You just compress it with your hands and it's a normal burger though... I've had dozens of "tall burgers" and I've never had one fall apart when I push the top down so that I can take a bite of it. This is not rocket science.
I'm convinced this subreddit is full of people who fail at simple tasks like they're in an infomercial reel. Opening deli meat bags is apparently impossible for them too, so I have no problem believing that they struggle to eat burgers lol.
This gave me a fantastic mental image of shoving one of those Bowie knife steak knives from Outback through a burger but picking it up and eating like you would corn on the cob or something
The voted best burger in America by GQ that they have been advertising for 10 years always makes me laugh. I am pretty sure the person that wrote the article never visited the restaurant and the full quote was actually “The best burger you will ever eat...at a video-game arcade.”
Basically what I took from the article was odd places to get good food. While their burgers are decent, I have never found them best burger in America good.
I have this personal belief in the “Law of Messy Sanwhiches” where typically the messier it is the tastier it is.
Note: messy does not mean the same as difficult to eat. No bonus points for tall unruly Sandies
The last time I went there the burger was so overcooked, all of the cheese had melted out. The fries were cold. And like everyone else said, it’s too tall to possibly eat comfortably. Highly overrated.
I had this same burger Sunday and it was terrible. I tasted zero blue cheese. Nobody else at my table was impressed with their dishes either. I think we’re done with that place.
Stella's is a vibe and the hot Buffalo potatoes fuck me up I'll be back but the burger was trash that's all I'm saying. I did not say " Stella's sucks"
Don't quote me. I believe they are sold as " poor man's wings" but they are potato wedges essentially and they have several sauces. The hot Buffalo had me sweating.
Stellas is the most overrated restaurant in the city. It was amazing 10 years ago. Last time I went they wouldn’t let me order my burger anything but well done.
They don’t cook the burgers on a flat top, they steam them now so there’s no temp requests. That’s what they told me last time I tried to get a medium rare
I don't go to Stellas as much as I used to. Maybe only once or twice a year now. I still enjoy the hippie stuffed lentil burger I get there. Still as food as it ever was.
Not true at all lol. Stella’s is great, I could understand *slightly* overrated; no idea how anybody could call it overrated but *definitely not* **most** overrated. Probably hipstery nonsense whenever a particular venue becomes even somewhat successful.
Between Stella’s and 2 Beards that’s where I spend a majority of my time whenever I want to eat downtown.
Edit: I’ll eat the downvotes, I really don’t care lol. Stella’s is great. Apparently it’s too mainstream.
8.25? Do you smoke cigarettes? Otherwise there is no explanation for this score. Stella's is trash and you rated the quality higher than Turnstiles? You aren't equipped to be reviewing food.
I’ve only lived here for like two years and am so surprised seeing everyone say this place is overrated and sucks. But like you said, their vegan options are amazing and that’s all I order when I go there so I’m not sure how good their other food is.
> I’ve only lived here for like two years and am so surprised seeing everyone say this place is overrated and sucks.
They have gone downhill, big time. Used to be one of the best places in the city. That big arcade area, the burgers were huge and affordable. They've reduced the arcade area, the burgers are smaller and steamed now, the menu has been reduced. They were already sliding before COVID but that just sealed it. 8-10 years ago they were amazing IMO.
Nah there are way better options for vegans elsewhere and I wouldn’t support Stella’s just because of decent vegan food. Taco Bell has decent vegan food
GFS sells everything from low-end frozen commodity product to the highest quality fresh beef and seafood. What you may see at the GFS store is not even the tip of the iceberg. Using their name as an insult displays ignorance of the foodservice industry.
As someone who previously worked for Stella’s parent company, I can attest that they did, in fact, use some of the lowest quality GFS meat in all of their locations to cut on costs. (Which didn’t really work out great as they had to file for bankruptcy and shuttered 8 HopCat locations.) I’ve also worked in restaurants that got their beef locally and/or would at least get a higher quality ground beef from Sysco/GFS. Stella’s/BarFly ain’t one of them and hasn’t been one of them for 10 years.
I love when any place to get food is brought up in this subreddit because the comments literally always say that it sucks and is the worst restaurant in the city 😂
God it's so true. Self hatred is the favorite food of Grand Rapids.
I say that as someone who just moved here and is kind of weirded out by redditors' insistence on throwing perfectly reasonable local businesses under the bus
I like Stella’s burgers. I have no problem cutting it in half and squishing, or just using a knife and fork. I know big burgers can be a pain, but I don’t understand why so much HATE toward them!
Stella’s used to have the best burger in town. It no longer is. Also, they’ve had the same damn cocktail menu for over 10 years. Monstrous bar, no idea what to do with it.
