Founders Brewing Co. Reviews

Just enjoyed your Dirty Bastard at the Beer Hoptacular event. Put it this way, I just voted it #1. I could drink that from 6am to 6am. Where can I find this in Chicago?

Food and drinks were good but our server wasn't very friendly.

Richmond Va. here, this years breakfast stout is better than the past 5 years to me. It taste like cold pressed coffee in it. Can't wait till you bring your brewery to Richmond. We love beer here just look at all the breweries we have. Come on I need you. WHAT I just looked at all the fattening food photos, now I have to plan my next vacation there. Yep thats right.

Like everyone else, I was excited to celebrate my 21st birthday, & was even more excited to go to Founders FIRST. I was immediately harassed at the entrance about my ID "being expired." Well obviously it was my 21st birthday (mind you, I of course went to the Secretary of State ahead of time to renew my license, & like EVERYONE ELSE who is turning 21, got the white temporary stapled to my now clipped license).
I suppose they thought it was a fake ID, but considering it was my birthday I obviously was not concerned about that. They wanted to see a credit card with my name on it to prove my identity, but left everything at home in an attempt to not lose anything on my first night out. This apparently added to their suspicion, although my boyfriend & friends were with me, who were paying for our drinks. There was no reason to bring everything with me & was shocked by the disrespect.
The moment I walked in the door I wanted to leave. I was out to celebrate my birthday and have a great time, not to be harassed about my "young age."
First and last time at Founders, truly disappointing.

Fun atmosphere and friendly service. The Harvest Ale was my favorite.

I've probably spent too much money here. I absolutely love their beer and their food. The live music here is usually good, too. While I never always liked craft beer, Founder's really showed me the light and allowed me to appreciate all the different types of beer that they make. Their food menu is also impressive. I usually get a bread bowl of chili when I come here, but everything else on their menu is quite tasty -- not your average, greasy bar food. I also enjoy that they validate your parking if you park in the lot adjacent to their building. Allowing customers to drink and hang out for hours on end and validating their parking is a very responsible practice for any brewery! Thanks for all the good times and many more to come, Founders!

Great beer. Great atmosphere. Good staff. Food is perfect for lunch. 5/5 for beer.

Sandwiches are really great but the server abandoned us! :O

Great beer selection and good food. Very busy place.

Obviously great beer, but always extremely busy. Some of the new, big breweries popping up should help dissipate the traffic.

Went there with my wife and daughter today. This is the second time we have ate there. Today we did not eat or drink. Barely enough seating and pretty much cutthroat to get a table since there is no hostess for seating. We waited patiently for a half hour next to a table that had paid and was about to leave. Least to say my daughter ran and by the time we picked her up the people had left and another person had taken the table. I would suggest finding a better business model for your company. We won t be back. Oh and of course I had pay the 2 dollars to get out of their parking lot.

Food is good, service was exceptional , but they only improvement that would make this great, would to have someone seat people. The floor manager walks around watching everyone, not appearing do much more, while the sign says seat yourself. We had several groups come behind us and poach tables (3 times) before we could get a table. When we did finally get a spot, several groups constantly watching us like hawks or hovering within feet, waiting for us to leave. That was a bit uncomfortable.

Great beer and very good sandwiches. Very relaxed environment means you seat yourself (can be very hard during busy times), and getting someone to return to your table can take time. We sat at the bar and it still look a long time to place an order. Food is worth the wait.

Great beer! Great service! Great food! Amazing outdoor beer garden!

Not too long ago, we visited Founder s for lunch and was not disappointed. The service was good and the food was great. I ordered the devil dancer and really enjoyed it - spicy but not unbearable. Give it a shot as you re sure to enjoy it!

Excellent customer service from Kegan to go along with the great food and brews.

The staff is respectful and attentive. Love the music also but it's nice going to a place where I pay to be taken care of properly

There food is alright but I do not drink. Drinking only leads to problems. By the Power Of The Risen Christ I am in a day by day deliverance!!! Jesus is Lord!!

Great place just not a lot of seating for everyone.

All your favorite Founders beers and more, plus excellent sandwiches and bar food options. A Grand Rapids must-see.

Great special selection of beer styles and good food and environment. What more could you want?!

I normally am a Founders fan but I had a terrible experience with the guy at the door trying to charge me a cover for their harvest fest when I explained that I just wanted to go to the store. He finally let me in but not before treating me like a child. It'll be some time before I ever consider going back.

Founders is doing well fighting COVID! The procedures they took might be by far the best I ve ever experienced. So definitely come if you're kinda worried but still need some break quarantining.

I really like their sour beer. Also the Castro sandwich is really tasty. But the Cheesesteak is not really what I m expecting. The steak is not as juicy and moist as I thought.

