The B.O.B.

Twenty years ago no one knew what to do with The B.O.B.. The abandoned downtown Grand Rapids warehouse had just enough character that no one wanted to demolish it. But what do you do with a big old building?

After several attempts at reconfiguring the building into various shopping malls (most of which resulted in mediocre success at best) The B.O.B. was born. An acronym for “Big Old Building,” The B.O.B. now houses a dozen restaurants, bars and nightclubs.

This place buzzes with activity in the evenings and weekends. You can indulge in pre-dinner drinks at The Monkey Bar, an Asian-themed bar decorated with bamboo. Afterward, head up to Judson’s Steak House or Gilly’s seafood restaurant for dinner. As the evening wanes you can move on to Bobarino’s for another drink (check out their outdoor deck overlooking downtown Grand Rapids if the weather’s nice or sit inside alongside walls paneled with hundreds of crushed beer and pop cans, vinyl LPs or vintage license plates); to Crush or Eve for nightclub dancing; or to Dr. Grins Comedy Club. Everything’s under a single roof. Only Bobarino’s, the roomy grill and bar with that nice outdoor deck, is open at lunchtime. The rest of The B.O.B.’s restaurants and bars open at dinner and later.

Dinners at The B.O.B. range from $12-25. Entrance to Dr. Grins Comedy Club varies with the performance.