this place is amazing!! Â absolutely a gem!! Â they have this amazing pumpkin ale that tastes like pumpkin pie in a glass. Â delish! Â the food is just as good. Â i wanted to have room to drink my flight of 8 beers so i had their soft pretzel with cheese. Â pairs great with the beers. Â if you're not a pumpkin ale person, try their cream ale. Â basically.. there's a beer for every palette. Â by the way, you can also buy growlers filled with your favorite beer. Â if you're ever in the kalamazoo area.. skip the big brewery down the way (i wont mention names) . Go straight to this amazing brewery!
Review Source:We went for lunch. Â I had the fish tacos and they were tasty, with a nice crunch. Â They could've used a side sauce: Â malt vinegar or tartar... but altogether they were nice. Â
My very hard to please friend had the Greek Burger with feta, and substituted chicken for beef. Â Although it had a bit of a HUGE bun, she said it was really wonderful and she would have it again.
Stopped here for dinner and drinks on a Friday night. They weren't to busy and we got a nice table on the main road. Menu has a lot of options, everything from pot roast to nachos. We ended up with brewpub dip, nachos and the chicken tender sandwich. All were great. Server was very attentive and quick. Food was good!
Review Source:Can't say enough great things about our experience here! Â Came in on a slow afternoon and sat at the bar. Â Got great suggestions from our bartenders Austin and Tommy, and tried a flight of beer. Â I'm a wheat beer kinda gal, but I branched out here and I'm so glad I did!
For the beers, some of the most memorable were the Stout Chocula, the Raspberry Wheat, and the Diablo IPA (a double IPA without the citrus). Â The high point of our visit here was when Dan the brew-master (who used to work at Bell's) came out and chatted with us for a long time about the different beers, and even opened some Tornado (which they were out of) that he had been aging for 1 year so we could try it! Â It was amazing and he really won us over.
Also- the food is awesome. Â We had a fresh Perch sandwich with O-Rings and their Chicago Chop Salad which were outstanding.
Service is outstanding, food is great, beer is even better- would definitely be a regular here if I lived in Kalamazoo! Â A real gem.
Stopped in while on a business trip downtown and thought it would be a good experience. Ordered a steak which looked great, but was unfortunately rare--like still bleeding rare. I ordered medium. I had ordered the food "to go" so experienced this problem after walking back to my hotel. Called up and the manager offered a refund so I came in later for dinner and just used it towards a burger. (Can't mess that up right?) Ordered the burger mid well and it came medium at best. Lots of pink in there. This was after the manager said she double checked it just to make sure it was right. The place was just about deserted both times I was there. The only patrons there seemed to be friends of employees. I hate to give a place just one star but they definitely earned it.
Review Source:Stopped in here on a Sunday on our way back from a wedding on the west side of the state. We rolled in shortly after opening. My sister used to work here back in the day and she was raving about the food.
It was just okay. My sister said that some of the items had not lived up to her memory of what they were like years ago. We split the pub dip (or whatever it is) and the cheese curds. The pub dip came out lukewarm and we had to send it back to have it heated up. It was pretty good stuff on the whole. The cheese curds were just average. The side of hot sauce was good stuff though.
We split the buffalo chicken wrap and a patty melt. Both were pretty good, but again...nothing special.
The bartender was friendly, engaging, and did a good job. The beer was really good too. Overall, I'd probably take a shot with another place in the area if I found myself in town again, but I'm certain you can do worse than Olde Peninsula. I'll look forward to sampling their beers at the Michigan Brewers Guild Beerfests though.
This place is a treasure-- a brewpub with a solid menu and solid ambiance. Â Very Nice bar area, clean and comfy tables and overall inviting and pleasant environment. Â There's an air of pride in their rightful place on the corner --and-- the beer is much better than a decade ago. Â The place is downright cool and has matured well since I last visited in 07.
My wife and I stopped in for lunch and a beer and struck up a friendship with the master brewer and barkeeps while eating at the bar. Â He even cracked open his final bottle of a treasured brew that he'd kept at bay for some time. Â We were royalty for an hour; pretty special.
