The Bitter End Coffeehouse Review

Excellent service and best place for coffee, tea, juices, and chocolate treats in Grand Rapids!

great place to read. Same old selection for 10 years. Coffee is ALWAYS empty.

Good coffee but unprofessional staff- more than once. The chic look and organic principles don't match with the poor customer service.

Cozy spot, though i havent always had the best customer service

The place has a cozy feel. The barista was amazing and the coffee spectacular.

Nice cozy quiet place to sit and enjoy a nice cup of coffee.

Great staff and amazingly creative drinks. At least for me.

Good hole in the wall coffee shop! Great service and varied clientele. Chai latte is a good choice here too.

Best coffee in Grand Rapids, by far. Upbeat, yet calming. A great place to meet up with friends, study or have a casual business meeting.

Got a double shot mocha espresso. They have wifi, barista was really nice. Recommend it

Great service. I've been a frequent customer for years. Very cozy good place to get stuff done if seat's are available. :D

Here's the thing, they only ever staff one person, so the service is slow. They don't really care if you don't like them because they feel like that's just their business motto.

Their coffee is just okay, but there prices are really high. Also, they only have soy as a milk alternative so if you're lactose intolerant and you don't like soy I recommend driving an extra block to get the good stuff.

It's really busy, primarily because it's filled with the college study overflow. There's not many outlets so charge up your laptop in advance.

Overall, the coffee shop atmosphere is great. Unfortunately, the management doesn't try to please customers because they are busy enough that they think they don't have to.

Very cool decor and environment. And the coffee is good too!

By far the best coffee shop in Grand Rapids. Love the variety of coffees and the pricing is fair. Always delicious!

Friendly and helpful service, was a quiet place at around 6:45a

It was a nice place, until our group was told to leave as one person didn't buy anything...I don't think we'll be going back.

Edit: I have been back on a date since my group was kicked out because one person decided not to order anything. I will say that as a irregular coffee drinker, I loved their ice cream mocha drink, although it was pretty expensive. I appreciated the service much more this time, and my boyfriend and I even stayed awhile to play some of the games that they have on the shelf. I'm still not thrilled, and I'm sorry to hear about others' terrible experiences here, although I'm not surprised in the least.

Great little place. A special kind of class, and cool. Loved it.

Very nice place to sit and have a coffee or tea. Friendly staff. Can get crowded from time to time. And only one stall for women and one for men..but it's clean. Stays open pretty late.

Always a delicious drink no matter what I ve chosen, and I love that it s 24 hours since I m a bit of a night owl. Favorite in GR for years now.

Poor quality drinks with terrible attitude of the staff, especially the blonde hair barista who took my order. He was obnoxiously loud and rude.
I was studying at Bitterend this past weekend where the high chairs are located, and everything was fine. His friend was sitting by me, having a loud conversation. He was ignoring the customers that were in line for 10minutes to finish his conversation with his friend, who didn't buy a drink. She was just hanging out with him.
I've noticed that there were a couple of customers who were not happy with their drinks who asked for a refund. He snapped back saying that they don't give out refunds, and told those customers to leave. He also stated that it was "common sense" that food industries don't give out refunds.
Keep in mind, there is not a single sign up that says, "no refund policy."
I've worked at many restaurants/coffee shops before, and they've given out refunds to customers who were unhappy. Even if the customer was wrong, you should at least be polite about it, and exchange their drinks.
I've never witnessed anything insulting in my life.
I have a couple of friends who own coffee shops in the holland area, and they do not hire employees like this. It is an embarrassment to the coffee business. They charge you $1.50 for water. WATER.
I do not support businesses where they take advantage of your money and hire unprofessional employees who leaves snotty comments to customers. Worst coffee shop to ever surface not just Grand Rapids alone, but all of America

I love the atmosphere! So many different flavors and styles of coffee, smoothies, etc. My fave coffee shop in GR for sure.

Amazing coffee and open 24 hours which is amazing for studying or simply social get togethers.

Coffee is good I got the signature latte the peppermint/vanilla and also tried the salted caramel and vanilla cappuccino caramel and milky way they're good they have good coffee I highly recommend

I love that this place is 24 hours but it has a really strange vibe. The tables are so close together, so many people are studying you feel like socializing is not an option, and it could really use a more relaxed inside atmosphere. It's not welcoming.

Our favorite local coffee shop! Awesome atmosphere, great selection of premium quality beverages, and the staff is always friendly and helpful.

Great atmosphere and they serve food now! Ham and Swiss bagel was yummy.

The Bitter End is my go to place to hang out with friends. Good coffee and tea and great atmosphere. Staff is friendly and free parking lot across the street. It is a small space so when it's busy it can feel crowded but it's still awesome.

I've been here once, coffee was great and the service was very personal. So many different options to choose from, good luck!

Great atmosphere, love that it's 24/7, though i had trouble getting their internet to work for me.

Great little place for a lovely cup of coffee and a scone with the line of your life.
Great cozy place.

Super rude employees. I've been there 3 times and 2 of those times I've seen one customer get yelled at after ordering a sandwich and coffee and another time I was treated like an idiot for asking for cream when it wasn't put out.

Great Coffee, lots of college students studying so it's fairly quiet.

Overall, I would rate The Bitter End as very "okay."

What I enjoy most about this location is the environment. The interior is visually appealing, with dark wood and vintage decorations. It is great for studying; there are many seating options & the ones lining the walls all have their own lamps.

However, if you are looking for a place with good coffee, this is not the place. The espresso is very sub par, the steamed milk does not have good texture, & the flavored drinks are very sweet & syrup-heavy. The one drink that I've had here that I've liked was the chai latte. You may have better luck with their tea or drip coffee.