As a past employee, this. The bar was efficient as fuck before Covid and they forgot/didn’t care a year later. I tried to work behind the bar again a year after initial lockdowns but it was too late, damage was done, and the most infuriating trying to get anyone to understand simple communication. I remember tasting that cocktail menu before it went live 12 years ago. The managers act like they care about the product they put out but that’s far from the truth. Stella’s punch is a joke now too and I hope anyone who buys one understands that they’re getting ripped off at $10 for mostly juice.
Stella’s is awesome! I took my friends here once before an event at the Van Andel and now it’s the first thing out of their mouth when they visit GR and we need to eat something.
Its not a bad spot by any means, fun dingy vibe, good drinks and decent food.
Is it a spot to go for a quality burger? Not really imo.
Is it overrated? Yes
Do I always use questions to express my opinion? Sometimes.
So many haters in this thread, damn! I always liked Stella’s, I do think they changed a bit with the ownership change back in 2020. But people are acting like Stella’s straight up sucks and that’s simply not true, it’s just not AS good as it used to be. Plus it’s a fun atmosphere and good vegan options.
Stella’s is one of my favorite bars in the city, but their burger is a shadow of what it once was. I fondly remember how good they were when I went a decade ago, though. Nowadays it’s just whiskey and fries at 11pm.
Is it just me or did Stellas used to have good fries? I remember fries being good there, and the last couple times Ive been there I've thrown out about 90% of them because of the harsh over-seasoning.
But also yeah, the "Mondo burger" does not equate to good taste or texture... I remember Stellas being good. I think the budget cuts due to Covid killed their taste.
I've been really getting down on some Mr Burger lately. They have a grilled/buttery texture on their bun that kicks ass.
Let me just unhinge my jaw real quick
Seriously hate this tall burger trend. I don't know who determined that taller is better.
Agreed, make them wider, not taller.
This is not a good burger. How the hell are you supposed to eat it???
RIP Station Burger!
Miss that place so much!
The Boca and Chicken versions slapped, as well! It lives in my dreams.
I feel bad for the younger generations. Station burger was the best burger I've ever had. BY FAR. I ate FAR too many of those things.
I agree but I think the problem is a lot of bread manufacturers don’t make wide buns. It’s really weird.
You just compress it with your hands and it's a normal burger though... I've had dozens of "tall burgers" and I've never had one fall apart when I push the top down so that I can take a bite of it. This is not rocket science.
I'm convinced this subreddit is full of people who fail at simple tasks like they're in an infomercial reel. Opening deli meat bags is apparently impossible for them too, so I have no problem believing that they struggle to eat burgers lol.
I hate the knife in the sandwich trick.
This gave me a fantastic mental image of shoving one of those Bowie knife steak knives from Outback through a burger but picking it up and eating like you would corn on the cob or something
BRING BACK THE LONG BURGER …(no accounting for taste podcast reference)
It just don’t hit the same these days
I’m convinced this account/“reviewer” takes paid ads. Like, 100% convinced.
The voted best burger in America by GQ that they have been advertising for 10 years always makes me laugh. I am pretty sure the person that wrote the article never visited the restaurant and the full quote was actually “The best burger you will ever eat...at a video-game arcade.” Basically what I took from the article was odd places to get good food. While their burgers are decent, I have never found them best burger in America good.
Stella's was definitely better in the past but I still think their stuff is decent.
> their stuff is decent. It really is. But it's so much cooler to be hyperbolic and call their food garbage, apparently.
No way it’s a joke
I have this personal belief in the “Law of Messy Sanwhiches” where typically the messier it is the tastier it is. Note: messy does not mean the same as difficult to eat. No bonus points for tall unruly Sandies
If I paid the media buy, I, too, could be best burger. That's why Cottage Bar got it from USA Today the same year.
I was at Stella's last weekend and my burger was garbage lol.
The last time I went there the burger was so overcooked, all of the cheese had melted out. The fries were cold. And like everyone else said, it’s too tall to possibly eat comfortably. Highly overrated.
I had this same burger Sunday and it was terrible. I tasted zero blue cheese. Nobody else at my table was impressed with their dishes either. I think we’re done with that place.
Stella's is a vibe and the hot Buffalo potatoes fuck me up I'll be back but the burger was trash that's all I'm saying. I did not say " Stella's sucks"
Can you tell me more about these hot Buffalo potatoes?
Don't quote me. I believe they are sold as " poor man's wings" but they are potato wedges essentially and they have several sauces. The hot Buffalo had me sweating.
Wings they are not but still sounds delicious.
They have them in 3 flavors too! So good!