Food was excellent, large salads and fresh lake perch sandwich, homemade tartar sauce (bonus for sure!). Â Truly great onion rings. Â We split everything and were stuffed with contentment. Â People who complain on Yelp about Olde Peninsula's menu selection or execution have an axe to grind or really caught the cooks on a bad moment. Â I'd eat here 5 days a week for sure. Â Lots of menu items... Â
Again, their beer was very well made, such a pleasant surprise. Â Try the sampler, any 5 beers if I recall for about 7 bucks. Â Good job all around and one more sweet spot in sweet little Kalamazoo MI. Â
We will have lunch and beers and friendship with you guys again. Â THANK YOU.
PS The Count Chocula stout is sublime. Â Try it.
So we were in town for my daughters graduation from K college, looking for a place to eat dinner. Â This was not a disappointment. Â I got the pot roast and it hit the spot, hearty and homemade style, nothing from a can or frozen, was not dry and it was tender. Â Perfect for the rainy day it was. Â We all liked our food. Â Their rootbeer which was their brew was not so great. Â NO head and it didn't taste creamy or have much bite, just average. Â The service seemed kind of slow. Â And I saw a couple waiters spill drinks.
Review Source:OK, so the beer. I had a Tornado (IPA) which was nice - super hoppy and a touch sweet, as it's supposed to be. The red ale was fine, though not remarkable.
The food here was decent, but ultimately a little disappointing. They no longer have the walleye, thought it's on the menu. I ended up with the pepper & garlic encrusted sirloin, which was good for about half of it, then was a struggle against fat and gristle. Now, I couldn't see the non-meat parts because of the layer of delicious char, but surely someone in the kitchen saw this weak cut of meat before rolling it. So I left sated, but a little disappointed. Had mashed potatoes that were fine but not a standout and a simple green salad (a touch heavy on the dressing).
This place has been much better. The main attraction--potato-crusted walleye--was still on the menu, but was no longer being served. What we ordered instead (a wide range) was  mediocre. Very disappointing, especially since last year's dinner (a Kalamazoo Conference tradition) was so much better.
Review Source:Just about an hour after finishing the 2013 Kalamazoo Marathon on 05/05/2013, a few friends of mine and I ventured here to celebrate our accomplishments. It was great to be able to sit down and enjoy the rewards of finishing another marathon. And of course, refueling / eating is always great too. A friend of mine, who lives in Kalamazoo, recommended this place to me and told me he's been here like 1,000 times, so it must be good. After checking out reviews here on Yelp, we decided on checking things out. Â What a way to spend an afternoon with friends and to drink some booze to celebrate what I have accomplished just 7 hours before on the streets of Kalamazoo Michigan. The Olde Peninsula Brewpub and restaurant is at the corner of Portage Road and Michigan Avenue. Â Not too hard to find, although we had to find parking along the street. Since it was a Sunday afternoon, it wasn't too hard to find street parking. I would imagine that wouldn't be the case during more peak times during the week.
Just another sports bar, but it was in Kalamazoo the Olde Peninsula was. As a tourist, it was exciting here, especially when the rest of downtown Kalamazoo was relatively dead on a Sunday - with exception for the lines of cheering spectators during the morning @ the marathon. Thought that was kind of crazy, but it made me happy. I myself tried some of their local brews before settling on some coronas. We got set up in a booth, which was nice. The ambiance was lively, but somewhat loud, but that's all good. The décor was that of a sports bar. There was plenty of televisions to keep your attention and tab here all weekend long. My body was tired, but I am glad I was sitting here instead of still being out there along the marathon course.  After running the Wisconsin Marathon the day before, the killer hills of Kalamazoo made this trip to the Old Peninsula just that much more sweeter. The service here was good and decent. I eventually looked at the menu and ordered the roasted garlic pepper sirloin with mash potatoes and French fries. That really hit the spot and really was great, especially after what I did today.
The steak came out more charred than I thought, but then again, I thought maybe it was the garlic pepper that was seared into the meat. Â I dug right in and found out that it was pretty good, although more dry than I expected. Maybe I shouldn't order my steaks medium, but more rare instead. I like more chewy than tough, but that's just me. Â I asked for the coveted A-1 sauce and that made the steak more palatable and edible for me. Yes, I should have located a real steakhouse, but this place is does it ok - a nice substitute, but still can't do justice as far as a real steakhouse goes. Sorry! Â The mashed potatoes were good, as they have ever been and the French fries were nice and crispy, like it came out fresh from the kitchen. One of my friends had the French dip sandwich, but she didn't really enjoy it, saying that it's not as good as what she has had before.
