Bartertown Diner

If you’re expecting a warm or friendly greeting, a coffee mug without 5 major chips in the rim, a server who understands hospitality (you know– pays attention to you, acts like she’s glad you’re there, wants to provide a positive dining experience), and a menu that you can read without getting a headache (the layout is a disaster), sadly this is not the place for you.
I was excited to eat some tasty veg fare, but walked out after it was clear they don’t care and the minute my request for a new, non-​dangerous mug was received with irritation.

I reeeaaally wanted to like this place. I read the worst reviews first on Unilocal before deciding to come here. I ignored them, only for many of the complaints I saw to be totally validated.
Came on a Saturday night; it was almost empty. There is a large chalkboard at the entrance stating the rules. «Seat yourself at a clean table,» «You will not be served if you are on your cell phone,» and then the really weird «No oppressive language.» (Ummm, what? You guys are killing me. Am I in an episode of Portlandia?)
They served us room temperature tap water (no ice) and tiiiiiny glasses. Hate that. Anyway, we ordered the pizza rolls and falafel sticks to start. Both were okay (I emphasize the word «okay») in terms of flavor, but the texture, dry and crumbly, was all wrong. Also, not enough dipping sauce! Bartertown, double your sauce portions!
When I was ordering my entrée, I asked my waitress what she recommended. She said she hadn’t really tasted anything off the menu (c’mon, lady) but said the BBQ plate was popular, so I went with that. If you like cumin, this is the dish for you. But if you don’t love it (like me), steer clear. Also, it needed salt… bad. I tried each of my husband’s sliders, and they were all right, the garbanzo one being my favorite.
Nearing the end of our meal, our waitress told us she’d ring us up at the register when we were ready. And then she left. Like, she left the restaurant. Yeah. So, when it was time to pay, we had to look through the menu again and tell the guy at the register everything we ordered because it wasn’t written down or «in the system.» When we left, I had a bad taste in my mouth – and not because of the cumin.
I was so hoping to find my next favorite restaurant in Bartertown. I love the idea of a strictly plant-​based restaurant, but poor service and mediocre offerings put this restaurant on my «meh» list.

You have to have a mindset and openness to want to try new things — things you may not have a clue as to what it is. If you aren’t open to this idea, then you are most likely not going to enjoy your experience. I say this because Bartertown does a great job at making Vegan food without just omitting a meat from an entrée and calling it good. They take the time to get creative with their dishes, using a lot of non-​meat protein alternatives.
I have only been here for breakfast food, so my experience is based on that. If you are looking for your tradition, eggs, meat and toast, this is not where you want to stop. Their creativity is far superior of that, even though I do love a traditional breakfast too!
The service is great, the atmosphere is unique and fun. Your coffee is served in whatever mug they have collected over the years. Very thrift shop feel with the mugs, which I think is a fun touch! I personally enjoy sitting at the bar in the window. There are tables and another bar along the wall too, but I would rather not stare at a wall while eating.
If I really think about it, I only knock it down one star because for me personally they are a bit expensive. I like breakfast to be a bit cheaper than this, but I do realize the ingredients that go into the dishes aren’t cheap like a traditional breakfast dish.

ABSOLUTE WORST SERVICE AND FOOD I HAVE EVER HAD. Fuck every single one of the selfish people who work here. Today is my birthday and I chose those shitty restaurant to eat at. I got a dish that I’ve had there before and it literally made me throw up it was so terrible. My fiancé went back up there to see why it made me sick or if they could fix it and they literally laughed at him and were INCREDIBLY rude. Keep in mind this is the owner of the building. I mean I’ve heard a lot of really bad things about this place but I never knew it was this terrible. NEVER GO TO THIS PLACE EVER.

This is the place to go for vegan home cooking. High quality food with daily specials. So good. Where else can you ask for kimchi in your waffles? Oh boy.

I’m am obsessed with this place. It make all other food taste bland and boring. You wouldn’t even know their food was vegan, you have to try this place! I promise it won’t be a let down. Try their breakfast!

I used to go here all the time. It used to be 5 stars but I feel it is inconsistent. I’ve never had bad food, and I was a weekly burrito town regular, but I never know portion size and the farm to table leads to many outs and substitutions.

The food here is alright, but it is definitely a step down from their older offerings. The service is average. I’d usually give them three stars, but I have to lower my review to two stars because their new hours are terrible. So disappointing…

An all around great experience at Bartertown Diner.
Just find yourself a clean table when you arrive and take a seat, you’ll be served shortly. I chose the countertop seating area which overlooks Jefferson Ave. The interior’s trendy and the wall art really provides the perfect mood for the fresh local food Bartertown serves.
For breakfast I’ve tried their creamy tofu scramble, seasoned home fries, tempeh bacon strips, sautéed greens (kale) and their gluten-​free oat cakes.
Everything’s been good. Just a real simple and clean taste to their dishes, not to mention they’re fresh and healthy too! An iced chia to finish everything off and you’ve got the perfect breakfast to start the day.
Lunch is a great option as well. Try an order of their $ 2 daily tacos and pair it with a glass of Bloom Ferments’ kombucha.

Really enjoyed my experience here and will most likely come back whenever I am in Grand Rapids again. My group ordered the following: French toast, cauliflower chicken and waffles, open faced biscuit Sammie, and the buffalo wings. The French toast was the winner in our opinion. The chicken and waffles were good, but I kind of thought the cauliflower would have a different breading than the buffalo wings. Our least favorite was the open faced biscuit Sammie… Way too much kale, not enough sauce or scramble. Overall all of the food was very good. The service was okay and why I am giving them four stars. When deciding our meal, we asked the waitress to help us pick between a few items and she simply replied that ‘everything on the menu is good’, while I am not going to argue that a bit of direction is nice. She also did not tell us ‘when you are ready pay at the counter’ or anything in that vein, which was okay since we were chatting and in no rush, but some direction is greatly appreciated instead of us wondering if she will ever come back to us. One of the meal highlights for me was noticing next to the checkout a selection of fun sodas, the hop soda is amazing!!! I ran back to ohio and ordered a case of hop soda to enjoy non-​stop.

