Kalamazoo Beer Exchange
| Address: | 211 E Water St, Kalamazoo, MI 49007, USA |
| Phone: | +1 269-532-1188 |
| Site: | kalamazoobeerexchange.com |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 11AM–1AM 11AM–1AM 11AM–1AM 11AM–1AM 11AM–1AM 11AM–1AM Closed |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 10
KE
kelly poniedzielski
Had a really bad experience with the wait staff, which left him without receiving a tip and me leaving this bad review. Dinner was good and we decided to order dessert afterwards. After waiting 15 minutes for the dessert in passing I our server "whats up with the dessert?" I could tell right away that he was offended by my asking and I explained we were going to a show and I was getting nervous. His response was he couldnt make the kitchen make it any faster! I thought that was really odd and decided that when he came back around I would at least apologize and let him know that I didnt mean to offend him, but when he finally came back with the dessert he set it down said "Ill get your check then came back with the check tray and slammed it down on our table and walked away without saying thank you or anything else that you would expect from a server trying to wrap his table up. Dont know what that guys problem is but hes really bad for business. The food was good but we wont be back. Theres too many other competing restaurants in the area with better service!
MI
Mike Lucas
Make no mistake, Kalamazoo Beer Exchange is not a standard bar. KBE has fantastic food options for what I feel are decent prices. Multiple burger, steak, chicken options as well as better than usual standard bar snacks such as Bar Chips and Fajita Nachos. I have often brought family out of town to KBE. The highlight of course is the self-titled "Beer Exchange". Beer prices are advertised on large screens with prices fluctuating up and down every 15 minutes based on demand. Every so many cycles you may be lucky enough to be present for a crash where prices hit the bottom for the entire beer menu. Fun to see and watch even for non-beer drinkers. Mixed drinks are also available on typical menus as well. Staff has always been very friendly and helpful on multiple occasions. Never had a bad experience at KBE. I do recommend checking Google to see how busy they may be. Definitely may have a wait or space limitations during peak hours.
A
A Private User
Horrible place to go to eat. The moment we walked in we were treated terribly. Hostesses were rude and had no manners. Told me to my face they skipped us on the wait list. Bartender was making snide remarks to customers. Bathroom was overflowing with paper towel and toilet tissue all of the floor. Took 2 hours to get a table and another hour to get our food. Food was disgusting and overly salty. Couldnt eat it but was still charged full price. Took 47 minutes after we were done eating to get our bills and cash out. Sad part is it was a special occasion and family drove over an hour for dinner and then it took the whole night just to eat and be dissatisfied. Will NEVER go there again!! Not worth the prices unless you are just going to drink. But even then you had better push your way to the bar and watch because they pour and then ring up- missed the low prices every time because the bartenders were so slow.
BR
Bret Hamrick
Went here with my girlfriend and a friend. This is a very cool place. The theme is awesome and the selection of drinks is exceptional. I had a couple dark beers then found they had Mead. Awesome stuff. We sat at the bar and had good service from the bartenders. I am giving this three stars because they made some fundamental errors in their food prep and service. We ordered the Fajita Nachos as an appetizer and it came out with our entrées. Thats a no go. The Fajita Nachos were delicious, I would have them again. I had the fish fry, which was nothing special. Under seasoned fish and over battered. My girlfriend and my friend both had the Smoked Bacon Apple Pork Chops, her plate came out good, pork was cooked right plate looked great. His plate came out and was sloppy, had no apples (part of the dish) and was completely over cooked. Consistency and timing is lacking in the kitchen at this place.
ST
steaming mangos
Very good experience here. I got the beer cheddar soup which was delicious and their mac and cheese which was some of the best mac and cheese Ive ever had. The only thing taking a star off is that the portion size for the mac and cheese was surprisingly small for the price, and our waitress would walk away without checking to make sure that she had gotten everyones drink order or something like that, just leaving some of us sitting there wondering why we werent able to order yet. Otherwise that wasnt a very large issue and the Beer Exchange where they change the prices of the beer every 15 minutes is pretty unique and interesting, it was a very good experience!
AN
Ana P
I have been here several times and it has become my and my friends new favorite bar in Kalamazoo. I personally love the food (the chicken pot pie is awesome) and the drinks are very reasonably priced (especially when the beer market crashes). The only downside is the wait for tables but you get to drink beer while you wait so i think its totally worth it. Only place in town that I have seen that has pumpkin ale off season. I am 25 and post college and love the fact that its laid back and isnt full of the "wild bull scene". Highly recommended. :) We usually start our nights here.
SC
Scott Swope
Another one of downtown Kalamazoos must-try spots. Here are my pros: - stock market approach to beer pricing is fun and unique - worth a visit just for this. - menu is unique (even the standards have great twists to them) - food is always in the good to great category - service is usually friendly and on point. Even when theyre slammin busy. -Pinball! There are some challenges: - this is a hotspot in Kzoo. Expect a wait for a table on Thur-Sat evenings. - The open atmosphere also means load. It isnt the place to go for an intimate conversation with friends
MA
mamlukman
1) About 1,000 decibels. Warning! hearing loss danger! Conversation impossible. 2) ordered the chicken pot pie. Bad choice--six (6---I actually counted) pieces of chicken the size of the fingernail in my small finger….); plus, it tasted like someone spilled a can of pepper into it; plus the sweet potato pastry is a good substitute for cardboard. Whats wrong with ordinary pie pastry? Too hard to make? 3) tartar sauce (how can you mess this up???) was almost inedible. That was with the fish and chips, which was OK….a 5 out of 10. We wont be back.
BR
Brian Hubert
They have a unique atmosphere that really does well for them. I love the changing beers and prices. It seems they always have a different list of beers on tap when I go there. All the food Ive tried is great...especially like the chips and dip. The only knock on the place is a lack of restrooms upstairs. I dont know if thats the owner of the building not willing to add it or the building itself. If you are upstairs having dinner you have to go downstairs(sometimes through a busy drunken crowd) to use the facilities.
ST
Steven Depolo
The like to bend an elbow at the Kalamazoo Beer Exchange. With 28 beers on draught, the top-rate tap house can satisfy the most demanding beer aficionados. I hate piss beer, so I often drink a Scotty Karate Scotch Ale. Disturbed by WASP culture? They have Escape to Colorado from Epic Brewing in Salt Lake City. When on parole, my friends drink Dark Horse Brewings low-alcohol Raspberry Ale. Go and look for me in the corner, nursing my New Holland Long Island Iced Tea and wishing it was something else.
