I spend time at Arcadia every time I'm in Michigan and would have to say it's my go-to spot when I'm there. Â Love their food, especially the brewers brisket sandwich, the pizza and the potato porter soup. Â The service is usually pretty good, though it's sometimes bogged down a bit during the dinner rush. Â It can get pretty loud in there, but I'm not going to criticize them for that - it's just part of that type of dining experience. Â I've experienced a couple of puzzling screw-ups on their part over the couple of years that I've been going there (which I'm not going to detail here) so I can't give them five stars, but I'll still be going back every time I'm in Battle Creek.
Review Source:As expected the beer is very good, nice variety. Â Personally I like the smell of a brewery which this absolutely is, you can peer thru the window at the production bottling equipment while enjoying a tasty Whitsun. Â The surprise is actually the food, the pulled pork and brisket are both extremely good. Â Up until my last visit there the Margherita pizza was the best anywhere. Â The last one I had they had changed from thinly sliced Romas to halved cherry tomatoes, it sounds like a little thing but it made a big difference the wrong way. Â Hopefully this was a fluke and they return to sliced Romas. Â During the week it is a great family stop, it has a cool independent type vibe and generally the staff are a fun loving group.
Review Source:My boyfriend is a big fan of Arcadia's Sky High Rye and a few of their other beers so we made plans to visit with my brother and sister in law who live near Battle Creek. It actually ended up being the first stop on our impromptu beer tour of southwest Michigan.
We did a brewery tour and had lunch. This was the first time I've done a tour of a craft/ micro-brewery so I wasn't sure what to expect with regard to the tour - which does cost $5, btw. Â We sat at the bar and got to taste the beers while we waited for the tour to start.
The tour itself was pretty laid back. We got to see the brewing and packaging systems, and the tour guide explained their process to us. Â Really though it was more like hanging out with buddies talking about brewing rather than a formal tour. Â We learned that much of the Arcadia brew processes in manual, and there is very little automation in their equipment.
After the tour we stuck around for beers and lunch. Three of us got pizzas and my sister got a burger. She said her burger was really good, but she was super jealous of our pizzas which were absolutely delicious! Â I got the BBQ chick which was amazing - extra thin, cripsy cust, just enough sauce, and lots of toppings. Â My brother got the Margherita which was equally as delicious (though I was glad I went with the BBQ chicken and just tried a slice of his). Â My boyfriend went for the special Cheech and Chong pizza which was mac n cheese, bacon, and jalapenos.
The place itself falls somewhere between vintage charm and a little bit run down. Â I loved the charm of the reclaimed doors as tabletops! Â The bathrooms were clean enough but just had the feeling of being permanently dirty.
We didn't hang out for too long after lunch because we decided to high tail it over to Bell's in Kalamazoon and catch their final brewery tour, but I will definitely be making it a point to return to Arcadia
I lived in Battle Creek for many years and never stopped by here. Â Since moving away from Battle Creek I've really developed a love for craft beer from different regions. Â When I was back for Thanksgiving I stopped by this fine place with my family and had a great time.
The food menu was much more upscale than I had expected. Â The wings weren't the best in the world but the other appetizers we got and the beer made up for it. Â We didn't have pizza but those looked really good.
They do a good job with the beer menu. Â A lot of options but easy to understand. Â They don't do samplers (at least that was my impression) which is a major bummer. Â They have limited wine options but they aren't that good so if you take a date make sure they are into beer.
For the area this is as good as it gets in terms of craft beer. Â I was throughly suprised.
Nice place, open seating, good for parties, & good beer (which is good cause it's a brewery). Two wines only though and no liquor available, just FYI. Food menu is wide variety, eclectic and unique (examples, bacon wrapped dates, goat cheese quesadillas, bruschetta). Food items are fresh, though, however, the wings were less than quality - very fatty, minimal meat. Wouldn't order the wings again, but bruschetta was top notch! Delicious! Service was good, attentive, yet not bothersome. Would definitely return and would be interested in trying their entree food items...plus bruschetta again, yum!
Review Source:The VPs think Arcadia Brewing Company is often viewed through the foggy haze of beer goggles and that explains their stellar Yelp ratings from the community in Battle Creek.
We, however, don't drink and found Arcadia to be obnoxiously loud. The kitchen staff was constantly dropping metal pans, drumming with wooden spoons along to extremely loud metal music, singing to said music and loud talking about miscellaneous topics.
