drink it at home.

Entered their contest and won a Kan Jamz game, filled out the forms was approved to get it, someone is always watching my mail, never recieved my prize, any notification that it was being sent, emailed them about it and never got a response. Not good customer service!

If you know beer you know this place. The beer is very good as this is the preeminent brewery in GR. The space is MASSIVE with lots of different bars areas and a huge outdoor space. There's a bit of an impersonal vibe there which was a little disappointing but I guess that's what happens when you get popular. I also was a little disappointed with the selection - I wish they had more unique beers on tap rather than the generic beers you'd find bottled. I'll give it another shot to see if perhaps I caught the place on an off night.

Definitely a worthwhile stop for us. They have a great selection of good beer, good food and fabulous service. If we lived in the area we would be regulars.

Founders can do no wrong in my eyes and I am hard pressed to choose a favorite between the KBS, CBS, Breakfast Stout, or the Underground Mountain Brown. I came for the beer, but was pleasantly surprised by the wonderful menu. The last three times I found myself in GR, I ended up eating here.

Great food. Great beer. Great company. Who's got it better than us?

The only thing that kept me from giving this place 1-2 stars was the friendly staff. Every employee we came into contact with on our visit last night was friendly, smiling, and polite. Unfortunately the gritty rock/guitar/hillbilly music was being played so loud it was impossible to carry on a conversation without screaming at the top of your lungs ....and this was way in the back, around the corner, farthest away from the stage as possible. I can't even imagine how aggressively overly-loud & blaring it must've been for the poor people sitting in the main room by the stage, where the rock band was playing (this was Sat Oct 25 at around 9:30pm-10:30pm or so). The music was not my style, but like I said - I can even tolerate bad music as long as it's played at a normal volume. This was my first time coming to Founders and I was surprised that there wasn't any dessert menu - nothing. Just the deli-style sandwhiches, soup & salad, french-bread pizza, etc. No liquor or mixed drinks or wine either - just beer. Yes I know it's a brewery, but would it kill them to offer a few limited cocktail ideas for people who don't like beer? Apparently it would *lol* Anyway, it was fine I guess - if you're a beer lover than this place is definitely for you. Oh and yes the staff was extremely friendly, good-looking, and accomodating - that made our evening very enjoyable!

The food was good. The service was good. The environment was good.

I'd say it was a pretty good experience.

Beer 4.5, atmosphere 4.75, service 3.5, food 2.5. Beer selection and outdoor area is great. The service was intermittent but fine. Food was bad. Just ordered a pretzel and it was clearly day(s) old. Nearly rock hard.

I've been a fan of Founders and their beer from the start. Unfortunately the experience in their pub has really gone downhill. Should I need to wait 15 minutes for someone to come to my table or 20 minutes for them to deliver my order? Keep it up and you will loose me, and plenty others, as customers to your new pub.

April 2014 - OK, thought I'd give it another chance. Nope, same problems. Although, strangely enough, if you are female and young, I note that your table (assuming you can find one to sit at) gets waited on a LOT more. Hmmm... Wonder why? I'm guessing the basic problem is their brewery location has become so popular in GR, and they make so much money off it, they can treat their customers like crap and still make out like bandits. $30 for two sandwiches and two beers is a little steep. Don't get me wrong, the sandwiches were good and the beer was great. The random waiting of tables from the people working there certainly does NOT work. The waitstaff walk around and don't even try to look to see if someone is trying to wave at them to order a round. Oh well, it was fun going to Founders for a couple decades... Still like the beer, but it will be from the store or restaurant from now on. Makes me sad.

Great food, beer, and atmosphere,. Locals are very friendly.

I don t know who thought seat yourself on a Saturday at noon was a good idea. It was pure madness in there. Everyone fighting for a table and people hovering waiting for someone to get up. No sense of order and it leaves a bad impression on you. We waited for 15 minutes, realized it was hopeless, and went to Hopcat down the street.

Great food, great beer, if you think you have a server at your table chances are you'll never see them, but remember it is a self-serve brewery.

Decent food. Great tap beer. A little bit hectic but very helpful servers as well

It is very unfair that an actual liquor store like mine won't get even a single case of KBS but big box stores will get in abundance. I would rather support brewery that supports local stores like mine. Hence forth I will discontinue products from Founders unless you take some action.
-AARA Midwest Member

Great beer and good selection. A perfect gem in Grand Rapids. Must visit.

Service was fast and the food was great. The bar tenders were very knowledgeable and quick to offer food and beer pairings. Gets very busy during lunch time.

Very good food, very good beer, but very loud, not great for conversation. But overall good place for a drink with friends

Extremely crowded, being many of the guests having family trip. Rich lineup of own beers, even more variety of goods. Even able to purchase tap handles. Hard to find parking space around, but definately worth a visit. Just in front of central station.

