Old Dog Tavern

Living close by, I am able to visit Old Dog often.
From specialty pizzas to always yummy pasties, I have never had any food that was less than delish! Great selection of beers on tap as well as very good selection of liquor.
Live music on Sundays with brunch and mimosas are my favorite!

Came here with a friend from out of town — food was ok although quantity was plenty. Ordered the Thai Curry Mussels and they got sands in them. We told the waitress and she took it out of our check. The Shrimp Apps and Buffalo Wings are tasty!

Old Dog is one of my favorite spots in Kalamazoo. Always will be. Great food, music, and drinks.

One of a kind bar!!! Food was good and the beer list was great! Great service and great location!

Some may say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Those people haven’t visited Old Dog Tavern recently. They seem to be on the right path with a creative menu and live music. The food isn’t quite there yet but it’s getting close. I ordered the Shih Tzu burger with a side of chips. Stuffed between a Mackenzie Bakery bun, the burger is layered with jalapeños, bacon, and peanut butter. Sounded amazing so I thought I’d give it a shot. It was good but the burger was a bit overdone and it was about twice the size as the bun. My wife had the Indian Pastie. It was also good — it reminded me of a Samosa. We both thought it could have used some Chutney sauce instead of the Tsaziki that comes with it.
I really liked the fact that there is plenty of attached parking after 6pm. That has always been one of my biggest complaints for eating downtown. The location is also great being next door to two gems — Bells Eccentric Café and Water Street Coffee.
All in all it was a good experience and I’ll definitely be back to give it another shot.

I’ve gone here twice and both times the meals I ordered were worse than so, so. The first time I ordered a New York strip steak with smokey mushrooms and onions. It sounded delicious, but the smoke flavor they used was overpowering. It ruined it. I had to scrape off the sauce with the mushrooms and onions. The steak itself was grisly. My aunt kept saying I should send it back, but I don’t do that because I figure it will be like the scene from Road Trip when he sends back the french toast because it had powdered sugar and the cook licks it off and then puts the pieces in his pants before bringing it back out.
The second time I ordered pork medallions with an apple glaze, garlic mashed potatoes and vegetables. Again, it sounded so good. The pork medallions were extremely dry like a student at cooking school made them on his first day. The apple glaze was not appealing and not like it was described on the menu. The garlic potatoes were bland. The vegetables were luke warm. In fact, the two other people at my table both said their meals were luke warm too.
At least their beer selection is good and they have a half off drink night. The inside has good character. I don’t think I will go here for dinner again. They’ve already fooled me twice.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit Old Dog Tavern in KZoo, you definitely need to put this place at the top of your list. It sounds cliché to say that there is something for everyone, but in this case it’s really true.
Old Dog Tavern is located in the historic Old Star Paper Co building on Michigan Ave in downtown. It’s an incredible blend of industrial nostalgia and hip urban vibe. Multiple venues at one location including options for live music, recreational ping pong and indoor or outdoor seating.
The beer choices included a great selection of craft taps along with one or two old school brews, like PBR, mixed in. I had a Moscow Mule which was really good.
The food was incredible. I had the Caesar salad with grilled chicken and foccacia bread. It was fresh, crisp and delicious — one of the best I’ve ever had. My husband had the Husky Burger — great flavor, grilled to perfection. We highly recommend both choices.
The owners, Amy & Sean Smith, were friendly and generous with their time when responding to the many questions we had about the history and future plans for Old Dog Tavern. Our server, Katie, was excellent.
We can’t wait to bring our friends to Old Dog the next time we’re in Kalamazoo!

The chef has been working really hard this year to update Old Dog’s food menu and it shows.
Wow. Don’t let the dive-​y feel of this place fool you, the dishes here are really very creative, delicious, and well executed. You’ll always find something new on their specials board, too!
Between ½ of drinks on ladies night, quirky’ karaōke, and and good meal, I find it hard not to end up at Old Dog on a Wednesday.

Pros: Excellent bar food (especially the burgers), good service, decent beer selection, eccentric vibe.
Cons: Horrible bathrooms and no air conditioning (are you kidding me?)
Had dinner there last night after a day playing golf and could not believe that this old place doesn’t have A/​C. It was 88 degrees outside and 80 inside. C’mon, man… you can do better than that. And the bathrooms are old, dirty and shameful. It’s a beer joint and likely a place where everyone who walks in will have to visit the facilities. No excuses for the lame restrooms.

If you are looking for good food and live entertainment in Kalamazoo, this is the place to go! This big old building style bar has good food and relaxed atmosphere. Only issue we had was the bathrooms… Men’s window is a open clear view of the street.