Our waitress, who needed to put some pants on, was overly attentive. She stopped by our table so often she could have simply pulled up a chair and had lunch with us.
Our pulled pork was dry, but their house made sauces did help and our sandwiches were fairly decent (the reason Arcadia gets two stars from the VPs). Our side of coleslaw was obviously pre-made and tasted a little sour. As we are a preservative free house and knew the chips would be off limits our lunch turned into sandwich, only.
Arcadia Brewing Company tries very hard to be cool with its mismatched chairs and cement floors, but instead it is way too loud and seriously too dark. Their all female waitstaff dressed in skin tight black leggings and t-shirts looked uncomfortable and awkward. Their small, open kitchen full of men, was simply annoying.
Arcadia's brisket is good. Â I was skeptical when I first ordered it, but was then presently surprised. Â
Don't get me wrong, it's not like going to a pit BBQ in Texas and ordering by the pound or anything, but the meat itself is nicely smoked and half the time, I'm pretty sure I'm getting slices off the deckel, so it's nice and fatty and tasty. Â I haven't ever specified when ordering, so I don't know if they will cut to order lean or fatty, but maybe I will try that next time.
I can't comment on the other food since brisket is the only thing I ever order when I go there, but the beer is pretty decent also.
Friendly/funny/genuine service, high quality food at a decent price and an opportunity to get a flight of 14 on tap: This dinner gave my husband and me a break from our Detroit-to-Chicago drive that we did not want to end.
What I LOVED:
*Ultra relaxed atmosphere that begs for lingering: Retro beer labels on the walls and on the bar, repurposed doors for tables, ginormous space, consistent service.
*Wood-fired brick pizza oven with unique toppings: We ordered the Green Goddess + meat topping. With a pesto sauce as the base, creamy/tangy goat cheese and incredibly fresh sliced zucchini, torn basil leaves, chopped green olives and smoked chicken on a charred thin crust - OMG, this is one of my fav pizzas ever for how flavorful, light/healthy tasting yet satisfying it was.
*The house salad on the side was a HUGE portion for a mere $6 (honestly equitable to a lesser quality McDonald's or Wendy's salad cost). I very much appreciated that the accompanying pita chips were broken up on top, making it easy to eat. Plus there is a wide array of housemade dressings. (I went with the savory herb vinaigrette.)
*When the server told us that we could get everything on tap in the flight for only $15, I was shocked. Again - high quality for a good deal. This is what I absolutely adore about humble Southwestern Michigan microbreweries. My husband's more into dark porters and stouts, which there were a few (although not enough to his liking). As for me, my relationships with these richer flavor and heavier body beers tend to be more like a fling than a committed marriage because I only can bear to indulge in a sip or two instead of devoting a full pint or several samplings. The ones Arcadia has that I particularly appreciated trying were the Imperial Stout (husband's fav) and the Cocoa Loco, both boasting chocolate and coffee undertones. I am a fan of lighter, citrus-based brews such as Arcadia's Whitsun, orange and honey with a light body. Good for a session in the summer!
What I didn't like so much:
*I've seen placemats at other breweries and wineries that indicate what I'm tasting, and I really think this concept would be a good investment when it comes to the flights. The server did his best to identify each sample based on the menu before we began, but during our experience, our discerning taste buds (coupled with my husband's home brewing experience) caught a snafu in the order. We asked our server about a) the missing sample (We originally ordered what he said were all 14 that are currently available at the brewery, but only received 13) and b) the sample that claimed to the Cocoa Loco but did not taste like it. He took a few minutes going over the drink menu and the bar itself and could not figure out what happened. And he was positive the Cocoa Loco was (what we thought) the barley wine. In the end, the server at least gave us another sample of our favorite tasting.
*I dislike bitter, hoppy IPAs and the flight included a good amount of these.
*It should be noted that on Sundays, there is a limited menu (pizza and house salad) but the rest of the week, there are more options. Also, the kitchen closes early on Sundays. We got to the restaurant just in time around 7 p.m. to get our meal, but the couple who followed after us closer to 8 p.m. had to miss out on food and I could sense their disappointment after eyeing our dinner. Perhaps, having at least bar food/snacks available later in the night would help alleviate this issue.
