Black Rose Irish Pub near Van Andel Arena in downtown Grand Rapids
After spending a whole bunch of time planning out meals and asking for suggestions, we threw that all out the window and decided to just wing it for lunch Saturday afternoon in downtown Grand Rapids. I’m not sure what we were expecting, but we were kind of hoping for a little walkable shopping district. We didn’t find it, but we did find a few restaurants near Van Andel Arena. The circus was in town the day we were down there so all the parking lots only had event parking at $7. We ended up driving around for another ten minutes looking for a meter. We finally found one a few blocks away.
The Black Rose sits right across the street from arena on an old brick street in downtown Grand Rapids. The building really sticks out. It’s a nice corner building decorated in the typical Irish pub fashion. When we stepped inside, we were met by a host who took us to the non-smoking section behind the bar. The decor inside is, again, typical of an Irish pub. There is a lot of dark woods, Guinness signs, and the such. A waitress came over menus which were pretty thick. We ordered drinks and looked over the menu. It had been a few days since I had a burger, so that’s what I went with.
The Black Rose Irish Pub in downtown Grand Rapids
The sandwich was called The Dubliner and it was a 1/2 lb of an Irish line of ground Angus beef that was served on a toasted kaiser bun. For another fifty cents, I added a slice of cheddar cheese. The burger was good, but nothing outstanding. It really satisfied that graving for beef since it had been a few days. The sandwich was served with a side of chips which I also tore through. I don’t know why but I was really hungry and lunch at the Black Rose was just what I needed.
J got a sandwich called the Kildare. The sandwich consisted of a fire grilled marinated chicken breast topped with rasher, jack cheese, herbed aioli, lettuce, tomato, and onion then served on a basil flatbread. She really liked the bread. That was the highlight of the meal. She didn’t realize and I didn’t realize she didn’t realize that aioli is a mayo based sauce. She didn’t really notice, but she passed over a wedge of her sandwich to me and I wasn’t a big fan. I love the rasher bacon. It’s a nice alternative to the American bacon you usually get on sandwiches.
Black Rose is the typical Irish pub. They serve some of the traditional stuff liked corned beef. We had a good meal in another really cool atmosphere. I love these types of places. There’s just something about the solid wood tables and the craftsmanship in the beams in chairs that I love. Right behind us there was a little stage for a band which I’m sure they have on weekends. There were also big windows along all the walls that let in a lot of natural light. Our meal was $25 with tip. Right in the price range I look for when eating lunch. Black Rose is a great option before an event at Van Andel or just a casual, laid back meal with friends.
Mid-Michigan Dining 
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