bell's eccentric cafe

so rich and smooth. enjoyed a brew from the tap along with a crowd of middle age to older folks. you could converse easily over the noise while enjoying one of bell's many brews available. very short bar menu that i will have to try when i am back in town

new perspectives on beer. we love bells (especially their two hearted) and we had to make a trip here... we thought that their set up ordering food and beer at the bar and picking it up ourselves was a little weird.. (fyi they do accept credit cards now) we tried a couple different beers including best brown and an american pale ale (a few beers that haven't made it to our local stores). honestly we were a little disappointed that they weren't very flavorful so we fell back on our old fav... and it tasted very different from what we are used to! just delicious and fruity and fresh!

my boyfriend and i started visiting microbreweries in the area a couple months ago and were pleased with several. as a big fan of bell's oberon wheat ale we were looking forward to visiting the brewery. upon arriving we took a seat at the bar which was occupied by few but not many. it was a small bar top with approx 12 seats. there were two bartenders behind this small, not fully occupied, bar and yet it still took about ten minutes to even be acknowledged. i ordered the oarsman and my boyfriend ordered the oberon, both of which were amazing as expected. upon ordering, the very unattentive bartender asks if we would like to run a tab. i said sure and she immediatley asked for my card. i then asked her for food menus and she said she didn't have any but that i could get them myself over by the door. i eventually found some menus. we scanned the extremely limited menus and decided on an appetizer and a couple entrees. i would love to comment on the quality of the food, however, we sat with closed menus & empty beers for so long we decided to leave and go somewhere else. this was by far the most awful service we've ever experienced, and enormous disappointment especially after making the hour and a half drive. we found a buffalo wild wings close by and had a nice meal with great service.

if you like tasty beer.... ...definitely check out the eccentric cafe! we were in town over the holidays and popped into bell's three times. the food is delicious and the beers....super yummy! the only negative i found was the bright lighting. i would have preferred a little dimmer lighting, especially at night. it may have been so bright because they were working on the stage/lighting/sound board. otherwise...excellent locale. love the ipa's and bell's does not disappoint. highly recommend!!!

surprised by the food.... obviously this stop is all about the beer! but i was very impressed by the sandwich and food selection they have. nothing fancy, just simple food, but not deep fried pub food. good sambos, made with local ingredients.
they always have the stand by's on tap, such as two hearted, amber, best brown, kalamazoo stout, etc, etc, but and sometimes some seasonal brews, but rarely do you see the taste profile pushed all that far. great beer none the less.

solid food, great beer. went a couple nights in a row whilst in kalamazoo for a conference. although the place was pretty full, the high ceilings allowed enough volume to escape that it wasn't too loud to have good conversation. plus...no annoying jukebox, minus some quiet-er tunes coming from the direction of the kitchen.

beer-wise, being a draught-fanatic, i had to limit myself only to things i couldn't get in a bottle in indiana. so no two-hearted, my normal stand-by. instead, i had the le batteur, a malty french-inspired wheat. tasty & not-too-sweet (like some of the wheats that are coming out now); the mead, at 10.5% still quite refreshing and not too booze-y. lastly, had a sour brown ale, which was far-and-away my favorite. sours have been getting a little more play in the states as of late, and i felt like this was a complex, great example. even convinced some skeptics to get a pint of their own.

food-wise, had a couple sandwiches (chicken pesto & veggie burger w/ pineapple). both were tasty, warm, and pleasantly large considering they were only 7 bucks. they came with a boatload of potato chips and pickle spear. beers were $3 to $6.50 (for the mead), so acceptable, good prices on that front as well.

will definitely be back whenever i have reason to be in kalamazoo again.

a little full of itself. the cafe is cash only, which sucks because i hardly ever carry anymore. bell's does brew decent beer, but i don't think it is worth the often hefty price tag. the staff was also a dud. not friendly and really off-putting. i am in kalamazoo from time to time on business, and i will probably steer clear of this place.

a gem in kalamazoo. bell's is a gem in downtown kalamazoo. it is truly one of the top microbreweries in the united states. at bell's it is really all about the beer, but the limited food menu is also very good. the menu normally consists of high quality sandwiches and burgers that are made fresh per order.. i have yet to have a bad one and my wife and i hang out at bell's quite a bit. last night i had a smoked ham sandwich and chips that was nothing fancy, but very tasty. the eccentric café itself has retained a funky charm over the years and there is not much better in the world than enjoying a fresh bell's brew in the beer garden on a warm summer evening. the other thing i have always loved about bell's is the crowd that hangs out there. all ages from college students to senior citizens can be found any time of day or night and everyone is laid back and comfortable. we are lucky to have this establishment in our town.

go for the beer, not the food. bell's is a kalamazoo institution. the beer is outstanding. it's my favorite of the "major" microbrews in this neck of the woods (i include arcadia, founders, new holland, etc. in that category).. two hearted is my beer of choice there, and if you have any interest in ipa or hoppy beers, it's a must-try. that said, the nice thing about the bar is that you can get types they don't bottle and distribute,, so it's worth the trip.

having said all of that, it's called eccentric cafe for a reason. cash only (although you can feed the on-site atm if you forget in advance). and the food, while not horrible, is not anything to write home about. it's above-average bar food with some atypical menu items, but be prepared to wait...and wait...and wait. they just aren't set up for and spend no effort on prompt, efficient food service. i have waited well over an hour -- on multiple occasions -- for a burger (and even once for a soft pretzel and pb&j)..

the beer though...ohhhh...the beer.

thanks, larry. you've made a very comfortable atmosphere for drinking your great beer and eating good food. lots of options for both, including some wonderful veggie dishes. love the stained glass, outdoor patio, and old wood floors, too.

is what it is!. great place to relax and enjoy bell's beer-(don't go for the food)-also, fun place to hang in the summer for a few:)

cash only!. bring yo' caysh mayne. or donate your money to the internal atm.

nice relaxed atmosphere. bell's is well known for their beer brewing. even though i don't drink, i love the experience of eating in bell's beer garden.

my favorite meal at this location was a dinner with friends -- we had 'bison' burgers. very tasty.

i've heard they also have great music on weekends/nights. local artists, etc.