The Glenside Pub

I would like to be able to write a favorable review about this small neighborhood restaurant but the latest incarnation of this local pub is a big disappointment. My family visited last night and the service, noise level and food were all far below acceptable levels. The food took so long to come out we were about ready to leave. There were several tables of older ladies enjoying girls night out which apparently entails ear splitting shrieks of laughter. The noise was so loud it was impossible to carry on a conversation. When the food was finally served it was cold and there was nothing appealing about it. Had the food been good I could overlook the slow service and noise. As much as i would like to support this local restaurant, we will not be back.

Glenside is a Muskegon classic. Without a doubt, they have some of the best food and drinks in town. I’ve always thought that this place was surprisingly underrated. It’s one of those joints that people forget about, but it never disappoints. Their pizza and chicken wings are ridiculously good, and their Long Islands are the best I’ve ever had. Definitely hit this place up.

I have to admit, I don’t recall ever eating anything other than pizza and fondue (yes I said FONDUE… which I’ll get to later) at Glenside Pub. The reason being, the pizza is SOOOOO GOOD that I can’t bring myself to order anything else. I know good pizza, too; I consider myself to be quite the pizza expert, both eating it and making it (I can’t agree, but my husband and grandkids claim that I make better pizza than any restaurant/​pizzeria. LOL!).
They offer, I believe, up to an 18″ size pie and only one thickness of crust (handtossed, fairly thin, but not as thin as, say, Pizza Hut’s ‘cracker-​thin’ crust). There are SEVERAL different toppings available, one of them being thinly-​shaved salami; and your chosen toppings are usually put on rather generously. My only MINOR issue, which is purely a matter of personal taste, is that there tends to be a bit too much sauce (not that the sauce us bad, mind you, I just don’t like when it ‘gushes’ out when you take a bite).
During the week, from approximately 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., they have a small pizza buffet. There is one pasta dish, a small salad bar, and two GIANT pizzas which have sections with varying toppings (like 6 different pizzas in 1). If memory serves, it’s about $ 6.99 for all you can eat, not including a beverage. Be warned, it’s almost ALWAYS busy… but, I assure you, it’s well worth the wait.
My husband is not as much of a fan of pizza, in general, as I am. He usually orders a burger and fries. He’s very much a ‘burger man’ and says the burgers are passable… not his favorite but certainly not bad enough to shy away from. The burgers come with a pickle spear and krinkle-​cut fries (my favorite type). Just a few days ago he got the chicken tenders and fries, which came with cole slaw. He felt the ssme about those as he does the burgers… passable.
Now, on to the fondue — One does not find fondue on many menus these days, especially not in Muskegon. But Glenside Pub (along with it’s sister restaurant, the now defunked Someplace Else) has served it for as long as I can remember. There is cheese fondue on the appetizer menu and chocolate/​peanut butter for dessert; my apologies, I cannot recall the accompaniments. Don’t expect a lot of fondue, only about enough for 2 people, but you’ll be doing yourself a favor to give them a try.
I don’t often drink alcohol but I can tell you that they have a pretty good variety of bar offerings; beer, wine, well drinks and a few blended/​mixed drinks. As for prices, sorry, I can’t help you there.
The atmosphere is very casual…“come as you are”. The servers wear jeans and t-​shirts but don’t be bothered by that, as it does not mean they have a casual/​lazy attitude when it comes to serving; even when it’s hopping busy, they always do their best to remain friendly and efficient.
One last thing, the parking set up is wonky! Their lot doesn’t have enough parking for the number of tables, and some of the spaces are suitable for only compact cars. Don’t keep driving on if the lot is full, though; park in the street or, after thier business hours, park in the veterinarian’s lot next door.

Grand Finale. Perfect treat. End of story.

sb 1 star for sizzler steak (but i sh known better with a $ 10 steak) it was like shoe leather. beers were good n priced right. pizzas looked great. waitress took care of us for overcooked steak (and we suspect her mess up not putting order in timely). not rushing back. :/

I was shocked how good this pizza is. I had pep, gr olv, can mush, & really great sausage. Best pizza I’ve had in quite sometime. Flavors really pop. If you haven’t, TRY IT. Trust me.

My fam loved the Grand Finale pizza. Thin crust with a nice crisp. Traditional tomato sauce, toppings piled high. I had the bison burger, cooked perfectly, juicy and well seasoned. Buffalo wings were good, but lacked heat. Our server was attentive and very friendly. Great casual spot to relax and grab a bite. We’ll definitely return next time we’re in town.

I’m giving it a 4 star for the restaurant, but would give 3 for pizza — so really a 3.5 if available. The restaurant is nothing to look at from the outside, but really nice on the inside and cam probable seat about 75 people. We were looking for some good pizza after a full day in the sun. The pizza was a thin crust pizza with good cheese and ingredients… just was missing on the sauce — but the service was very good. Would go back for service and to try something else, but not just for the pizza.

Patrons favorite is the pizza, which is VERY average pizza (sauce is very very salty). They have a small bar area (8 seats in all), average everything I guess. I will say it is a good value at Happy Hour (dollar drafts), but they only have ONE beer on tap. We met some fun locals that made us stay longer than we probably should have.

⁴⁄₅. Great pizza, sometimes less than attentive staff.

Excellent pizza with fantastic sauce! I have never been disappointed with my experience at Glenside Pub.

This place serves some of the best pizza in the lower peninsula! I would highly recommend it if you want a truly good pizza.
ENJOY! (like a Native).

Glenside pizza is just amazing! When we want GOOD… REALLY GOOD pizza it’s only Glenside we’ll call!

The Grand Finale might just be my favorite pizza… and I live in Chicago now, home to many many good pizzas.

The Fondoo!!! OH MAN! The Chocolate Fondoo! Thats all i have to say. And the prices are great!!! Awesome place!