It was standard bar fare here, no doubts about it. Very much comfort food to be sure, but I do love a good outing and the prices are pretty standard for what you are getting. I don't think it's too pricey, but then again, I ordered the steak, so it's already up there. The serving of steak was decent, but I would've paid more for a larger generous serving any day. Â I wouldn't say that this place is overly great, but it has it's place in Kalamazoo and my friend in Kalamazoo who recommended this place wasn't wrong. I did enjoy myself here and I hope you will too. Overall, I would recommend this place for a good time and plenty of drinks! This place would not be your ideal place for a great dinner, but as a lunch spot, it fits the bill to a tee. Thanks to my Kalamazoo friend whom recommended this spot to me. He's out there running the Kalamazoo Marathon, pacing the 5 hour group.
Support local!
B
I'm a huge fan of Olde Peninsula's beers. Â I would recommend sampling a flight of their beers and taking a growler on the way home. Â First and foremost though, try the zucchini fries, they never disappoint. The chicken littles are also always a good choice and the pub dip is amazing. Â Very good bar food to match their great beers. Much of the food I've had at OP's has been delicious though I admit I've had their calzones and they weren't worth the time or price. Â Staff is typically friendly but are inattentive when the restaurant is busy.
Review Source:We stopped here on our way out west from Detroit and were very pleased with the food and service. Â This is in an adorable downtown strip of Kalamazoo and feels very old and historic. Â The menu had traditional pub food, which was done right. Â The service was fast and friendly. Â It was a great pit stop.
Review Source:Blah. Â
There's not much to do in downtown Kalamazoo, so this is one of your only options. Â This is just a regular, old bar. Â It was crowded with a bunch of rowdy locals when we stopped in (possibly having a holiday party?) so the atmosphere was a bit much. Â
Standard bar fare, a lot of which seemed to be frozen and thawed for serving. Â
Beer is reasonably priced. Â
Still blah.
As an occasional beer drinker (not quite so avid a fan of beer as my husband), I want to throw in my 2 cents about O.P. I like this place and have never had a horrible experience (although I have been there enough to have the occasional lax or rude server - which is why we always sit in the bar section now). The Michigan Long Islands are great (and potent - be careful!) and the wings (half-n-half is my recommendation) are delicious. They have a great vegetarian selection and huge, fresh salads (the greek is my fav).
Review Source:Fun atmosphere with classic Irish and American pub food. I hear their beer is really good. I really enjoyed their burgers. They were very large and were somewhat blackened in a nice tasty way. Great flavor. Â Hockey was playing on the tv though which was really boring. At least you don't have to worry about that this year. :)
Review Source:I've quite liked this restaurant for a while but I have to stop going. A day after dining here we get unpleasantly sick. I suspect that it's likely a kitchen chemical or something they serve has MSG in it. Their beers are still quite excellent, so if you would like to drink, it's still quite good. Just can't stomach the food any longer. :(
Review Source:Much like visiting Bell's brewpub we did a tour of the brewery before we had any food or drink. But unlike Bell's this brewery is one room with three vats and that's about it. So the tour was really maybe 10 minutes if that. Still informative and it was interesting to hear the story how the place got their start but it really hit a lot of points about the process of beer making I already heard the day before and was content when it ended. So sure. Do the short tour if you want but really, one could skip it, look through the glass and see the different large vats viewable from the dinning area, and then ask their server any questions about the place and be just as informed. So good tour but skippable. Their food and drink on the other hand should not be skipped by any means.
The beer is great. I got a 4 beer taster and told my server to give me his favorites. He brought back their seasonal Pumpkin ale, Sunset Red, their Jack-o-latern, which is a combo of their Midnight Stout and Pumpkin, and one he highly recomended, a combo of their Count Chocula Stout, I think that was the name, and their Rockin Raspberry Wheat. The latter was amazing. The combo of a chocolate stout and raspberry reminded me of a much better version of Guinness and blackcurrent and I ordered a 22oz "Giant" immediately. Delicious.
