The Green Well

Dinner and drinks were excellent. I don’t mind $ 20 Mac and cheese when it is this good. Truffle fries and spicy shrimp appetizer were yummy! Husband loved the burger. I enjoyed the special dessert: Arnold Palmer crème brûlée. When we get back to town, we will come back.

Our first time last night. Great to arrive on a summer evening hearing live music outside. But we were glad to be seated inside by the front window. Thursday at 7:30 and we waited about 5 minutes for a table. Efficient hostess and wait staff.
Truffle fries for app along with a flight of wine and draughts was perfect. Fries were perfectly crisp with a hint of truffle oil. But the slivers of basil on them, along with the aioli, knocked me out, such perfect bites of crispness and sauce.
I ordered the mac and cheese, and my husband got the seafood escabeche tacos. He kept trying to get me to try a bite of his because he loved it so much, but I was too smitten with the mac and cheese and did not try them. We both had high expectations after reading reviews and hearing relatives rave, but we both felt the place, the staff and the food exceeded expectations. I was pretty full after the fries and only ate about a ¼ of the mac and cheese, a huge portion, but I will love eating it as leftovers. It’s rich, but that didn’t stop me taking bites even after I was full.
There are so many stellar restaurants in Eastown, and it’s fabulous to head over from the Lansing area where our dining offerings are sadly lacking.

One of my most favorite places to eat at in Grand Rapids! Farm to fork and the food is always fresh, creative & tasty! Definitely stop in!

Fast friendly service. Cozy setting on the patio. The food is good the green well salad is so fresh and good the ice tea refreshing I went there on lunch hour I had my food in 10 min and plea try of time to relax this place is in a quaint part of toe plenty of parking

We had lunch here with our four girls and it was fabulous! Our server was so knowledgeable, pleasant and upbeat. Everything we had was delicious and we will definitely be back!

ENVIRONMENT
Pub style space with a bar area and lots of table seating.
MENU
As a gastropub lots of takes on traditional bar foods in more high-​ends ways. The guy running the bar recommended the Mac N’ Cheese as a must, then the BBQ Pork + Polenta, the Michigan Pork Tenderloin Schnitzel, the Amish Chicken + Waffles and the dinner features menu.
BOOZE
As with a lot of places in Grand Rapids, lots of beer choices, it’s perfect.
PLATES
BBQ Pork + Polenta — wow! The combination of BBQ meats and plenty is spectacular. This is the ultimate comfort food. Plus, the BBQ is good, so mixed with polenta it’s a

We arrived at peek dinner hour with a party of 10 and they seated us right away the. Our server was awesome got everything right never left us wanting and didn’t stress out when we wanted to split the bill 6 ways. The food was fantastic including the truffle fries (YUM) and the pad thai was perfectly spiced. I was thrilled that they had Odd Side Mayan Mocha Stout on tap and even the the bathrooms were cool fancy modern sinks with the best smelling Rosemary Lemongrass soap.

I came in on a weeknight, it was quite busy but I was able to get a seat at the bar. Their cocktail list looked nice but I decided to stick with a classic gin and tonic. I was surprised and delighted to see they had Tanqueray Rangpur. I’ve never seen a restaurant or bar carry it before and it’s my favorite gin.
I got the brisket sandwich with fries. The sandwich was delicious but very messy. I thought the pimento cheese would be more like a spread? It was kind of like a cottage cheese consistency which was weird and I’m sure the patrons around me were pissed because it smells. The jalapenos had no kick to them which was disappointing.
The fries were good but overly seasoned. It also seemed weird that if you are purchasing a $ 15 sandwich, you have to pay extra for fries.

Small place and it’s always so busy it seems to take forever to get a seat. The food was good, but I wouldn’t say phenomenal. I had some kind of tacos.

Great food, with a variety of unique options! A bustling casual atmosphere.
I have to say the best part about our experience was our server, Mallory. Knowledgable, friendly, and had great recommendations. Not only that, she was seated out of turn (because we wanted a booth) and she didn’t bat an eye. Fast and delightful.
DH had the chicken and waffles — they were buttery and really delicious, with a well-​paired sweet potato hash.
I had the Pad Thai, (sounds a bit out of place doesn’t it? But it was great!)
We finished with the lemon tart with earl grey crust, which was fantastic.

Fantastic dinner! I had the Mac and cheese! Not too cheesy just right and very fresh ingredients ! My hubby had the brisket sandwich and said it was the best he ever had!
We also enjoyed the truffle fries not the best we have had in GR but very close. Certainly would order them again!
We also enjoyed the wine flights! Such a great way to try different wines.
We will be heading back!

At the recommendation of several people, my husband and I had dinner here. It did not disappoint. To start, we split an order of truffle fries, which were delicious. The sauce definitely made the fries! I could eat it plain.
For our entrees, we both ordered the meat Mac n cheese, which they had a special on since it was Monday (apparently, every Monday, the Mac n cheese is $ 13!) This is not your typical Mac n cheese. It was made with four different cheeses, very saucy, and with yummy add-​ins. We both agreed that it was awesome.
Even though we were stuffed, we couldn’t leave without trying a dessert. At the recommendation of the server, we ordered the bananas foster bread pudding. Oh em geeeee, it was so good. If I wasn’t so full, I would have licked the bowl.
We really liked the atmosphere, and the server was super friendly. It seemed like a more trendy-​casual crowd, if that makes sense. Loved the food, loved the service. We will definitely be back.

