Scholar

Name: Scholar
Address: 11 Ionia Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI, United States, 49503
Telephone: (616) 980-9073
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.6

4.6 (421)

$31 to $50

American

11 Ionia Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 24, 2025

10:30 PM

Booked 36 times today

Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

Great for creative cocktails
Good for special occasions
Charming

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.

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
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
Phone number
(616) 980-9073
Website
http://www.scholargr.com/
Dress code
Business Casual
Executive chef
Taylor Boeschenstein

Location
11 Ionia Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Neighborhood
Grand Rapids
Cross street
Our cross streets are Fulton and Weston.
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Weekend Brunch, Wine

Experiences

South American Wine Dinner
$160.00 per person
Prepaid
Aug 7, 2025 only
6:30 PM
Join us for our fifth wine dinner!! This experience will be inspired by the rich culture, heart, and flavors of South America. The 6 course meal will be perfectly paired with wines from various countries that have been carefully selected to complement each course. Each course will be prepared and created by head chef, Taylor Boeschenstein, and the wines will be presented by Sommelier, Michael Klaus. The evening will be filled with stories, incredible dishes, and wine from South America's most talented makers.

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What 421 people are saying

Scholar reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.6Service
4.6Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Grand Rapids / Western Michigan
Romantic
Grand Rapids / Western Michigan
American
Grand Rapids
Romantic

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Scholar offers a "great dining experience" with a cozy atmosphere and "delicious" food. Notable dishes include the salmon and Salisbury steak. Guests appreciate the "attentive and knowledgeable" staff, making it a perfect spot for special occasions. While some find room for improvement, many highlight its "lovely ambiance" and "fantastic" service.

421 Reviews

T
Terence VIP
Philadelphia County35 reviews
4.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Cool place with good food. The menu does have a heavy (Fall/Winter) feel to it and they might consider making seasonal changes.
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N
Nia
Grand Rapids / Western Michigan1 review
5.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Thank you guys yesterday for your service food was great hot and looked amazing when it come out
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B
Bob
Grand Rapids / Western Michigan7 reviews
5.0
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Great food, great service, fun environment! Awesome place for a low key birthday get together.
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S
Sam
San Francisco Bay Area2 reviews
2.0
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 2
2. Food 4
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 3
I heard excellent reviews from friends and chose to celebrate an anniversary dinner at Scholar. Upon arrival, we were greeted and taken upstairs to our table. The bartender was our waitress. We ordered drinks and an appetizer and they arrived quickly. Then the wait began. We were approached to order our meals 10 minutes after finishing our 6-piece shrimp cocktail. The food was promptly brought out and was delicious. We then proceeded to wait 21 minutes for our waitress to even look our way to make eye contact as we wanted to order dessert and a cocktail. We ended up moving to the bar where we sat for 4 minutes before any type of interaction. Once we ordered dessert and a cocktail, they were all delicious, we proceeded to pay and leave. Regretting our decision to share this occasion at Scholar.
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C
Colbey VIP
Cincinnati / Dayton20 reviews
5.0
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
My husband and I were in Grand Rapids for a wedding. It was our first time both in the city and at Scholar. We had a reservation in “The Study”— it was a quaint and beautiful space! The entire staff down there were SO friendly and welcoming. We appreciated how kind they were, and how they shared their own experiences and recommendations within the city. Whether you are looking to just enjoy a drink or make a meal, Scholar is such a unique choice and in a great location in downtown GR. Thank you so much!
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M
Mark VIP
Chicago / Illinois19 reviews
5.0
Dined on July 14, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Amazing place and a must see. Head to the Bar and get a picture of Chitown history. Highly recommend the Salisbury Steak!
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B
Brigid
Detroit / Eastern Michigan10 reviews
5.0
Dined on July 12, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Love the atmosphere here, beautiful cocktails and amazing food and presentation! Excellent service, staff is attentive and very knowledgeable.
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L
Luke
Tampa / Central Florida West1 review
5.0
Dined on July 10, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Quiet and cozy ambiance with a fun prohibition speak easy vibe. Cocktails were fantastic, and the bison short rib was spectacular!
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A
Alex
Chicago / Illinois4 reviews
5.0
Dined on July 5, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Great spot in GR with a nice vibe. The drinks and food were amazing! I had the salmon, 5/5 recommend. We also received a complimentary dessert for celebrating our recent engagement, thank you to the Scholar team for that. Overall, great dining experience
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A
Anthony
Grand Rapids / Western Michigan1 review
5.0
Dined on June 27, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We sat on the main floor. Loved our waitress. She has long dark hair, very pretty. Someone else should tell her she is doing a good job. She somehow knew we were on a time crunch and got our orders and food in very fast. Drinks were on point.
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FAQs

Scholar is rated 4.6 stars by 421 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 24, 2025

10:30 PM

Booked 36 times today

Experiences are available.

11 Ionia Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross street
Our cross streets are Fulton and Weston.
Neighborhood
Grand Rapids
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
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
American, Breakfast, Cocktail Bar
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Street Parking
Executive chef
Taylor Boeschenstein
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Weekend Brunch, Wine

Website
http://www.scholargr.com/
Phone number
(616) 980-9073

Scholar

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Dining areas

Additional information

Experiences

South American Wine Dinner

Ask Concierge
AI Beta

Menu

What 421 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Scholar restaurant rated?

Is Scholar currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information