Much like other reviews I've read on yelp our food too did seem to take awhile to arrive. But our server stayed with us and kept giving us updates and we had wounderful beer so the wait didn't wreck the evening. I ordered the Macaroni and Cheese along with a cup of their Cheddar Ale soup. The soup was tasty. Not too heavy. Warm, cheezy, and good. My mac and cheese was a little much for me. It was good but after eating a cheese based soup and then trying to eat the rich pasta was a mistake on my part. There were pieces of meat in it to try to break things up and add some balance but the solution was actually given by my friend who suggested hot sauce. This restaurant makes their own hot sauce and I gingerly put some on my pasta here and there. It made the dish great. The hot sauce was kind of sweet and had a nice spice that really highlighted the creaminess of the dish. So thank you hot sauce and friend. You made my meal awesome.
i was quite happy with this place. It had a nice vibe and the employees seemed glad to be there. When my wife and I visit our friends in Kalamazoo again we will certainly be coming back to O.P. to get our beer and grub on. And also bring home lots of growlers of beer with us. Lots and lots of growlers.
Went to visit the cousins in MI and they insisted we go here b/c they LOVE it! Â Maybe my expectations were thus set too high, but I was sadly not all that impressed. Â I just have a distinct memory of almost everything we tried making me think, "Meh... I've had better." Â Nothing was BAD, it just wasn't GOOD either.
Their BREWPUB DIP was pretty good. Â Cousins are obsessed with it, but I've definitely had better cheesy dips at other locals. Â They do make their own ROOT Â BEER which is super yummy, and maybe the only thing worthy of 5 stars at this place. Â The DOWNTOWN DIP was a standard dip, but tasty. Â Their BURGERS, while I didn't try one, were large and looked good. Â (Fresh toppings, juicy meat.) Â But their FAJITA THAI ROLL-UP was all carrots and peppers. Â I almost couldn't even tell there was chicken in it at all! Â I ended up tearing off some of the tortilla b/c there was a bit too much of that, too. Â The sauce it came with was great, but overall the meal wasn't nearly as good as it sounded, lacked flavor, and was just a major disappointment.
The service here was also "meh" and if you get seated at one of the high top tables, you're on stools with no backs which is pretty uncomfortable.
The most redeeming quality for this place is that their PRICES ARE SOLID! Â For the portion sizes (LARGE!), it really was a good deal price-wise.
Bottom line: if you're looking for a decent meal that will make you full for cheap, give it a shot. Â If you're looking for a great dinner out in the area... keep looking. =P
My friends and I initially intended to visit London Grille for lunch today but they were closed and would not open until 4pm so we walked a few more steps to this establishment.
This restaurant has a nice atmosphere with several televisions tuned into sports events. I was informed that they brewed their own beer and had a good selection which that's why they are popular.
I tried to order a fresh-brewed iced tea but was informed that the only tea they had was from a fountain.
I ordered their pot roast (available after 4pm and all day Sunday) as an entree and their zuchinni fries as an appetizer. Â The appetizer came quickly but our entrees took a little while to arrive. The veggie fries were very tasty but my pot roast was quite dry. It was not served with any gravy or sauce and while it had flavor, I could not finish the dish. My friends appeared to have no complaints about their food or beverages.
If I liked beer, I am sure I would have enjoyed this restaurant more than the 2-stars which I am giving them.
On the way back to Chicago, we wanted to stop half-way between Detroit. We've never really explored downtown Kalamazoo together so we took Business Route 94 and went downtown. It's nice down there. Very cool and quiet on a Sunday afternoon. We started out with beers (their homemade Midnight Apple and an Arnold Palmer) and took in the environment. Another sports bar. But this one had more of a restaurant feel to it. That's weird to explain. It had the TVs and stuff all over the place, but it didn't seem like it was the focus. The beer was the focus. It's more of a down-home brewpub.
For dinner, we ordered a florentine calzone and a mess turkey burger. Both were prepared quickly and very tastily. We were hoping to have left room for dessert, but didn't. We walked out with a bill for $30 without tip and extremely satisfied for the next 2-1/2-hour part of our ride.
