J. Gardella’s Tavern

If you don’t make up your kind in 2 seconds the bartender will move on… Bad service

First, I’d like to say that paying cover sucks. I’ve written many reviews saying that and this place charges cover at night. Boo.
This place is like bizarro world, depending where you currently are. The top «first» floor is a nicer bar scene — dark, kind of desolate in its appearance, more of a place to hear others talk and hang out in groups. Meanwhile, you can go downstairs where it’s like Animal House — music is LOUD, drinks are flowing left and right (see: shots), people are dancing (see: grinding) and it’s more of a free-​for-​all atmosphere for people who seem to want to get laid.
Nothing wrong with that, I say, but I’m beyond that in my elder years. I enjoy a great bar and having a good time, but I don’t need to hear DMX songs from 15 years ago and watch guys strike out with women left and right. I already did that before, it was called college.
This place reminded me of a college bar, which isn’t the worst thing. Some people like to relax as they drink, and some do the opposite. This has a Royal Oak vibe for sure, and at least there are two different levels to meet the demands of different clientele. I did enjoy my Two Hearted being served full to the brim, in a mason jar.

J. Gardella’s finds itself in a fantastic location, right smack-​dab in the center of the Ionia strip. Its stellar location has certainly served itself well over years and has contributed to the lively atmosphere Gardella’s provides.
In years past, this was the spot for living it up large in their lower level. You left all your worries upstairs and divulged yourself in a night of fantastic drinks and excellent food. It seemed during those evenings that everyone in lower level was everyone else’s friend and we were all at the same private party.
More recently, Gardella’s has become an excellent spot for catching up with friends. During some weekends, it seems to be livelier upstairs now rather than in the lower level. Still, everyone I continue to meet here is a blast to encounter.
It has been awhile since I’ve re-​sampled Gardella’s food but I have heard nothing but complements on it. The staff always seems attentive, friendly and quick. They have an array of drink specials and good pricing for the amounts you get. The seating at the bar is very nice but they also provide an excellent choice for tables and booths. Often times, the best seats are the front tables by the door. From there you get an excellent vantage point on the passing GR night life.

I love this place. Good food, good drink at great prices. They should advertise the downstairs is open… It fills up fast and a lot of non-​locals have no idea.

I honestly can’t believe the service I received today. I come into the bar at least twice a week. This server/​bartender, never introduced herself we waited almost 10 minutes for her to notice we needed a refill, she never asked how our food was. This is the worst visit I’ve ever had here and it needs to be addressed. She was on her phone for 25 minutes straight.

My first experience was a week ago with a small group. We went down to the basement level where it was much quieter. We ordered several appetizers. I really enjoyed the pigs in a blanket and the pretzels. I ordered a turkey sandwich and fries. The sandwich was fine but I asked for more dressing because there didn’t seem to be much on the sandwich. The waitress was nice and very attentive.
My husband and I stopped again the following Friday because we were downtown for another event. I ordered a turkey wrap and my husband ordered fish. Our food came out quickly and we were both pleased with what we ordered. The waffle fries come with gravy on the side. I highly recommend trying them.

Bad setup for KBS release, but eventually got one.

I like J Gardella’s! My husband loves the french dips and I like just about everything I’ve tried! They also have a fish friday which is pretty decent to check out. I never walk away hungry from there. They also have a burger and beer special on Tuesdays! mmm…
The drinks are also good. The cherry sangria is AMAZING. There is also a drink that tastes like starbusts if you’d like something super sweet.

I used to come here every Tuesday for the burger deal but they discontinued the tuna option and offer no other fish or veggie option so now I rarely go. Though they have incredible drink deals on Wednesdays. The tuna melt was so good I copied the recipe, but I sincerely miss hanging out here more often! The food is good, the taps are sometimes boring but the bottle list is legit.

My husband and I have ate here a couple times and have grown to really appreciate this place. Both times we’ve received great service from the staff and great food. We had a minor hiccup our last visit, but we were accommodated beyond our expectations. Normally I would leave a restaurant and not return after what we experienced at this place. Although it was a mistake, the service that came after the mistake caused us to want to come back again and again. It was so good to see business owners treating customers with such respect and appreciation. They have great specials and great food, my husband and I continue to make this one of our go to date night nights.

I love the dungeon. The middle and upper levels are nice for food, but that basement is where it’s at.

I’ve been here several times and the service is always terrible. Usually it ends in free drinks to make up for it, but when it doesn’t it’s unbearable.
This last trip they brought us the wrong tables food, took the plate back from me after I had already touched the food and gave it to another table.
The atmosphere is cool but the service makes for a very bad experience.