Fabulous food, atmosphere and service! Well worth stopping for!

Really fun brewery, great outdoor space. Do not expect to have this place to yourself though!

This place is big, lively and good fun. Decent beer, standard pub food and good fun. Great patio and outside seating.

Obviously the beer is phenomenal - Founders pretty much owns Grand Rapids and has done wonders for the city in general, however, the experience I had visiting the brewery was underwhelming. I arrived at the front and a very cool dude took my name and made some suggestions to me while we waited (he suggested I try the Blushing Padre which was an excellent suggestion, I might add!). Got inside the gate within 15 minutes and sat outside. This is where things kind of went down hill. The server (short girl with zero personality - never go her name) threw down the menus and the first thing out of her mouth was "there is a two hour max at the tables and you can't wander around the brewery." That made us feel very welcome! I felt like I was stealing the entire time I was there and every time she approached the table for "another round" she acted like she was doing me a favor. Zero recommendations, zero gratitude, zero personality. I told her I was from out of town and was excited that I was finally able to visit the actual brewery of some of my favorite beers - she rolled her eyes and asked me if I decided on what I wanted. I must tell you, the Blushing Padre came in real handy because if it wasn't for that I would've miserably walked out! I ordered a flight and two sandwiches. The beer was amazing and the sandwiches were even better! You can tell that these guys are true professionals because their food is as good as their beer! I would give this place 5 stars based on the beers and food, however, most of the staff should be replaced. The weekend girl at the store was just as bad (or even worse) than the server in the restaurant, having little patience and throwing orders at everyone visiting (COVID - "wait until I call you" "put your mask over your nose" and others). I suggest ordering your beers and sandwiches to-go (the phone order girl was amazing!) and enjoy it in a more relaxing and friendly environment. I wanted this to be the highlight of my trip but was disappointed by the experience, however, the beer and food is outstanding and is a must to try while in Grand Rapids. It s a sad shame that they sold out and it is apparent. Be sure to check out Grand Rapids Brewery for more GREAT beer while downtown and you ll see a huge difference in personal service!

Came here late on a Wed night. After visiting the smaller breweries all day in Michigan (of which there are many) stopping here was probably the biggest let down. Just lacked the character i like in a brewery (place to chill and chat with people who enjoy the craft). It's not even that they are big or are owned by major player because goose island in Chicago isn't like this. So with a heavy heart it's a three. The music was atrocious and loud and just wasn't a good vibe.

The food was good. Beer was good but the service was terrible. One of the bus boys, Tyler was extremely rude.

Definitely a secret handshake place. Service is challenging. No non beer options as they are a brewery taproom. Good beer and great spot. Love the outdoor seating.

This is an amazing place. The building is very cool and had evolved over the years, just like the company and its craft beers. Founders is the best brewery in town and the food is a good compliment.

Such a GR staple, I come here every time I'm in town. Sadly there is a rash of douchiness on Monday nights lately due to cheap beer.

Liked the beer and appetizers but the Rubin and grilled cheese were the worst we have ever had, very disappointed , we expect better.

A great brewery experience: Laid back atmosphere, good food (and large portions), and fantastic beer. Gets busy but there is plenty of seating (indoors and outdoors). Service is good even when it gets busy (they keep the beers full!)

Local college students hang out here. Great beer, lots of unique flavors to choose from! They had one that tasted just like watermelon. Great service, I bought a pint glass, discovered it was broken when I got home, but I called and they're shipping me a new one for free.

Great beer and food but finding parking can be tricky.

I've enjoyed the food and drinks. Nothing to complain about so far

Beer was great, food mediocre. Very nice atmosphere.

Great food! Great service! Loved the crab dip appetizer

Unraveled IPA is very well crafted with hints of citrus well done!

Good food and Great beer selection.. will definitely be back again

Good food, great beer selections. An outdoor patio area to catch some sun and plenty of indoor seating.

I've been here many times and have never had a bad experience. There are a large variety of beers to choose from and great food to compliment it. The earlier you get here the better. Parking nearby is limited.

Was a mug club member for 10 years here Best craft beer in the state haven t had a beer in 2 years but if I start drinking this is my 1st stop have stopped in for there good sandwiches

Really enjoy this place every time I'm in town. Has been cool to watch them grow and how large the patio area is now. The beer cheese dip is a great choice.

Came on a release weekend so parking was hard to get, but beyond that fact the staff did an amazing job of keeping up with the crowd and providing a great experience. Food was grade A and all of the beers I tried were top notch, and I didn't leave feeling like I over-paid. Facility is beautiful.

Love the place only downside is having 4 different service people frequently stopping by the table.

