Olde Peninsula Brewpub and Restaurant

July 17, 2008
As a brewpub, OP does it’s job well, but not superbly. At times it seems to focus more on the food than the beer, which happens to be pretty good. When I lived there, my friends and I would flock there in the fall for the fantastic pumpkin ale. The stout is usually what I go for, but they have (had?) a good hefty double IPA that is quite tempting for dessert. The decor and food are nothing standout, but far from poor. It feels like it could be a chain of regional restaurants. If you can make a second stop in Kalamazoo, make sure it’s here.

July 13, 2008
Brewpub not far from Bells. Good food, above average beer, friendly service. Six beers on tap so I had to fill up my sampler with a cider and a cross of their stout and raspberry beer. In fact they have all these strange offerings of their beers mixed together… just give me a five pull, lol. I almost skipped this place (as I’m assuming most do with the massive amounts of ratings for Eccentric Café and a handful of ratings for here) but I’m glad I didn’t. Right on the menu it advertises to get a free 2oz sampler of their beers for free. I know many places do this but most don’t advertise. My free sampler of root beer was quite good.

June 6, 2008
Only a few blocks away from the Bell’s Eccentric Café. More of a restaurant that brew their own beer than a pub. its about 100. A few people sitting around the bar drinking beer but 99% of the customers go there to sit at the restaurant tables and have food and possibly beer. Food menu is upscsale greasy pub food. You’re got your basic burgers and friends but also some more “fancy” meals. Very reasonable prices. Brewing equipment in plain view behind large windows. When I was there they had 7 beers on tap (5 regular and 2 seasonals). I only had one beer, the regular Midnight Stout and I wasn’t impressed at all. Since it is only a few blocks away from Bell’s Cafe I think it is worth a visit. Also if you in the mood for a good meal and some craftbeer you should eat there before/after spending a few hours at Bell’s Cafe’s because Bell’s Cafe food menu is more snacks that full course meals.

May 19, 2008
It’s plain to see that many out of towners have this place painted as something it isn’t. Olde Peninsula is, first and foremost, a restaurant. Bells is a brewery and thus their pub is essentially a tasting room (that also does great food). Olde Peninsula pays it’s bills by packing in the dinner crowd and serving a deluxe pub-style menu and a reasonable price (this is the kind of place soccermom-riddled Chili’s, Fridays and Applebees could only dream of being - keep that under your hat). The bonus? They brew craft beer on sight. I have to be honest, Olde Peninsula’s beer offering was brutal early. Fast forward to 2008 and they are brewing rock solid beer. Beer tastes different without labels, logos and packaging. Take some Olde Peninsula home, sip it out of your favorite pint glass and you’ll see that it stands up to some of West Michigan’s best. The chocolaty Midnight Stout is pure delight. Olde Peninsula sells Corny kegs to go and I’m savoring a Sunset Red as I type. While Bells, Founders and New Holland specialize in brewing craft brewing that literally is among the best in the midwest. Olde Peninsula specializes in the Saturday night experience and just so happens to brew a hell of a beer to go with it. Sure, make the hike through the heart of town from Bells but understand you’re venturing into a different beast. Make this venture on an evening other than Friday or Saturday night ’cuz the beast will require a wait to be seated.

May 10, 2008
Visited 4/26/08. Walking distance from Eccentric Cafe. Decent sized place with a good amount od seating. It was crowded for a Saturday evening. They had seven beers on tap at the time, so a sampler was in order. All the beers were well crafted, some better than others. Everyone at the table enjoied their food. Server was knowledgable and quite thorough. More of a restaurant feel, with a brewpub as a perk. Good time.

April 22, 2008
On the corner of East Michigan Street with street parking in front and lot parking in back. Clean brick and wood older building with bar in middle and tables on the right for food and beverages and brewing operations in the back. Six standards on tap. All were solid drinkable brews. Freindly bartender with good knowledge. Did not eat, but the menu of starters, salads, burgers, sandwiches, pastas and pizza entrees looked very good. Good location and I will stop again.

January 4, 2008
In downtown, a walkable distance from Bells but we’re driving out quick so we parked on a downtown street. Typical restaurant brewpub experience. Big tanks, big windows, long bar, a menu more focused on common American foods. But even though I was expecting the worst I found a lot to like about their beer. The IPA and Pumpkin ale were especially good. This place caters to a different crowd than the Eccentric Cafe, but quality wise their beer is pretty solid. Food rating is a 7 because our cheese+bean dip was a bit disappointing, it looked and felt like wet dog food (tasted fine, though).

October 9, 2007
I live in Kalamazoo and I love this place. It is a great place to eat and drink. Their brews are delicious and always satisfying. I particularly love their version of a Black and Tan. It is very delicious. It is also a great place to stop in for a brew after a night on the town.

September 29, 2007
Our favorite stop when coming back to Kalamazoo for football/basketball games. Food is good and service is always excellent. Not as many beers as some micropubs, but the food and service make up for it. Not the selection of Bells pub, but much more wife friendly.

February 26, 2007
This place was the highlight of my kalamazoo trip. Only a few beers on tap but the few I had were all quite good. Batch 200 was one of the better barleywines I have had. The food was far better than standard brewpub fare.