Seriously?! $5 for 22oz of DELICIOUS beer?! Â That almost.....makes me want to move to Kalamazoo...almost
My burger was pretty good, I didn't really care for my bf's sandwich. BUT WHO CARES ABOUT THE FOOD WHEN THERE IS SO MUCH DELICIOUS BEER FOR SO CHEAP?!?!?!
our meal with 2 drinks/person came out to under $40. Are you kidding me?!
On my way back from Chicago, I had to take advantage of my traveling situation and take a slight detour to Kalamazoo to visit Olde Peninsula Brewing.
We rolled in around 10pm on a Thursday evening to a rather empty brew pub. Â I figured for a Thursday night in a college town, this place would be slammin' but that was not the case. Â Sure there was a few college kids running around but nothing crazy.
Our waiter who was rather attentive waited on us immediately and promptly got us our drinks. Â I ordered a Cream Ale and their OP IPA. Â Both beers were just OK..actually I thought the IPA wasn't really that great. Â The cream ale was very conservative in flavor, but I kind of expected that for a "session beer" that was only 4% ABV. Â The IPA however, was just bland...no malt backbone whatsoever. Â I see that the brew master tried to use hops to try and boost the flavor in that regard but it just didn't cut it...
The food was very good, which was my saving grace for the evening. Â I had the fish 'n pub chips which were both very delicious. Â I didn't get a chance to sample the other brews as I wanted to get back on the road and get back home at a decent hour, so I couldn't stay that long. Â I'd probably give the place another try to see if their other beers were better, but based on the two I had my hopes aren't too high.
I was here over the weekend with a group of friends and we had a good time. The atmosphere was good, a little noisy, but not distractingly.
Their was a 20 minute wait, but we killed it sitting at the bar. The bartender was nice, and answered questions, but he could have been a bit more attentive. When we were sat at a table, the waitress was very good.
I had multiple beers from them, one of them being the Stout Chocula, which tastes almost exactly like Count Chocula Cereal. It was pretty dang good! Â Some of the other beers of theirs I tried were also delicious.
I ordered a Beer-b-que pizza and my wife had their signature pub dip... both were amazingly delicious. I will definitely go back the next time I'm in Kalamazoo.
I came here because Bell's Eccentric Cafe was completely packed on a Thursday afternoon at  2 pm somehow.  Anyway, I was not disappointed.  It's a very cool atmosphere here; laid back and a little upscale.  It seems like an old timey bar to me for some reason.  They have a great variety of beer, and as always, a sampler is a huge plus that let's you try them all.
The food is standard bar fare, but pushed a little up the fanciness scale. Â A little tweak here and there to standard items, and from what I can gather from the rest of my party, most of the tweaks are for the better. Â The zucchini appetizer is delicious.
Service was solid. Â The party I was with was pretty big, like 8 or so, and the waitress handled it admirably. Â The location is great here as well; right on a busy corner. Â It also means that the place has a lot of seating without feeling like it's a warehouse with tables.
If I'm in Kzoo again, when I visit my brother next, I'll definitely stop here for a sampler and a burger. Â While Bell's may get the most press, come here for a change.
Started with the Haymarket cream ale - good but a little lighter than I prefer. Â Had an Amber, that was quite good.
Onion rings and pub chips as appetizers. Â Good. Â I always try the fresh made potatoe chips when I can find them. Â Fried very crisp - not soggy like sometimes you get. Â Had brats for my entre. Â Good enough. Â We had a party of 6 and everyone enjoyed their meals. Â I picked up the tab and $80 for 6 people including alcohol and appetizers was really reasonable.
Call it willful neglect but I passed up Olde Peninsula for years in favor of Bell's. And don't get me wrong, I love the beers that Larry Bell brews, and the Eccentric Cafe has been a great place to hang out in the past--with a group of friends. But for a nice place to go by myself and drink some microbrews in a welcoming environment I've found myself returning more and more to Olde Peninsula.
What is it that I like about this place? The beers are all good, standard, reliable--and inexpensive. Especially during their late-night happy hour or discount days. They all hit the marks (with the exception of the triple-hopped special release I tried, which I felt hoppy but too thin), and the Tornado Ale (to commemorate Kzoo's twister) is a real treat that I ask for but always miss.
More than the beers, however, what's won me over is the welcoming bartenders and friendly patrons. I have yet to come back from OP without having struck up conversations with any number of people sitting at the bar. Seriously! Whether it's couples, groups of revelers, or fellow beer enthusiasts, I know I can go by myself and have a good time.