After dining here last night, Arcadia has been elevated to my favorite Michigan brewery. Â If you ask me, their Witsun is better than Oberon, and their Sky High Rye puts both of those to shame if you are looking for a good summer beer. Â
As for the food, it was almost equally impressive. Â I had the Brewer's Brisket and a cup of the cheddar ale soup. Â The soup was among the best, if not the best "beer cheese" soup that I've ever had--creamy and delicious, without being too grainy as some beer cheese soups can get. Â The Brewer's Brisket was basically a cheese steak sandwich made with some of the most incredible beef brisket I've ever eaten. Â I Â wish that I would have gotten a plain brisket sandwich so I could have more fully enjoyed it's tender, juicy deliciousness. Â But, either way, the sandwich was really good.
That said, this place is all about the beer. Â They have a giant bar which is good for grabbing a few drinks with your buds, or for dining alone on business (as I was). Â I also sat by a few of the Brewer's who were enjoying the fruits of their labor. Â Really nice guys who are passionate about what they do. Â If I'm ever back in Battle Creek, there is a 100% chance that I'm stopping back here for a brew.
This is one of the weirdest dining experiences I've ever had. So I had to have a dining experience there like three times to figure it out. It's not a restaurant, it's a brewery. It's more a brewery than a restaurant but they do the restaurant so well that you forget you're in a giant brewery until something happens like a forklift drives through the restaurant. That'll do it.
The "restaurant" (I use the quotes more as effect than to be mocking) serves what you'd think would be appropriate with beer. Pizza, pasta and only because someone is going to be dragged in there by a date or co-workers who doesn't want those - salads. And if you go to a brewery and order a salad, you deserve what you get - what ever that is.
The food is generous if not all that tasty. Service is quick and friendly enough. I have a theory on that though. I've only been there for a quick lunch while on a business trip. I'm that guy that shows up at noon in a brewery and doesn't drink. So, yeah, I'd be friendly enough too. Maybe someday I can go back and just sit and drink.
So it was time for me to come back to Arcadia. Â I scheduled a whole day for this visit and I was ready to enjoy the whole experience.
I arrived around 4PM and snagged a parking spot right across the street.
The smell of BBQ was in the air. Â I headed straight for the beautiful serpentine bar covered in vintage beer labels and got two seats right in front of the taps.
Our bartenders for the evening were Ashley and Beth. Â The were prompt and friendly, taking good care of us through our long visit.
I was determined to try everything, so I started with a sampler. and then had full glasses of a few of my favorites.
There were some pretty tame beers in the lineup, but also some pretty good ones.
Hopmouth - yummy IPA
Hop Rocket - even better IPA
Starboard Oatmeal Stout - creamy brown deliciousness
Shipwreck porter - a good, but not great barrel aged beer
In the firkin was something like a mix of Starboard and Jawjacker. Â I am a sucker for this kind of beer, so I liked it.
Overall, I would rate Arcadia beer as good, but not my personal favorite. Â There is definitely good beer for the discerning beer drinking though.
A bonus was that there was happy hour from four to six which resulted in a discount on the already reasonable beer prices.
For food I started with the Arcadia BBQ Combo plate. Â It had three kinds of boneless meats like pulled pork and brisket. Â The meat was smoked, but not served with sauce mixed in. Â There are three kinds of sauce provided in translucent plastic squeeze bottles. Â Sweet was my favorite, but chipotle and mustard were goods too. Â The only thing I don't like about this style of serving BBQ is that the sauce is cold and it cools the meat. Â But ignoring that... the meat was very tasty. Â It nicely complemented the beer as well.
On the down side, I did not like the big slab of ice cold corn bread that I was served. Â It felt cold and slightly wet as if it had just come from the fridge. Â It pains me to say this because I love cornbread. Â I recommend that they toss it in the pizza oven for a few minutes to warm it before serving.
Later in the evening I ordered the ribs. Â I was not impressed. Â They had a nice smokey taste, but were over-cooked. There was a little tender meat on the inside close to the bone but mostly I remember the tough and dry outside. Â Maybe I just got a bad slab. Â It is a shame because the smell was so intoxicating.
Overall, I had a good time at Arcadia. Â The beer is tasty. Â The service is very good. Â If I was in Battle Creek (or if they opened a branch in my town), I would certainly be in for BBQ and beer.
I love the pizza. I actually don't think I have ever tried anything other than pizza or salad. The goat cheese pizza is my fav. The service has always been good and the food is served fairly fast. Weekend nights can get busy, but weekdays rarely have a wait. I will usually get a beer, but I don't think I have the expertise to review the beer.