Other points worth noting are that (1) there is a parking lot very conveniently located across the street & (2) in my opinion, the drinks are rather pricey for the quality. Also, many of the other reviews comment on the service here, saying that it is bad, but I have never had an issue.

In all, this is not somewhere I will frequent. Though I like the atmosphere, it is not quite worth the cost of having to buy a drink each time I visit.

Friendly and a great place to get a malt. Coffee is great. Could use more plugs.

Always great service and prices aren't bad. I love that they're open 24 hours.

Thank you for being open all day!! Great atmosphere and good coffee too

Got a double shot mocha espresso. They have wifi, barista was really nice. Recommend it

My Gawd! Coffee is great, service is rather fast, and of you're a student this place is your study hall dream come true!

Opens 24/7, great place to go at night to stay awake and do work.

Great staff and amazing coffee. Bonus that they are open 24 hours, one of my favorite coffee spots in GR.

Open 24 hours! Excellent bean selection and great pour over.

Wonderful cozy coffee shop. Awesome staff, good coffee, open 24 hrs. By far my favorite coffee place.

Me and my friends were publicly shamed 3 times in front of the entire coffee house because 2 people didn t buy drinks even though we were there for like 2 minutes. We were forced to purchase water bottles that only cost $1 in order to not be forcibly removed from the premises. The woman who shamed us screamed at us very loudly 3 times. She made two of my friends cry. One of them had to leave because she was sobbing uncontrollably. This experience has caused serious trauma and will result in years of therapy. The woman who did this horrible act needs to be punished brutally for her actions. The only positive thing about this experience was the man in the pink hat who comforted my friends after the incident. I believe his name was Nick.

I've tried multiple different lattes and haven't been impressed. The staff is usually indifferent and a little cold. However, the hours can't be beat.

My wife and I make a point of dropping in here every single time we come back to Michigan. There coffees are solid and the staff knows what they're doing. It's a nice quiet place to study or work. And it's open 24 hours.

Absolutely love this place. My go to place for all night Phase10 with the bestie.

One of my favorite coffee stops. Cool as hell and nice departure from the typical coffee shop/cafe with an embracing old world feel.

Cozy, quiet atmosphere. Great for studying with an excellent selection of lattes, all made with a smooth espresso blend.

Vintage atmosphere very cozy. Popular with the college crowd

Coffee is super good! & Love the atmosphere!! Also open 24/7!!

Wi fi lots of outlets. Great coffee. Nice atmosphere.

Not certain about the rest of the week but I've visited there several nights late(after 10 and during the weekend) and the barista was polite and took really good care of us. And the coffee was pretty darn good. The building is old with a lot of character. It's a great place to chill.

Great coffee. Love the double shots. Service is slow.

such a bad spot. Coffee that tastes like stale and watered down folgers, high prices, AWFUL STAFF (smh). Very rude to customers including myself and my friend who went in on a warm summer night and it felt like a sauna in there... Overcrowded and uncomfortably quiet for a "study spot". I was accosted for bringing in a coffee to go cup from the previous place I had been that closed at 9, and the barista made a scene about how I was violating health codes, when I had every intention to purchase something from their coffee shop. Because such a scene had been made, I felt compelled to leave and not give them my money. Please do yourself a favor and never go here unless you like the presence of A** holes and awkward quietness and sauna-like, oppressive heat.

24/7 coffee shop on the west side of GR. It's quaint with yummy drinks, however, parking is not easy. There is a side lot a block over most people use. They get a lot of college kid business for the free WiFi with a purchase, however, it is so crowded! They over packed tables in there to sit as many people as possible in their space and it's just annoying sometimes. You can't move without bumping into someone or the chair behind you.

Popular local hangout and 24 hr hours to satisfy caffeine cravings at any hour.

Try the Red Bull shake! It sounds terrifying, but it's really quite refreshing and delicious.

With delicious coffee at modest prices you can expect to find a huge selection of various lattes, brews, tea, frapps, and more. I could go on and on about the huge selection! If nothing suits your fancy then simply ask to have your coffee made to order! Staff is super courteous and knows every little detail about any drink you could want. This place is a must visit if you're ever anywhere in Grand Rapids.

Best coffee in Grand Rapids. Now they know how to brew flat white. :)

The omelette sandwich was not at all as described, my coffee tasted like regular Maxwell House or equivalent. I'm not joking. I don't get it.
My wife did like the microwave frozen corndog though. So not all bad.

For a small coffee house the service was impeccable wonderful atmosphere and really cozy. Loved it.

Meh. Coffee was mediocre and the atmosphere was quiet.

Cozy atmosphere. Quaint little coffee shop open 24/7 with a wide selection of hot and cold beverages. Gets a lot of student clientele. Prices are fair, and with ample parking in a lot directly across the street, there s not much to find fault with here.

Small and limited seating, typical coffee shop. Great coffee

One of my favorite coffee houses in the country. Real, honest place.

It's my go to place!! They got very unique coffees and they are good. I recommend it!!

My favorite part of the Bitter End is that the rules of entering are conveniently posted on the front door. I love that they enforce a One Drink Minikum per person sp that CUSTOMERS rather than loiterers are accommodated with their limited seating. ;)

Go during the third shift and give Nick some company. He's a sweet dude, and he makes a good dirty chai. 10/10.

It's the best, with best coffee, best coffee drinks in town. Always a wide selection of flavored coffees. Staff is wonderful.

My favorite part about this place is that it s 24 HRS and has an old time feel to it. Just a small little brick building, but has the right amount of seating. I went hoping for some photos and was not able to complete that adventure because it was missing one important element. Coffee cups LOL. Like actual mugs of some sort. They use disposable every day cups. Totally understandable as it cuts down on labor and cost, but I would ve enjoyed that. Service was good. About the same pricing on drinks as expected pretty much anywhere.