2 words: Customer Service! Great service, awesome food. I’m in love with the hot sauce. mmmm *Homer Simpson voice*
I mainly come for the $ 2 tacos, but tried the tostada one day when they were out of tacos. the tostada rocked my world and changed my life!
The only minus (I’m being selfish here) is that they aren’t open on Mondays or Tuesdays. I inquired about this and apparently Saturday and Sunday’s are their busiest days, so it’s necessary that they take the first two days of the work off in order to maintain a normal life. I can get with that.
Keep up the GREAT work guys! You have a life-​long customer here!!!

The 3 stars are for the service. I’ve been several times and knew it was seatt yourself. I sat at an available table that needed to be bused. Apparently they have a «rule» that they don’t serve you if you sit at a dirty table. (See blackboard as you walk in). When I asked for a menu the waitress told me if I wanted to be served I had to get up and wait for the table to be cleaned. REALLY?

I used to love this place. However, their recent changes over the last year have greatly decreased the experience. Don’t waste your time. Service has never been great, but the food more than made up for it. But it’s just downright terrible now, they’re lazy. When I went last, I asked for the special because I couldn’t read it from my location. She said she didn’t know and I could go look at the board. Then asked for their bowl of food and she couldn’t tell me what that was either. They’re closed for Monday’s and Tuesday’s. Seems like every time I go something is broken.
Worst of all, their food was delicious and worth the premium. However, the last 3 trips I’ve gone it’s been mediocre at best. Not worth my time or money. I’d like to go back to this place, but my last time was terrible all around and will no longer support this once great organization.

I’m giving this 3 stars because I’m sure the food is good if you get served. Unfortunately I brought my vegetarian friend there and we couldn’t find the restaurant because there is no sign, we stood in the entrance for literally 5 minutes wondering how we get food, then we were sat down, literally 8 minutes later we got water, then about 10 minutes after that we decided to leave because we hadn’t been acknowledged. Food looked good though.

Amazing, fresh, and flavorful breakfast/​brunch/​lunch. Good service and laid back atmosphere. Prices are fair for the large portions dished out. The worst thing about Bartertown is choosing just one meal on the menu. I’ll be back every chance I get.
Thank you for supporting local farmers and organic.
ACAB!

This place is incredible. My husband and I eat here all the time. We take all of our friends and family here when they are visiting.
Food is incredible, it’s employee owned, they put a huge emphasis on working with local farms, suppliers, etc. There isn’t another place in GR that can compare with their standards.
I make it a point to try something new each time I go and I’ve never been disappointed. We tell everyone we can to check this place out and they we always hear back about how much everyone loved it.
Definitely a MUST VISIT if you are in Grand Rapids.

I was surprised by the food here, because it got such good reviews. Came here for lunch on a break, got the black bean burger with cheddar and tortilla chips. It was so bland and boring! I also ordered a coffee which didn’t come until the very end of my meal, and my tab was like $ 14. Overpriced and edible but not worth eating.

Was visiting friends in Grand Rapids and they took me to Bartertown. As a vegan, I loved having so many options and ordered a massive plate of tacos! The service was without the vegan attitude I’m used to in other cities! Everything was delicious, and my non-​vegan friends enjoyed their food too. Got a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie for the road — and it made for a decadent breakfast! Hope to go again.

Really enjoyed the sandwiches here. Even the confirmed carnivore who was with me said that it, «wasn’t bad… I’ll give you that.» I consider that a high compliment. I’ll be back here when I’m in GR again. Nice atmosphere.

My husband and I were traveling up to Traverse City, Michigan and was passing through Grand Rapids. It was lunch time and wanted something healthy to eat. We found this place through Unilocal in the vegetarian section. We found the menu to be interesting. Bartertown is a Vegan/​Vegetarian/​Raw Food Diner located in Downtown Grand Rapids. Offering Brunch, Lunch and Dinner.
We walked in and server told us we can seat ourselves anywhere in the restaurant. The vibe of this place is so cool. EVERYTHING was made out of recycle materials. Some of the tables were doors, the light fixtures made out of tiffany stained glass/​bicycle rack and bottles. So rad! Love the music selection. Ramones was playing at the time we dined in. The server was the only one waiting on tables so it took awhile to get our order.
For lunch I got the cuban which is smoked tofu, caramelized onions, vegan cheese (you can also choose dairy cheese if you wish) on a toasted panini bread for $ 8.00 (side item comes with blue corn chips) and my husband got the Chickpea Melt which is their popular seller. It consist of ground chickpeas, onion, greens and dill mixed with veganaise and vegan cheddar. Served on wild rice onion bread and a side of blue corn chips — $ 8.50. You can add Tempeh Bacon or greens for $ 1.00 more.
All I can say is WOW!!! My Cuban Panini was awesome!!! Loved the caramelized onions and the combo of the vegan cheese and smoked tofu! Taste all great together. I tried my husband’s Chickpea Melt and loved the fresh made bread! The chickpea mix had a great taste/​flavor (was not dry or salty). For dessert we got a small vegan peach cobler tart to go. YUM!!!
Wish this place was also located in Cincinnati. I would go every week!
The restaurant and bathrooms are clean.
Street parking.
So glad we dined here!