Super cool atmosphere, freshest beer possible, surprisingly amazing food

Building and environment is very nice and inviting but the staff is just the worst. They are super univiting and act like they hate their job. Everyone at the table just wants to leave but we already ordered food lol

Food was excellent! Cheesesteak was unique and traditional at the same time, absolutely delicious take on a classic. Crab dip was on point as well. Service was great, very attentive, very pleasant, very conversational. Everything you could possibly want, no drama, all smiles!!!
Not a sports bar, def a more hipster vibe which is refreshing even for a sports fan =) don t have to yell to have a conversation. After living here for 6 years, I don t know why it took us so long to come for the first time, but it won t take long for us to come back!!! Great job Founder s!

Being in the business in over 10-15 years and this is the first time that Founders has released the KBS through the big box stores in Illinois.If this is the tendency of the brewery, in near future local consumers will no longer get your product through small stores,
Good Luck.
A Member of AARA MIDWEST

Admittedly, I've only been here once, but the food, beer and service were all great. Definitely worth coming back to so far!

It has a great brewery ambiance in a beautiful section of the old city. The drinks are good, the food tasty and it's a just a fun place to hang out. It can get a bit loud when it's crowded and I wouldn't call it kid friendly but a great place to unwind

There is better service at the Steak-n-Shake. It took for ever to get beers and you have to go get your own food. Food was better than a school cafeteria but the service was not. My beer was good, but not great.I could have given this one star but the design was cool

I walked in and everybody had a Flannel and a beard... but not one of them could fell a tree. Great beer!

Great beer and venue! Plenty of awesome outdoor seating and great selection of food and beer.

The best brewery in Michigan. It also has excellent food and it is a nice place.

One of the best breweries in Michigan If not the best

Yes good beer. Yes good atmosphere. Yes good food. CHECK website before you go.
We happened to pick the busiest day of winter to get lunch. FIRKING FREEZEOUT. Standing room only 10 minute line to get a beer and had to wait again in 10 minute line to close out tab.
Will definitely go again.

My fiance & I stopped here at the end of June for lunch on our way back to Pennsylvania. We decided to sit outside and enjoy the nice weather. I love the large outdoor space they have, and I didn't mind being near the road. It was a nice atmosphere. They had plenty of beer, and all sorts of selections, which I love! I was able to get dark beer, which is super hard to find in the summer time. The food was all very good as well. I ordered the Louis A Cornelius sandwich, which was loaded with meat. It was very good. We also had the beer cheese dip, which was yummy! We wanted to purchase beer that wasn't being sold in breweries in other states, but unfortunately they only had 1 kind and it was sold out. Other than that everything was great, including the service!

Founders is a rock solid brewery in Grand Rapids. Great venue and awesome beer selection!

Great brews! Great wings! Great convos! Great place!

Founders is always a great place to be! The food, the environment, and the BEER are just a few highlights of this establishment. It has many seating options, some of which is outdoor with heaters ready to go if necessary. There is a stage set up, as they often have good shows here.

My most recent visit I ordered the Hummus & Tapenade, which is typically my go to when I visit. I also tried their Devil Dancer sandwich (not pictured). If you are looking for something deliciously spicy, I highly recommend this one! To wash it all down, I got their Red's Rye IPA. The service never fails to put a smile on my face. Everyone is always so friendly, and helpful when you have a question regarding their list of beers.

Always a favorite place to go in Grand rapids, but especially impressed with their health & safety protocols during the COVID19 pandemic - one of the best that I've seen inside or out.

I've always come here for the beer but tonight I tried the food tonight and was not disappointed. 10/10 beer and 10/10 on the sandwiches!!

The food is only good when you're drunk. But the drinks are great. The environment is so chaotic and confusing. You seat yourself but if everything is taken there's no system other than lurking over people. The worst thing about it is that after paying $50 for sub par food we weren't even able to get our parking validated because we didn't bring in the ticket. We were told that it could be validated anyway if we pushed the blue button. It wasn't. So $56 for a disappointing experience. I get that its not an upscale restaurant and it's essentially bar food but places like Sierra Nevada Brewery are doing it right. They need a new menu.

A MUST stop if in Grand Rapids. Extremely large brewery with lots of hustle and bustle. Fire "pits" outside and plenty of seating inside and out. Fun stop with lots of activity.

A fun brewery filled live music, quick service and a large beer selection.

Love this place, sometimes when it is busy service is slow but worth it.