Gardella’s is quickly becoming my girlfriend and I’s Friday night treat. On Fridays, they have their fish and chips special (which is to die for) for $ 7, which is a great deal. They’ve got plenty of seating, considering they utilize the basement as well. I’ve also had their grilled cheese, which is $ 4, comes with chips and the most amazing cheese dipping sauce for the sandwich, as well as their Caesar salad, which is HUGE and delicious. My girlfriend has said that their burgers are also very good, and they’ve got plenty of specials throughout the week to keep people coming back.

We were staying in Grand Rapids on our way home from vacation in NE Michigan, the night before my birthday. It was a Saturday night and many of the places we walked by were very crowded. So we stepped inside this place & found an open table. We had the Hummus — homemade, yummy, with lots & lots of fresh veggies! Our entrees were good as well, but what we both remember is the hummus.
The crowd was quite diverse, grown adults like me, groups of 30 somethings, young couples on dates, and even a bridal party that was having WAY too much fun (the poor dear).
We’ll definitely be back on our next visit.

New to the GR area and tried this place out on a friday afternoon. The servers and bartender were very attentive and genuinely nice. I tried the lake trout fish and chips special with an Icabod craft beer and the meal was great. Would definitely recommend for a good lunch spot woth great service!

Ladies and gentlemen, can I please have your attention?! I’ve just been handed an urgent and not at all horrifying news story! I need all of you to stop what you’re doing and listen! Gardella’s has remodeled their basement!
Gone are the sticky concrete floor and no more mirrored beer signs as decoration on the wall. The women’s’ «bathroom», which was essentially a few toilets crammed into the boiler room, has undergone a complete makeover, complete with Spanish-​villa style arches over the stalls and shabby-​chic, mismatched mirrors. And what would you know– there is a stately, all wood, prohibition-​era looking bar underneath all those Bud Light flags and Corona lights that used to hang. I’m told that the men’s bathroom urinals actually work now! In short, it’s wonderful!
I’ve been coming to this bar for longer than I care to mention to take advantage of their great weekly drink specials, pig out on their tasty bar food, and mingle with friends in their low-​key vibe. The old basement had been the one glaring fault of Gardella’s which is otherwise, a cozy bar in the epicenter of Grand Rapids, long anchoring the Ionia St bar strip. Now with this basement remodel, Gardella’s has tied together the old-​timey ambiance of the other two floors, making a visit even more enjoyable.

I’m new to Grand Rapids and my girlfriends brougth me here, I really enjoyed the ambient and the crowd,
Will gladly come here again to have another delicious drink
very respectul staff.

Popular with the early 20’s crowd, can get too crowded for my taste, but some people like that I guess. I’d rather not wait 15 minutes to get a drink. There are three floors, upstairs had a dance floor and the basement is like a dungeon. The building is pretty skinny so it can feel pretty crowded even if it’s not a ton of people, especially on the main floor.
I’ve never had a problem personally but I’ve seen fights break out front or people get kicked out for fighting. I’ve also seen puke all over the bathrooms there on more than one occasion.

I eat at J. Gardella’s several times a month, mostly for lunch with business associates. We come back to Gardella’s regularly because the service is quick and friendly, and the food is some of the best quality and the best tasting in the Grand Rapids area. Plus, Ellen the General Manager is fantastic and usually takes time from her busy routine to greet diners and ask for feedback on the service and food.
If planning to visit, I suggest the French Dip with horseradish aoli, which is actually made of smoked brisket and locally made cheese. The fried fish & chips is some of the best I’ve had, and the shrinp po boy is fantastic.
I visit lots of restaurants and very few have the caliber of food, service, and dedication of caring management as J. Gardella’s. I strongly recommend, and will continue to go back as often as possible.

This place was okay at best. I came here with my other coworkers on a Wednesday. They did have a special for everyday of the week so when we went, it was 50% off all drinks and about a handful of food for $ 4 each.
It was pretty busy and I don’t know if it was because of the Kid Rock concert nearby but it was pretty busy. Our food took awhile to come out, but we did get appetizers which was chips and either spinach or chicken with cheese dip. Those were not bad in my opinion.
I ordered the Pulled Pork with fries from the $ 4 menu. The Pulled Pork was not good to me and they have me gravy instead of BBQ sauce. The fries were pretty good and probably the best thing I had out of everything I tried here. I think if it weren’t for the $ 4 menu, then it might not be worth it for the Pulled Pork.
Overall, this would be good bar food if you’ve had a few drinks but that’s about it.