Having been enticed by some improvements in food and service over the last several months we were again here on Sunday evening for the Blues jam, food and drinks. When it came time to pay the tab I gave the waitress my Amex Business card. She returned shortly later and asked if I had another card to pay with, explaining that they only accepted Amex for corporate events. I thought this was strange as it was a Business card She didn’t say it was denied, she said they wouldn’t accept it even though they were an Amex merchant. Just to be sure there was no problem I called Amex and was told there was no problem with my account and verified my last transaction date.
I wrote in a previous review that service and food issues will kill a business. I think I hear a death rattle. You would have thought that they would have realized that it was a Business card and it’s potential future use there. They have done and amazing job of repurposing a lot of equipment, décor and a building that still had some life left in it but they have fallen down to many times in the service, communication and consistency areas. If my card is not good enough for my date and me on Sunday I believe that it won’t be good enough for my group after events downtown. I have given Old Dog a lot more chances than most other establishments and they have succeeded in making me regret them. I doubt that we will be back.
I will also continue reviewing my accounts for any unauthorized charges.

The Shih-​Tzu burger is the best thing I’ve ever had in my mouth! (Sorry, honey). Forget your fear and try it out, you won’t regret it.
Great atmosphere, excellent service, fabulous food. I’d recommend it to anyone.

Saturday night… packed in a good way. Very fun vibe and mix of people. We came in hungry, I went with the pot roast on recomendation from the server. I didn’t have high hopes but they came through. And the rutabaga mash was legit. Strong beer list. I’m looking forward to coming back when their outdoor area is open.

In the Summer months, this place is hopping outside but in the colder months, I find the inside to be a bit divey. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t come here; you totally should, but if you think it’s Applebees, you’re in for a surprise. Typically the staff is decent to talk to and they have some specials that make you go hmmm, but I’ve never had anything bad and the beer is always flowing. Pair your visit up with your evening downtown to Bells (right across the street) and a few of the other cool places and you won’t be disappointed.

Had lunch and drinks with friend here and fell in love with the place. true old school hole in the wall bar feel. They’re also one of the few places that carry all of the old school beers i like (Schlitz, Pabst, Old Style) they have a whole list of those «retro beers». Much of the interior and décor is also locally sourced from places throughout the history of Kalamazoo. Onto the food– excellent! Everyone in the group enjoyed all the food ranging from great pulled pork to excellent pizza. I have definitely found my new Kalamazoo watering hole!

I’m takin a class not too far from here and was told to try it out. The atmosphere is very different then I expected, but I liked it. The server I had was very nice and friendly. She tried to get my food out in the short time I had for lunch. I was kinda disappointed in the menu options and price range. But I tried out the loaded potato soup … It was just ok. Nothing too impressive, but not bad. The burger however was not my thing and the chips were average. I got sick right after eating the food and it wasn’t worth the money. I would consider goin back to try out drinks and see the night seen, but not to eat.

Although still a great dive bar with an excellent menu, The Traveling Elixir Fixer no longer works here.

I’ve never been here, and I didn’t know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised to find live music (on a Sunday), build your own Bloody Mary bar, and an awesome brunch menu!!! I really think this place goes above and beyond for their desserts. They are all homemade.
The environment is cool as well. Lots of character! It’s like an antique, bluesy feel. I can’t describe it. It’s different! I love the old building!
Overall, I really like this place. Not bad pricing and awesome food and entertainment.

My sister and I were craving a Bloody Mary this past Sunday, after trying two places unsuccessfully we headed to Old Dog to test it out. We had a lovely Sunday date looking at Pintrest, admiring Marky Mark, Ryan Gosling and giggling away. Kali isn’t as experienced as I am in the Bloody Mary department, so I had to help spruce her’s up a bit, overall I was happy and will return.
This Bloody Mary bar offered deviled eggs, pretzel rods, black and green olives, celery, Havarti cheese and an assortment of seasonings. It was $ 5.00 and your cup came with tomato juice as well as vodka. I appreciated that the juice was not a mix, lots of times the mixes have additives, that leave my stomach upset. I will defiantly be going back to try the food and enjoy another Bloody Mary creation.

So, in case you’re wondering, not much is open for dinner after 9 on a Sunday night in Kalamazoo. And in steps Old Dog — a beacon in the night. My friend and I had a great time here. They have a good craft beer selection, enjoyable music playing, and an attentive bar staff. The place is huge and it was kind of cavernous given the fact that it was later on a Sunday night, but I can see how this place has the potential to be packed and a lot of fun on a regular weekend night.
I had the Jack Russell Pasty for dinner and it was amazing! Just thing thing a girl visiting Michigan for the first time wants to try — an upper peninsula favorite according to their menu, and now me as well. It was piping hot and served with a great side salad of fresh greens and gorgonzola. The bartender even took the time to explain the history of this dish to us. It’s a must-​try!