I use to love founders beer and visiting the local facility but then I found out they Documents filed by Founders last week with the Michigan Liquor Control Commission show that Spain's Best Beer Inc., an affiliate of Mahou San Miguel Group, will own a 90% stake in the Grand Rapids-based company beginning in January 2020. Since then I stopped supporting there foundry. Will give all business to bells foundry in comstock mi aslong as they stay local. I want my money to stay local and in Grand rapids not other countries. Founders please redeem your other 90% and bring the the money back to Grand rapids. I still think the Beer is good from a beer stand point and the staff is very friendly. It does get busy but what bar is not busy on the weekends.

The only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 was the seating, had to fend for yourself and it was packed! Beer was so awesome!

Great food, great beer, good atmosphere even when it gets invaded by dollar store sunglasses and flannel wearing hipsters.

The food was good and the beer was decent, lots of brewery only options. There is plenty of seating inside and a great porch area. The wait staff could be a little faster.

Great place. The guys working the outside bar today were hella cool.

Good atmosphere, great service and staff, reasonable prices. However, I was unimpressed with the quantity of meat on the sandwich I ordered. Way more bread than meat. I ordered one of the pulled pork options. Finding a parking place was a small nightmare too, especially with the construction going on.

The music was loud enough to hear but not so much that you can't have a easy going conversation with the people around you.

Been going for years. Love the remodel. Great beer, food, and service.

First of all, ask for beer recommended by the staff! The food is honest, don't expect it.

Amazing atmosphere and really relaxed. The staff were very attentive and friendly. I saw many bartenders having conversations with customers but the service was not slower because of it. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a good bar in the area.

Great drinks and food! I love that you can get smaller pours as well to try more varieties without going too overboard :) I tend to be more of a cider person than a beer drinker, and they had some great options that I really enjoyed (the Raspberry Cider and Mas Agave).

Food is exceedingly mediocre. Menu is odd -- how about a hamburger? Too many children running around. Beer is average.

Very disappointed with the sandwiches lately (past year). VERY little meat but still served on huge bread slices. Its become a corporate sandwich and no longer something special. Too many great food spots in GR now to go out of the way to eat here. Still great beer and great atmosphere though.

No place exist that has the perfect mix of high quality food along side great tasting drinks! Congrats Founders! You have outdone yourselves

Food was awesome , ordered the turkey salad and you could tell it was very fresh. Nice presentation! My husband ordered the BLT and that was the best blt he has had. Not shy on the bacon! Beer was great and the staff was friendly. Very busy place but that goes to show ya how great this place is.

Great atmosphere. We were able to bring the kids and check it out as my boyfriend had never been there. The patio was amazing and the staff was great making fancy child ready drinks for the kids

Great service, great stuff on TV, kind bartenders, friendly fellow customers. I was disappointed by the beer-- my girlfriend and I have been big fans of the Dirty Bastard and Oatmeal Stout for years (hence why we came!), but none of the other beers came even close to that flavor. Come for the beer, stay for the good vibes, but also probably leave early because the beer is... ok.

Good beer & food in spacious indoor outdoor environment.

Sold out. Way too expensive. Not worth it. Charged $5 to get in for a terrible one-man band. There was no nostalgia as Founders has transformed into the epicenter for basics and bros. There are way too many other good breweries to go to over Founders.

Staff steals cash payments and still charges your card for tabs. I opened a tab to obtain service at Founders with explicit instructions that i would pay in cash at the end - in which i did, only to be scammed by the Founders staff. They kept the cash payment i provided along with the tip, and still charged the bill to my tab. I left two voicemails with the GM of Founders and never received a call back. Don't get scammed at Founders, there's plenty of other breweries that won't steal from you. Would have been 0 stars if i could.

-Update: I see your response owner of Founders.. but unfortunately for you I already left 2 voicemails for your GM at the Grand Rapids location (and you'd know that if you read my entire review). I will not be calling again, and I have boycotted your beer and brewery for my family - and I pass along this experience to everyone I talk with that has attended your brewery.

It's a huge and kinda impersonal place, but a must-go all the same

John is the best employee period. Great beer, and good food. Can t go wrong here

Some of the best beer in town and even in the country! Always enjoy my Founders trips. Service can be a little sub-par during extremely busy times, but overall is very good. If you plan to come during peak hours, don't expect an intimate experience: this place can get LOUD. To some, it may add to the community atmosphere, but for those looking to have a chat, it may be a challenge to find a quiet corner. Overall, a fantastic spot in town and a true classic. If you have never been to Founders, GO!

Iconic beers and an amazing atmosphere here. The outdoor seating area is beautiful and has quite a few heaters and outdoor fireplaces that allow it to still be usable in cooler weather. The food menu is mainly appetizers and sandwiches, but they are creative and delicious.

Great food ,great beer. Beer is a big part of their business but shipping of loads of beer by the truck load is another one. They also have a bar there.