The atmosphere here is very nice. A very open feel to it with plenty of light. I went at around 4:30 on a Friday and almost nobody was there.
I ordered the Michigan Turkey Sandwich ($ 13) with white truffle fries ($ 4). The turkey sandwich has turkey (obviously), sweet potatoes, coleslaw, bacon, and white cheddar on sourdough. It was a very tasty sandwich with one major flaw: not nearly enough turkey on it. For $ 13 basically just for a sandwich it needed twice as much meat on it. The sweet potatoe was surprisingly good on it. The fries were very good, no complaints at all there.
The waitress was very pleasant and fun to deal with. There was only 1 major flaw with the service. At close to 5 o’clock the entire waitstaff decided to gather at a table and discuss a future menu. This was really bad because I was thinking dessert, but my waitress wanted to get back to the discussion so she just brought my check to the table never asking if I wanted anything else.
Overall I am giving 3 ½ stars. Knocking off a full point for either over priced or small portioned your call. Plus a half star for the service failure at the end. Since I can’t leave a half star I have to round up or round down. Normally this is a hard call. However after spending $ 21 before tip I hate that I left hungry.
Will I go Back? Maybe.

Always a wonderful experience and well worth the hour long Friday night wait. An order of truffle fries dusted with herbs and truffle oil served with aioli for dipping is the perfect way to start your meal.
Moving to their entrees, I ordered their BBQ Pork and polenta. Creamy polenta with sautéed greens and tender shredded pork mixed with Green Well’s BBQ sauce over top. All the different tastes, textures and ingredients worked so well together. An absolute pleasure to eat.
Drink options are plentiful and after a recommendation I ordered their Long Day cocktail: Jim Beam, Green Well ginger ale, bitters, lemon juice and lemon twist. Great drink but not cheap. Better to switch to cider or wine after one of these.
For dessert I tried the vanilla bean and chocolate Palazzolo’s gelato (made in Fennville, MI). Not bad, but it didn’t live up to our entrée and starter courses.
Service was spectacular. One of the best dinner destinations in GR.

I came here with a friend for restaurant week last September and I can’t remember exactly what I had, but I believe it was some kind of salad appetizer, an orzo-​tomato entrée, and an ice cream/​chocolate bar dessert. It was fantastic, too bad It was one of the only times I’d forgotten to document such a good meal.
I went there last Sunday after hot yoga at Funky Buddha and I had a very decent meal: their fried goat cheese, fired breads and arugula-​tomato salad and my friends and I split an order of aioli truffle fries. It was all very delicious and flavorful, but my friend got ‘The Cuban’ sandwich and it was not good and very soggy. He may have just ordered the wrong thing at the wrong time, but it was disappointing nonetheless. Ambience and service were very nice too.
I’m definitely apt to return because I’ve always had fantastic meals there and I may someday update this review with a 5 score.

Yes please! Came here for a dinner with friends and maybe it was the wine but I loved dining here!
First off: the wait was kind of ridiculously long. But there’s a few bars nearby you can stop by while you wait to be seated.
Atmosphere: cozy and crowded, but not ridiculously loud.
Service: we got a super knowledgeable and helpful waitress who served our party of five with no issues. She was super helpful and patient.
Food: mac n cheese. Do it. Favorite mac n cheese in grand rapids so far. Perfectly salty and scrumptious and the curly noodles are bomb. My only tip would be that they’re not as good the next day, so finish it all in one sitting!
Will try to be back during non peak times!

When visiting Grand Rapids we have tried to make it a new custom that we find places to eat that we cannot get down in Indianapolis. So we check Unilocal to get some ideas of places to try. We came across the Green Well which had some good reviews. We checked out the online menu and decided that this was the place to try.
We arrived around 6pm on a Wednesday night. The place is pretty small, but we were able to get a table for 3 very quickly. Our server came over and took our drink order. He returned quickly and gave us plenty of time to figure out what we wanted to eat. I ended up being all brave I suppose and took the servers selection to get the $ 20 mac & cheese.
The lights are kept low to provide more of an intimate atmosphere. The noise level is a little louder than most places but that would be because of how small the place is. But it isn’t so loud that you can’t have a conversation with someone across the table with any difficulty. I also noticed that appeared to be local artwork on the walls… which I always love to see.
Our food came out in a reasonable amount of time and was absolutely amazing. The mac & cheese was worth the $ 20 it cost… which sounds crazy but it was true. Our server was attentive to our needs and we never went without a drink refill.
The dining area as well as the restroom are very clean. This was just an overall awesome place and a great little place in the new up and coming area.