Visitng Grand Rapids for a wedding, im 33 weeks pregnant and was starving after a nice visit to the zoo. Decided to join friends at the very popular Founders, thinking their food must be as good as their beer (which I did not have any). Boy, was I wrong. I ordered just the cheese pizza, what i recieved was some toast with spaghetti-o sauce and some cheese on it. Dont order the pizza.
Update: If you want great food with delicious sauce head to J.Gardella's Tavern for amazing sliders, homemade tots and fantastic drinks. Chika chika parm parm slider is amazing.

Fantastic food, great beer with a selection well and beyond their bottled offerings.

Absolute staple of the town. More than two refreshments however and ... well good luck. and enjoy.

This place is amazing. Im sad to see them sell out to a foriegn company. Ill still visit feom time to time, but wont order bill with a foreign company take over. Really appreciate the local bar tenders, wait staff and culture. The tour was cool.

Impressive exterior, large parking lot with 5 h free parking, beerhall atmosphere inside. Over the top beers, decent sandwiches, and acceptable munchies.
Rated for beer, it would be 6 stars. I like the fact that they have 15 beers on the menu that you cannot get anywhere else but at the brewery. I like it that they keep seasonals on tap and I appreciate the fact that they have regular firkin events and nitro taps. They have at least 3 bars, one of them huge, which ensures easy access to their heavenly libations.
The ticket machine of the parking lot was out of tickets, nobody could get on the lot and we ended up paying $20 further down the street. The waiting system is beerhall like. You don't have a personal waiter, bar staff is walking around the huge hall and you flag down whoever works there. Water is not refilled and you end up walking to the bar to order food and beer.

Some of the best beer Grand Rapids has to offer. The outdoor space is equipped with fireplaces and seating for year-round activity. Concerts usually require cover so just be warned if you're trying to avoid that.

Took the tour. That was pretty awesome to see. The lunch was really good too!

I don't recommend coming here. The servers couldn't care less about your business, the food is typical bar food, and beers are what you can buy in stores for much less.

This is by far my favorite brewery of all time! I'm not in GR all the time but always enjoying coming home and enjoying a beer from my mug at Founders. This place has good beer for most anyone and also has a great menu for lunch meetings, dinner, or snacks. They also have a great space for special events. Speaking of events, Founders Fest always has an amazing lineup and they do a great job hosting regular beer events, musical guests, and other celebrations. Such a good spot, I can't wait for you to be there!

They want to let you know how cool they are, and cool is not caring about customer service.

Founders Good beer, good food, OK service (noticed that wasn t great service (or even good for that matter))
I had their BLT. My wife had the caprese. I had the founders NA beer. (My liver won t take
any more abuse) Wow that was wonderful!
Again a place with great atmosphere. I whole heartedly recommend them.

Such an amazing Brewery. Absolutely huge!. The inside/outside are just so inviting with an amazing staff. The store room is also a great place to get some cool t-shirts or some fresh Founders beer!

In truth, you can not stop by Grand Rapids and not go to a brewery. If you dont't you are missing out on the full Grand Rapids Michigan experience, and when it comes to Founders you cant go wrong. Founders beer can be had in markets across the country from Alaska to Florida, but you can only get some of their taps on site, having done their tour on top of visiting their restaurant, I am quite confidant in saying that they know what they do, and what they do, is what they love. The food is great, their beer on tap is on point, the staff was knowledgeable, all of this incorporating into a location that is a must for any visitor to GR or any local who wants to see what Grand Rapids really has to offer. As a recommendation, I'd recommend the beer cheese dip. You wont be disappointed.

Good service, good drinks, good pizza. I should have know that 5:30 on a Friday would be busy but it was standing room only.

When thinking of Grand Rapids city breweries Founders is one of the first breweries that will come to mind. That is a good thing. Beers were great, they had some taproom only releases, bartenders and other staff rock. Stop in you will be happy you did.

Very disapointed that we were in from out of town and they were closed this Sunday.

had a great time ..good food and good craft beer .....

Yet another brew pub with beers overflowing with hops. Nothing special, but people seem to like it.

Great people... greater craft beers. It's always santa with alcohol :)

If you enjoy beers you will love founders. The selection is unbelievable. We really enjoyed the covered outdoor seating. A fun place to go with a group or to make new friends. Locals and tourists alike were friendly.

Awesome beer, great venue. Gets busy, so be ready, might have to wait a bit. Worth it though.

Best brewery ever! Great beer and food! The servers are super friendly!

The food was just okay. Good beer selection but I don't drink beer. We went there because my boyfriend likes it. They broke a few glasses in front of the couple who sat next me but pieces of the glasses flew to my side. We didn't get an apology nor a free round which he bought for the other couple. Thanks.