Best part was on my last visit, when I tried the whiskey flight. I accidentally knocked over my last taster while reaching for a menu and the bartender filled my sampler glass back up--no questions asked. How's that for nice?
My fiance, best friend, and his wife were in town and we decided to try the Olde Peninsula Brewpub, hoping the extra "e" would pay off - and did it ever.
The first night we were there we only had the beer, which was decent. Â I've had my fair share of beer over the years and really wasn't all that impressed with the beers, save for the Razberry Wheat. Â I don't even remember the first beer I had but it tasted like a really smooth domestic light beer, think Miller Light/Bud Light but good. Â My fiance got the Old Red (I think that was the name) and it was good, but nothing special. Â My friend opted for the 8 samples and he seemed to enjoy them. Â Friend's wife got the summer hefe with the lemonade, and it was somewhat off-putting to be honest.
I purchased a growler of the Razberry Wheat and thoroughly enjoyed it. Â I especially liked the price. Â Apparently from 10pm - close there is a happy hour. Â I don't remember the exact happy hour discount, but 2 beers and 1 64oz growler was like $15 I think.
After the initial impression I saved the review at 3 stars. However two days later we went to the Olde Peninsula Brewpub for lunch and it was delicious. Â I would recommend ordering the cheesiest cheese fries as an appetizer. Â The fries were fried hard and seasoned extremely well. Â Then loaded up with cheese, green onion, and huge chunks of bacon. Â The chicken fingers were also fried to a nice crunch and were paired with some more of the fries seen earlier. Â The cheddar beer soup was decent, but not my favorite. Â The other meals around the table consisted of a cheese pizza, another chicken finger meal, a bratwurst, and a turkey club. Â Everyone at the table enjoyed their meals and the general consensus was that we'd all return. Â The "e" rule definitely worked in our favor.
Easily would have been 5 stars based on the food, unfortunately the beer brought the review down.
My second time in Kalamazoo and I decided to check out Yelp for good eats. I'm glad I did. Olde peninsula is located downtown and is actually a brewery.
I tried the OP IPA and it was great, it had a good amount of hops which made me wanting more. As an app i had their famous red bean dip...man it tasted good. Good amount of flavor and spice. For dinner I decided to forgo the ribs and steak to try a buffalo burger. Usually my experiences with buffalo have resulted in dry mouth. This was not the case at olde peninsula, perfectly moist and 1/2lb of heaven totally satisfied my stomach.
They have a good thing going here...watch out Texas...don't mess with...Michigan?!!
I think Olde Peninsula has to be the best place to eat in downtown Kalamazoo.
I love their burgers. Â Did you know you can have them make a burger from buffalo meat for 50 cents extra? Â You can! Â And it's delicious!
Their beer-battered fries are also really, really outstanding. Â I've never had a bad meal here. Â And I really should eat there more often.
I just returned to eat here last weekend for my 5 year reunion at Kalamazoo College. Â And just as I remembered, the food was great.
I had the Fajita Thai rollup with onion rings on the side (for no extra charge, how cool is that?) Â Both the wrap and the onion rings were great.
Service was pretty slow, but at least the waiter was friendly.
Good pub food, and although I'm not a beer drinker, everyone else raves about the offerings they have throughout the year. Â Granted, Bell's is just down the street, but it's still a good little pub.
There's street parking, a small lot ($) in back, and a couple garages in the area.
I'm pretty amused by the decor comparison; Denny's? Â Really? Â I've never been in a 'fancy' Denny's, but ... okay. Â
Also, note to the women out there; careful with the heels. Â Even in just kitten heels, I skidded the whole way to our table, and my sister has fallen while wearing heels, too.
"Tap into the good times, Olde Peninsula Brew Pubbbbb" I think that lil jingle right there is forever branded in my mind. I am a definite fan of this place. Hell, I had a root beer keg from here at my high school graduation party.
My favourite/usual? The Fajita Thai Rollup. YUM! (I'm a huge fan of peanut sauce). The brewpub dip, with it's sundried tomatoes, artichokes and asiago cheese is DELICIOUS.
The only bummer sometimes is trying to find parking!