I was here a couple of years ago and am surprised I didn’t leave a review.
I was here a couple of years ago and am surprised that the menu hasn’t changed that much.
I could be wrong on that but I’m pretty sure the menu was very similar, which isn’t a bad thing as the food is good but that kind of disappointed me because I expected more from them. I wasn’t overwhelmed with the choices. I was between the lamb vindaloo which is their lefty lamb from the night before and the black bean stew. I sided with the black bean stew as it came highly recommended from our waitress. It was good but it didn’t really wow me. It was something anyone really could have slopped together. Probably not my best choice for what I was looking for as it doesn’t really exemplify the skills of the cook. It was more like a glorified chipotle bowl to me. I want to say it was around 15 bucks for it.
I’ve had the beef brisket sandwich back in 2013 and man was that a homerun. I really enjoy brisket and that was as well balanced and flavorful of a sandwich as one would expect. I’ve been chasing that high for a few years but didn’t want to do a repeat order.
I disagree with the concept of truffle fries. I understand some people like these things. I feel cooking with truffle is style over substance. There is a perceived value in it and every tom, dick, and larry who wants to be a fine dining establishment or hipster snob throws it on the menu. I find the flavor to be overwhelming. The basil and gross amount of ketchup I used did an okay job of making them edible to me; however, i can’t complain too much as they were on the house due to an abnormally long wait.
We enjoyed eating here. All things considered if you are ordering drinks you’ll see your bill sky rocket. My wife enjoyed the bloody mary. Beer list not impressive and the cocktails had the appearance of being pretty good but I can’t comment on them as I didn’t try one.
There was a time when I was a little bit younger and was okay with being elbow to elbow with someone when I eat but that time has come and gone. I had some drunken fools sitting next to me and their conversation was unavoidable and annoying. I guess one rolls the dice with who they will be sitting on top of. Close quarter seating here.
In closing, I’d definitely come back here for that brisket sandwich. Maybe next time I’d change it up and go with a fish or pork. Nothing really screamed my name in that regard so on my third try we’ll see if they wow me, otherwise they will fall victim to being the one menu item all stars. It’s probably a good place to go to on a whim but after setting the bar kind of high I was a little let down on the second dining experience as we drove from the downtown area to get here. In retrospect I’d probably just eat downtown and continue to indulge in adult beverages.
Should note that brewery vivant is across the street. There is definitely fun value in coming to the east side.

Ate here on our ArtPrize adventure weekend and we really enjoyed every dish!
As praised, we had the truffle fries which I was hesitant about because they’re thick cut fries instead of thin cut fries which is typical of truffle fries. It totally works as thick fries b/​c for non-​truffle fans (I know, crazy right?), it’s subtle without being too earthy. I like that everything served is locally made so the truffle oil was from @blisgourmet. I didn’t think the side Dijon aioli would work with these fries but it totally did!
For my entrée I got their popular Mac & cheese and indeed it’s popular for a reason! It’s made with Corkscrew pasta, chicken, ham, bacon, peas, caramelized onions, mushrooms, four cheeses, bread crumbs, & blis white truffle oil. I skipped the chicken and doubled up on the wild mushrooms. It was so rich but creamy. I was happy we got truffle fries to start because I couldn’t finish my dish and was ecstatic to have leftovers the next day!
Fiancé got The Cuban which came with Braised​pork, ham, onions, green well zesty pickles, swiss cheese, rusty shaggalicious mustard on @fieldandfire ciabatta. The meats were so tender and juicy and I loved how it tasted house made whereas some places use deli meats and somehow pass that as a Cuban. Came with a side of their house chips which was perfectly crunchy & salty. B/​c our food took some time to come out, they brought out their regular seasoned fries to nibble on. I was French Fried out but I still ate them and Truffle fries are the way to go!
The vibe is very hipster meets California Beachy– hippie. Both old & young were dining here and staff was friendly. Next time I’m getting the Wet Burrito!

The Chicken Chopped Salad is an entrée of theirs that I dream about. I honestly cannot tell you what it is specifically about it but if anyone asks where I would like to eat I would be lying if I told you that The Green Well isn’t one of the first places that come to mind, because well– The Chicken Chopped Salad. The ingredients are always just so fresh, delicate and the perfect consistency to not have to fight with your food to chew it. There is enough going on in this salad that brings moisture to the dish, that you really don’t even need the dressing. However, the dressing is pretty tasty so I always enjoy adding a little bit. This also is saying a lot because I am not a dressing person. I always say no to dressing but this one, well that breaks the rule.
I would like to mention I have not branched too far across the menu because this salad just has me hooked. Every single person I have dined with at The Green Well has not been disappointed with their meals. I have had the pleasure to share some bites and I agree, so really good food going on here.
The service is always immaculate. They are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure you are having the perfect night. From tasting a couple beers before you try, to modifying your food to your satisfaction, to keeping the water glasses full, to just simply bring a kind energy to the table whenever they stop by to check in on you!
The drink list is long and tasty. I am not sure the specifics on this but they always seems to be creating a few cocktails every few months or so that stick to a theme. It is nice to see that they are inventive and care about the feedback on said drinks! A great wine list and beer list too! I am kind of a picky beer drinker but I always seem to find one on their list that I am happy to consume!
If the weather is nice, there have a great place to sit outdoors too, otherwise I prefer the tall tables near the bar… just more of a feeling of at ease then amongst the shorter tables of diners.