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Scholar, Grand Rapids, MI

Scholar

4.5
4.5
366 Reviews
$31 to $50
American

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
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At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Booked 23 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
  • Great for creative cocktails
History, specifically America’s culinary history, is the central focus of our food and cocktail programs here at Scholar. Situated downtown on Grand Rapids’ iconic red brick road at 11 Ionia SW, Scholar honors previous residents of the same address while striving to achieve our goal; to earn the title of the city’s best restaurant.

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Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Breakfast, Cocktail Bar
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Tue–Thu 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–11:00 pm Sat, Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Executive Chef
    Taylor Boeschenstein

What 366 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.1Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Grand Rapids

    Best Ambience

  • Grand Rapids

    Good for special occasions

  • Grand Rapids

    American

  • Grand Rapids

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Scholar offers a charming ambiance with a "cozy and uplifting" decor, complemented by "fantastic cocktails" and attentive service. Customers rave about the unique menu, calling it "delicious and creative." While some find portion sizes small and prices high, many laud Scholar as a "great addition to the GR food scene."
366 Reviews
  1. OpenTable Diner

    Indiana

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great dinner and even better service! Food was fantastic and the cozy atmosphere made for an enjoyable evening with friends!

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  2. OpenTable Diner

    Grand Rapids

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Nice. Good food. Unique cocktails and wine. Had a lovely Sicilian red. Lamb is delish, so is the dates appetizer. Impeccable service! I wish I remembered our server's name. Wonderful date night!

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  3. Krista

    Northern MI

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Really cool environment and vibe. Service was extremely slow for a Monday night. However, there was only one server working the second floor (that I could tell) so that was likely part of it. Steak was AWESOME. Drinks were great.

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  4. Karen

    Detroit

    18 reviews

    4.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on February 28, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Overall we had a nice experience. We were seated in the Foyer. Unfortunately it was early, they were empty and they wanted to seat us next to the prep station, ugh. They did however move us when I asked for a different table. The drinks were good. Appetizers were tasty (I was under the impression the beer cheese was warm and it's not, that's on me.) The men got the pork chop special (market cut) which was very good. My pear salad with crab as the protein was a bit disappointing. It tasted like they just spread canned crab on the salad. Another guest got the Bisque which was more of a puree that bisque, need to thin it just a bit. The wait staff was nicely attentive. Overall it was a positive experience; some refining would make it excellent!

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  5. Melissa

    Unspecified

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our server Travis was great, he had perfect timing, the food was fantastic, I cannot recommend going here enough.

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  6. Nate

    VIP

    New York City

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great place engaging staff and a great take on old food.

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  7. Jeff

    VIP

    Grand Rapids

    31 reviews

    5.0

    31 reviews

    Dined on February 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Very comfortable place to go for drinks and / or dinner. Food was delicious and service (Camden) was great.
    ScholarResponded on February 21, 2025
    Kamden is one of our best! We are so glad you had a great time!

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  8. Fred

    Grand Rapids

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 18, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Nice atmosphere, however... This place is cheap on their pour...not what you would expect from a place that wants to be considered upscale. For the price you charge for your drinks, I expect the glass to be filled...not 3/4 filled. Had dinner reservations for 2...place was fairly empty (early reservations). Host seated us at a large 4-seat table, next to the staircase. Why would you do that that when there were plenty if intimate 2-seat tables? Thankfully our waiter, who was phenomenal, moved us to a more intimate spot after we requested it.

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  9. Erin

    Detroit

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 17, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Beautiful interior! Went on a Sunday night and had to wait 20 mins past our reservation time to be seated. Cocktails were excellent (try their Old Fashioned). Food was just okay, but we only ordered a few appetizers. Entrees may be better. The music was terrible folk pop and a few clicks too loud to tune out. Music should drive the ambiance of a restaurant and fade into the background. In this case it grated against the experience. The highlights for us were the cozy and classy interior and their Old Fashioned. I’d like to give it a second chance and try it on a Friday or Saturday night and sample their entrees.

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  10. David

    Grand Rapids

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We really liked the layout and our waiter, Kamden, was very helpful and attentive! The only downside was my wife's steak was overcooked, and it took a bit for the kitchen to get the food out. My scallops were excellent and the presentation of the food was great. I had an old fashioned, very good, and my wife had an excellent wine! We'll be back.

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FAQs

Scholar is rated 4.5 stars by 366 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Find next available

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Booked 23 times today
Google Map for Scholar

11 Ionia Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Breakfast, Cocktail Bar
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Tue–Thu 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–11:00 pm Sat, Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Executive Chef
    Taylor Boeschenstein
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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