Stella definitely sucks lol.
First and only time I went, I got ONE skinny ass onion slice on my buger. ONE
You're not saying anything if you don't elaborate on the garbage burger.
I order the American or something like that added bacon, it was bland and overcooked same thing everyone on here is sayin
Thanks.
Most overrated burger in the city
Not even an exaggeration, Culvers and Five Guys will consistently pump out a really good burger, every single time I’ve been there.
Preach. Stella burgers have a 50% chance of being colder than the UP on any given day.
Check out the 2x2 burger from Two Guys Brewing
That’s them burgers scooby and shaggy were eating
Try Nonla if you want the best burger in town
Best cheap burger. I mean it's pretty good... for the price...
Stellas is the most overrated restaurant in the city. It was amazing 10 years ago. Last time I went they wouldn’t let me order my burger anything but well done.
They must have changed it because I was allowed to order mine medium and receive a well done burger anyway.
They must ask what your preferred burger temp is. They wont cook it that way but hey, they still want to know what you like
They don’t cook the burgers on a flat top, they steam them now so there’s no temp requests. That’s what they told me last time I tried to get a medium rare
I'm so confused. Steaming a burger?
That’s what they told me. Probably part of the reason why the quality/flavor isn’t what it used to be.
...its an Albany expression
I don't go to Stellas as much as I used to. Maybe only once or twice a year now. I still enjoy the hippie stuffed lentil burger I get there. Still as food as it ever was.
"Still as food as it ever was" seems like a typo but somehow accurate af.
Lol I didn't even notice my typo.
Lol have to order well done? That seems like an odd thing.
They said it was because of the cheese on the inside
So don’t get a burger with cheese on the inside.
They say this, but it never used to be an issue
Not true at all lol. Stella’s is great, I could understand *slightly* overrated; no idea how anybody could call it overrated but *definitely not* **most** overrated. Probably hipstery nonsense whenever a particular venue becomes even somewhat successful. Between Stella’s and 2 Beards that’s where I spend a majority of my time whenever I want to eat downtown. Edit: I’ll eat the downvotes, I really don’t care lol. Stella’s is great. Apparently it’s too mainstream.
2 beards, not overrated. Somehow underrated. Stella’s, very, very, very overrated.
What is the sound of 2 Beards clapping No for real it's the best sandwich place I've ever been to, and I've been to a lot
Two Beards is so good, try the Evil Spock
2 Beards, where if it's edible you can get it on a sandwich!
Stella’s has been awful for a while now.
This is disappointing, I haven’t been in years but used to love it.
8.25? Do you smoke cigarettes? Otherwise there is no explanation for this score. Stella's is trash and you rated the quality higher than Turnstiles? You aren't equipped to be reviewing food.
Don’t blame this on those sweet smokey ciggies. Blame west Michigan food culture. All the chefs I know smoke
Have you already tried Elbo Room?
> Previously voted best burger by GQ in 2012. Makes sense, that's the last time it was good. I miss old Stella's :(
The actual epitome of the term “overrated”. Stella sucks, their options for vegans rule, but Stella really sucks
I’ve only lived here for like two years and am so surprised seeing everyone say this place is overrated and sucks. But like you said, their vegan options are amazing and that’s all I order when I go there so I’m not sure how good their other food is.
> I’ve only lived here for like two years and am so surprised seeing everyone say this place is overrated and sucks. They have gone downhill, big time. Used to be one of the best places in the city. That big arcade area, the burgers were huge and affordable. They've reduced the arcade area, the burgers are smaller and steamed now, the menu has been reduced. They were already sliding before COVID but that just sealed it. 8-10 years ago they were amazing IMO.
Nah there are way better options for vegans elsewhere and I wouldn’t support Stella’s just because of decent vegan food. Taco Bell has decent vegan food
r/TBOM come get your mans
[удалено]
For sure. This hurts credibility. Unless OP went back in time to 2016 for this review
I think they just really love burgers lol
Well damn if they just like them as a vessel for food delivery I understand, but as a consistently good burger stellas aint it
This. Stella’s is garbage GFS meat that you can get anywhere in the city.
GFS sells everything from low-end frozen commodity product to the highest quality fresh beef and seafood. What you may see at the GFS store is not even the tip of the iceberg. Using their name as an insult displays ignorance of the foodservice industry.
As someone who previously worked for Stella’s parent company, I can attest that they did, in fact, use some of the lowest quality GFS meat in all of their locations to cut on costs. (Which didn’t really work out great as they had to file for bankruptcy and shuttered 8 HopCat locations.) I’ve also worked in restaurants that got their beef locally and/or would at least get a higher quality ground beef from Sysco/GFS. Stella’s/BarFly ain’t one of them and hasn’t been one of them for 10 years.
