GRAND RAPIDS, MI — The Blue Dog Tavern, a staple on the West Side of Grand Rapids, is a trove of history, hot dogs and hospitality.
Established in 2014, the tavern resides in a building marked with the etchings of the former bank that occupied the space in the 1930s with a matching vault door inside to match. General Manager Josh Glazier said early on, he wanted the Blue Dog to break away from the “sterile” feel of box chain bars and be more like a second home.
“When the guys got together and we were piecing together the Blue Dog, we liked stuff that tells a story,” Glazier said. “As well as the food, the drinks and the people, it’s our interior.”
What that looks like is a wall covered in vintage cigar boxes, a collection of 1930s and 40s beer delivery receipts, lights from a remodeled Grand Rapids church and a crowning backbar made from a captain’s base up north.
The tavern, located at 638 Stocking Ave. NW, was also originally founded on its hot dogs and tater tots, which Glazier said often take a twist on the classics. He said Blue Dog takes the classic equation of meat, cheese and vegetable and turn it on its side.
“There’s a lot of unique things that we feel a lot of people have already done with burgers and sandwiches – twisting it and modifying it and using different bread,” Glazier said. “But if you go to a hotdog place, here’s your hot dog, here’s your plain side of tater tots. That’s great, but peoples’ tastes and needs and want to evolve over time, and we like to try and make sure that we keep a good mix and a good rotation.”
The result are menu items like the $8 Loaded Dog, which feature an all-beef hot dog with diced bacon, charred onion aioli, spicy ranch, house made onion jam, green onion and cheddar cheese on a pretzel bun.
That creativity also extends to burgers, which Glazier said follows the same philosophy.
A crowd favorite is the $13 J-Dawg Burger, which stuffs a seasoned patty with jalapenos, onions, buffalo sauce and BBQ sauce before pairing it with bacon, cheese sauce, and grilled garlic butter aioli on a pretzel bun.
Blue Dog Tavern’s signature cocktails came from its cast of bartenders and customer preferences. Many of their staples are classic recipes named after a bartender, noting their signature twist.
“It’s surprising because it’ll be the same recipe because customers will come in and they’ll ask one of the servers, ‘I want the Jeremy Grape Bomb or I want the Mak Bomb,’” Glazier said. “So, the guys have kind of gotten their own signature drinks through repetition and what our customers have come to know and love.”
Playing on a basic bomb, the Grape ‘Jeremy’ Bomb features grape vodka, a mix of schnapps and Red Bull. Liv’s Signature Cherry Limeade Bombs, on the other hand, pair Red Bull with cherry vodka, lime juice and sour mix.
The drinks are only one example of the relationship between Blue Dog Tavern and the community, Glazier said. Regulars will pick up jobs redoing steps or hanging paneling, assimilating into the Blue Dog family, he said.
While COVID-19 restrictions have reduced capacity and forced patrons to sit six feet apart with dividers between booths, Glazier said the Blue Dog Tavern is about connecting the community over a drink and a dog.
“It’s that place where everyone in the neighborhood wants to go,” Glazier said. “They know the staff, we know them. It’s not just a bar and a food place – it’s people’s second home.”
The Blue Dog Tavern is open seven days a week, they can be reached at (616) 608-6050 or by visiting their website, www.bluedogtaverngr.com.
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Local Eats: Blue Dog Tavern in Grand Rapids offers a tasty twist on classics, ‘second home’ to patrons - mlive.com
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