Review Source:The place smelled amazing like BBQ when we walked in & it wasn't at all what I expected it to look like. Â First of all, the back of the building where you enter looks like a bowling alley but after walking down a hallway toward the actual bar I started to smell the beer & BBQ & knew we were in the right spot.
I had their Whitsun seasonal spring/summer beer & it was very good. Â After 2 of them I was pretty lit so we ordered a brick oven pizza which was super tasty...it had chicken & garlic on it with rosemary (I think) & a red sauce...I don't remember the name & they don't have their menu posted online so unfortunately I can't tell you which one it was. Â You can actually see the people making the pizzas right there as the oven is open to the bar...well, that's kind of a lie, you can't see them making it because there is a bar in front of them that is kind of tall but you can see their faces & part of the oven.
Honestly, there wasn't much to do in this city so I was very happy we had found Arcadia but the fact that it closed at Midnight was a big bummer because there was nowhere else to go after!
This place is pretty great. I have ordered the brick oven pizza each time for lunch and loved it (BBQ chicken pizza = excellent).
I had a couple of their brews but don't recall the names--all were delicious. If you're into brewing, they have a large viewing area from which you can see their operation--pretty spiffy.
It's very loud inside so it could possibly work for kids but might not be the best.
They have lots of table seating, too--not just bar seating.
Service was fast and friendly.
Great brewery that also has food. Â Offer a beer flight of nine 4 ounce glasses for $10. Â Best (that were available while I was there) are Anglers Ale, the IPA, Hopmouth, Scotch Ale, and the Hop Rocket. Â
BBQ is really good but a surprising favorite on the menu is the farmers market sandwich. An open face veggie and cheese dream that is scrumptious.
Course you really have to live in the area or work for Kelloggs to eat at this place. Â But worth the trip if you're around.
Stopped by for dinner and a couple beers recently on a Friday night. Very cool atmosphere. Busy but not annoyingly so, just had a nice vibe. The ESB I tried was excellent and my friends were raving about the barley wine.
For a vegetarian the menu choices are very good. I ended up going with a pesto-based wood-fired pizza which was great. Perfect size for one very hungry guy. My veggie friend had the quesadillas which were good too. My carnivorous chum had the prime rib on special and he couldn't stop raving about how it was the best he'd ever had.
Only one possible critique, the menu did seem a little inconsistently priced. The appetizers were almost all $9 and above, which is only about $1 or $2 less than one of their pizzas. Nothing on the menu that I could find for under $7. So the appetizers are maybe overpriced (I didn't see one so maybe they're huge) and the entrees are fairly priced.
Anyone who has been to Battle Creek will admit you have to do a bit of searching to find good places to eat. Â Even though Kelloggs is trying to breath life back into the city, Battle Creek is on "life support". Â Especially the downtown area. Â Battle Creek does have some nobel efforts going on in some areas, and Arcadia Brewing Company is one of them.
Arcadia is locate downtown and it looks like a real brewery. Â Cleaned up warehouse/industrial type setting with truck doors and concrete floors. Â Bar area is big, plenty of room to belly up and enjoy one of their home crafted brews. Â They offer a list and I tried the India Pale Ale and a Porter. Â Both were outstanding if you like craft brews.
Food itself was a real surprise. Â Tried some of their wood oven pizzas and it was very good. Â They threw a variety of pizzas at our party and I tried pieces of margharita pizza, goat cheese with artichokes and a few others. Â All very good.
Maybe they look so good because there really isn't much in the area but I will definitely be back.
The name of the game at Arcadia is beer... and other reviewers have done a great job of describing the foamy taste sensations that reward the visitor.
HOWEVER- do yourself a favor and browse the menu, it is worth a look or two.
My favorite to share with a companion is the Hummus and warm flatbread. I don't know why- but it seems to be a perfect complement to a hearty microbrew.
For Battle Creek, this is indeed as good as it gets. Â I will break this into three parts - food, beer, service.
The food is quite exceptional. Â I am usually in on the weekends, and the dinner specials they have are reasonably priced (around $15) quite creative (sauces, seafood adds, etc) and quality you might find in a bigger city like Chicago. Â The smoked meat - living for as many years as I did in Central Texas, I would have to give Sonny's the BC nod for great smoked meat. Â But truly this place's only weakness.
Beer - Excellent. Â They have always made some of the finest English style ales in the USA. Â And being a major, major, beer snob, while I respect their craftmanship with English ales, I am not personally a fan. Â So their recent forays into West Coast style beers and other creative specialties have refueled my excitement for this place.