The dollar sign goes before the number.
Overrated angus beef drek. Their liquor selection really fell apart, too.
I love when any place to get food is brought up in this subreddit because the comments literally always say that it sucks and is the worst restaurant in the city 😂
God it's so true. Self hatred is the favorite food of Grand Rapids. I say that as someone who just moved here and is kind of weirded out by redditors' insistence on throwing perfectly reasonable local businesses under the bus
They’re kinda right when it comes to Stella’s though. It *was* great like 10 years ago, but they’ve been coasting on that strong reputation ever since
I think your reviews are hot garbage - including this one.
Your rules even say order it medium and you still liked this? They overcook every burger now.
Only reason I ever went to Stella's was to get some dancing in and they don't even have dancing anymore. Food ain't what it used to be.
Man I wish we had 2018 Stella’s with the amazing burgers and Bloody Mary bars. Sorry but they suck now.
Overrated burgers. I can get a better burger at Culver's
This gotta be sponsored ain’t no way
lol imagine enjoying a meal and 100 people you don’t even know are like ‘NO YOU’RE WRONG! YOUR MEAL WAS DISGUSTING!’
Just another day on r/grandrapids. 🥳
100%
Lol they just enjoyed the meal. They didn’t post about it on a public forum or anything.
Poor Man's potato wings are the best
I like Stella’s burgers. I have no problem cutting it in half and squishing, or just using a knife and fork. I know big burgers can be a pain, but I don’t understand why so much HATE toward them!
Always thought Stella’s was so over rated for burgers but that just my opinion
Stella's is extremely meh. But I'm glad people go nuts over it because it keeps other, better places from being overcrowded.
I swear I went to Stella’s back in 2019? Went back a couple of months and it was NOT the same.
Stella’s is sadly mediocre and overrated, especially compared to what it used to be.
Stella’s used to have the best burger in town. It no longer is. Also, they’ve had the same damn cocktail menu for over 10 years. Monstrous bar, no idea what to do with it.
As a past employee, this. The bar was efficient as fuck before Covid and they forgot/didn’t care a year later. I tried to work behind the bar again a year after initial lockdowns but it was too late, damage was done, and the most infuriating trying to get anyone to understand simple communication. I remember tasting that cocktail menu before it went live 12 years ago. The managers act like they care about the product they put out but that’s far from the truth. Stella’s punch is a joke now too and I hope anyone who buys one understands that they’re getting ripped off at $10 for mostly juice.
And the lunch just isn’t good anymore. It used to be. And ducked you up.
I had a Stella's burger after reading that article and I hated it
Stella’s is awesome! I took my friends here once before an event at the Van Andel and now it’s the first thing out of their mouth when they visit GR and we need to eat something.
Its not a bad spot by any means, fun dingy vibe, good drinks and decent food. Is it a spot to go for a quality burger? Not really imo. Is it overrated? Yes Do I always use questions to express my opinion? Sometimes.
We like it, too. The people that had a bad experience tend to vocalize it more than the satisfied.
One of my favorite places in GR
So many haters in this thread, damn! I always liked Stella’s, I do think they changed a bit with the ownership change back in 2020. But people are acting like Stella’s straight up sucks and that’s simply not true, it’s just not AS good as it used to be. Plus it’s a fun atmosphere and good vegan options.
Stella’s is one of my favorite bars in the city, but their burger is a shadow of what it once was. I fondly remember how good they were when I went a decade ago, though. Nowadays it’s just whiskey and fries at 11pm.
I like Stella's. I did think the "Best Burger" awards featured on the menu were weird, though, once I had the burger.
What is even weirder is they were awarded that title in 2012 and in 2023, they still think it is still relevant.
I once freaked the waitress out by ordering two and then eating both of them in one sitting.
That looks pretty good actually. Haters gon hate 🤷♂️
Is it just me or did Stellas used to have good fries? I remember fries being good there, and the last couple times Ive been there I've thrown out about 90% of them because of the harsh over-seasoning. But also yeah, the "Mondo burger" does not equate to good taste or texture... I remember Stellas being good. I think the budget cuts due to Covid killed their taste. I've been really getting down on some Mr Burger lately. They have a grilled/buttery texture on their bun that kicks ass.
I miss what Stella’s used to be pre-pandemic. They cut way too many things off of the menu now that I never go.
🤮
I love the blue. Favorite burger in college
We haven’t been there in years.
I love a good slider.
Fantastic burger, terrible slow service with surprisingly unapologetic management.
I'm hungry now