New in 2016. This place has Cajun and Creole style food like gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish etouffee and red beans and rice. Several others as well. J. Gumbo's in Kalamazoo also offers "bayou" appetizers like crawfish cheese dip and voodoo nachos. Po'Boy sandwiches like the drunken chicken or voodoo chicken. They also have a few interesting desserts. This place has a walk up ordering with a dining area inside and out. Neat artwork on the walls. My wife had the red beans and rice and I had the jambalaya. We want to try the whole menu. You can mix the offerings for a slight upcharge or even get a smaller bowl. Kids menu. No alcohol. Neat place and a nice addition to Kalamazoo. Check out the guide for more details.

Brite Eyes Brewing Co. in Kalamazoo is a nice place with a great atmosphere and good food and drink. It is also a coffee shop offering breakfast and deli style lunch offered the rest of the day. My wife had a nice salad and I had a stacked hot ham and cheese sandwich which were both very good. I also have had the beers twice which were both flights. I have tried all but the mango IPA. I liked the blonde ale, the pale ale and the regular IPA. The seating area includes stools at the bar and tables. The dining room is two stories with a loft area which is not open to the public, but creates a nice feel. The windows are large and look over the city. When I paid at the counter, I spied a dessert which was a peanut butter crunchy square that was excellent. The menu is limited but offers some nice things. Good food and good craft beer! My kind of place. Check the guide for more details.

New in 2013. At least as a sit down place. Maestro's Pizza at 12th Street and Milham Road by Wedel's Nursery has moved from being a take out place in the nearby party store since 2011 to their own space in the nearby strip mall. The local owners are Matt and Deanna Watson who run this sit down pizza and sandwich place with a full bar. Excellent thin crust pizza cut in triangles so you can fold it and eat it New York style. The dough, sauce and Italian sausage are all homemade. The mushrooms are fresh, not from a can. I am looking forward to my next visit to try the salads and a calzone with a frosty mug of beer. Great location, local owners and excellent food make this a winner. Check out the guide for more details.

Thai Restaurant added in Kalamazoo

This cozy place is located in a strip mall, however once inside the Bangkok Flavor Thai Restaurant it has a surprisingly nice atmosphere. The menu is large and filled with your Thai favorites like Pad Thai or spring rolls.
I have just recently become a fan of Thai food and like most I expected it to be similar to Chinese food. Not so. Thai food uses lots of herbs which make their food have combination flavors like sweet, sour, spicy and bitter. These flavors run thru most of their dishes. Lots of Thai dishes are coconut based and they use lots of curries. Green, red and yellow curries are commonly used. They also use lemon grass, galangel(gingery, peppery root) and green chilis. Chinese food uses more soy sauces along with ginger, garlic and red chilies. Thai food much more resembles Indian food than Chinese. Most Thai restaurants will allow you to "adjust" the heat used. I like it very hot and they never fail to come thru. In the U.S. the menus may be separated by appetizers, soups, entrees etc. However, there is no concept of courses in a Thai meal. Soups, salads, curries and noodles are eaten together to create a combination of flavors. A common starting point to the new Thai patron is Phad Thai which are flat rice noodles. They are made of rice sticks that look almost translucent. The noodles are soaked (not boiled), then placed in a pan and fried. Phad means fried. The noodles are then served with peanut sprouts, chopped chillies, dash of sugar, lime juice and chilli powder giving it the sweet, sour & spicy flavor. Add curry of choice. Many other chicken, pork, beef, fish and duck items cooked in the Thai style. Bangkok flavor can offer you this experience for your taste buds. They have some unique offerings like flamed duck or coconut juice to drink. Speaking of drinks they have a Thai beer called Singha that is good along with several other choices including Bell's or Taj Mahal from India. This place is very good.

New in downtown Kalamazoo

New in 2010. This place is located next door to the venerable Michigan News Agency. It was formerly a coffee joint. The Studio Grill is a great addition to the downtown dining scene. They still are a coffee shop, bakery as well as a unique one of a kind restaurant. Their claim to fame are their stuffed burgers! They are really good. Made with always fresh ground beef. I had the Craig's burger marinated in buffalo sauce, stuffed with pepperjack cheese and sweet onion topped off with cheese and spicy buffalo sauce. Craig's is named after the husband half of the ownership. They have a spicy-sweet pineapple burger or kalifornia king burger plus several other unique offerings. They also allow you to create your own. Try the large selection of hot dogs or deli sandwiches as well. Even though the stuffed burgers are the thing, they also make a very nice breakfast with lots of choices of omelets, pancakes, french toast and their fresh bakery items. Click the name to go to the results page.

Very special Chicago style eats in Kalamazoo!

This place is non-descript from the outside and mostly take-out on the inside with only four stools at a counter for seating. However, once you have had the food at Ray Rays Italian Beef & Sausage , it will keep you coming back. The italian beef is great either plain or "dipped". Maybe add hot giardinieria peppers or even add italian sausage. The pulled pork is cooked out back on charcoal and comes with hot or mild bbq sauce. I like the hot! The fries are cut fresh and may be the best in town. My wife loves the bbq chicken which she gets with the hot bbq sauce and it falls off the bone. Real "Maxwell St." polish sausage, chicago dogs and several hamburger choices will satisfy a diverse crowd. Call first if you want their famous italian meatball sandwich, they run out often! Find this place and you will thank anyone who told you about it. Thanks Lindsey!