Service - My Dad is handicapped and can be a challenge. Â Yet every time he is there they treat him like a King. Â The Suprises (owners) are truly fantastic human beings, and they know how much business he has either given them, or introduced others to Arcadia, and so they overlook his idiosyncrosies. Â
Living in Dallas, I would do anything to have a brewpub of this quality in our fine city. Â So enjoy BC! Â You have a gem that serves you oh so well.
With Bells, New Holland, Founders and a lot of other breweries around in SW Michigan, it's hard to stand out. Â Arcadia does this wonderfully. Â The bar has a cool feel to it, the beer is fantastic. Â They have a nitrogen stout at the brewpub that they don't sell in stores that's just about the best stout I've ever tasted. Â I really like the food here. Â I've had their pizzas as well as their stuffed portabella.
Review Source:To be clear, I have enjoyed many Arcadia beers over the years. Â But a recent stop at the Battle Creek brewpub left me disappointed. Â The beer selection was pretty limited- 3 IPAs and 2 bitters out of approx 8 beers on hand didn't sit well with my girlfriend who enjoys a less-hoppy beer. Â The cheese and cracker board came back as pre-wrapped keebler crackers and cheez-wiz. Â Pretty nasty. Â The service was poor and the waitress refused to refill my growler since it was purchased at another brewpub. Â The waitress referred to some vague Michigan law which would prohibit the sale of their beer in another container. Â Total hogwash. Â See MCL 436.2005(5).
Review Source:I've visited Battle Creek at least twice a year for the past few years, and it was my first time visiting the restaurant. I checked out the Yelp reviews here and followed the advice to order the beef brisket. The dish is absolutely delicious here. My sides included the garlic mashed potatoes and the mac and cheese which were also delicious. Â I also ordered the Cereal City which was ok and quite hoppy. However, my brother-in-law ordered the stout which was yummy and reminded me of chocolate. I would definitely come here again for the beef brisket though!
Review Source:After craving the brisket from Arcadia for the last 11 months ... I had to return!
This time we got not only the brisket, but the ribs & pulled pork as well. Â Tender & smokey ... mmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Â The meats were delicious.
One reason Arcadia's brisket is so wonderful is that they chop thick slices and they don't trim all the flavor away. Â The fatty parts keep the brisket moist & add flavor. Â The pulled pork was tender & moist. Â The ribs were full of wonderfully smoked meat that easily slid off the bone. Â The full slab (of spare ribs I believe) was so plentiful that we had another full meal a couple nights later.
The beers rocked, service was fun, we had a great night - Thanks Arcadia!
As a consultant, I've been traveling to Battle Creek, MI for the past year and a half and when I first got there with my team of 10-15 people, we thought the only places to eat, besides the regular fast food joints, were Applebee's, Chili's, and Red Lobster. Â As a foodie, the lack of good, local places to eat saddened me.
Then we discovered Arcadia. Â As a brewing company, the only beer they serve is their own, so don't expect to be able to order a Blue Moon or Stella. Â But you won't be disappointed because they do have some pretty good choices including my favorite, the Whitsun, a summer beer similar to Blue Moon.
The place gets pretty smoky, especially if you're sitting by the bar, but it's a good casual place to go with a group. Â I love how the bigger tables are an old door with a sheet of glass on top.
What I love most about Arcadia is the pizza. Â The dough is soft, chewy and slightly sweet, and we even order the hummus to get more of these delicious carbs. Â I usually create my own pizza but I also really like the spicy Tex-Mex pizza with chicken and jalapenos, and the veggie pizza. Â
In my opinion, this is one of the best places to eat in Battle Creek.
I was excited to visit after drinking a nice bomber of double IPA from Arcadia and I figured the food would probably be just OK. Â But really, we had good food! Â I had the "California Rueben", which is basically a rueben with turkey, instead of pastrami or corned beef. Â But it was a nicely prepared oven toasted turkey sandwich with dressing and swiss cheese.
Also we had a great waitress who was busy, but attentive.
I'd read reviews on BeerAdvocate that basically gave the brews a B+, and they all said the food was better than they expected. Agreed--but it was a little disappointing to be served chips with my dinner sandwich and the cheese and crackers appetizer was breadsticks in little plastic wrappers with that famous Michigan horseradish orange cheese.
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