Cranker's Brewery
213 S State St
Big Rapids, Michigan, 49307-1758
United States
(231) 796-1919 | map
crankersbrewery.com
The entrance to the brewpub is at the rear of the building behind the restaurant which faces the street. There is additional parking at the rear.
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Reviewed by QianBokSubai from Michigan
3.56/5 rDev +3.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.25 | food: 4
3.56/5 rDev +3.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.25 | food: 4
Limited selection of beer, but everything I tried was good. Food menu is pretty varied and everyone at the table was happy with their meal. A welcome destination when I'm outside of Beer CIty.
Sep 06, 2017
Rated by Billydoughnuts from Michigan
3.33/5 rDev -3.2%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.25
3.33/5 rDev -3.2%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.25
Some one off brews are ok, food is best from the diner, the breakfast in particular.
Feb 03, 2016
Reviewed by bushbeer75 from Michigan
3.46/5 rDev +0.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.25 | food: 3.25
3.46/5 rDev +0.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.25 | food: 3.25
Crankers Restaurant and Brewery is a full service restaurant and brewery. The brewery is connected to the restaurant. There are two separate entrances, one directly to the brewery and one to the restaurant.
The restaurant primarily serves American fare and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Crankers serves breakfast anytime which I took advantage of. The breakfast of eggs, hash browns, sausage, and toast was of average quality and value.
The brewery has kind of a pub/sports bar feel and atmosphere. Their open taps were a blonde, IPA, Stout, and Irish Red Ale. I had their easy drinking Bulldog Irish Rd Ale that was right on style.
My visit at Crankers was an enjoyable one and would recommend a stop-in if in the Big Rapids area.
Oct 10, 2015The restaurant primarily serves American fare and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Crankers serves breakfast anytime which I took advantage of. The breakfast of eggs, hash browns, sausage, and toast was of average quality and value.
The brewery has kind of a pub/sports bar feel and atmosphere. Their open taps were a blonde, IPA, Stout, and Irish Red Ale. I had their easy drinking Bulldog Irish Rd Ale that was right on style.
My visit at Crankers was an enjoyable one and would recommend a stop-in if in the Big Rapids area.
Reviewed by pingwin from Indiana
3.35/5 rDev -2.6%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 4 | service: 2.75 | selection: 3.25 | food: 4
3.35/5 rDev -2.6%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 4 | service: 2.75 | selection: 3.25 | food: 4
The beers here are not earth-shattering. After saying that I do think they make some good brew. I tried all of their offerings except for the all day ipa. All are very drinkable and enjoyable. We had a little bit of a rough start with the service, but for whatever reason our servers were switched up and things were uphill from there. The food is reasonably priced and very good. I have to recommend the bbq (especially the chicken) and the Professor IPA. I will be back next time I'm up in Big Rapids.
Jun 18, 2015
Rated by Brandonparrent from Michigan
3.95/5 rDev +14.8%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4
3.95/5 rDev +14.8%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4
getting a better selection every year.
Jan 01, 2015
Reviewed by PapaGoose03 from Michigan
3.38/5 rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 3
3.38/5 rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 3
My wife and I visited this brewery to check out their beers and have lunch. The brewery was built next to the Cranker's Restaurant, but the direct entrance into the brewery is from the rear of the building. However, you can also get into the pub by going thru the restaurant. There is plenty of parking.
The pub has a nice atmosphere, like that of a beer hall with the long tables in rows and an open-space feeling that is created by the high, peaked ceiling. A nicely-detailed bar with shelves full of beer glasses also adds to the feel.
The brewing equipment is mostly in the section of the building that you pass through when you come in from the rear entrance, but there is also a mezzanine that overlooks the pub, and it has three fermenters up there that are visible, and that also adds to the brewery atmosphere.
There were only four beers available when we were there -- an IPA, a Munich Blonde, a Stout, and an Irish Red. The Blonde was said to be their light-flavored beer to satisfy the mass market beer crowd, but it had good flavor that surpasses most crafted light beers. The other beers were pretty much spot-on for their style, but nothing was in the spectacular category. Pint prices ranged from $3.75 (the red and the blonde), to $4 for the stout, and $4.50 for the IPA. Growlers are also available but I didn't ask about the cost, although it probably varies with the beer selected.
The food menu is probably a selection of items that are available in the attached restaurant, but I didn't compare menus to be able to say for sure. The Coney dog is a good Coney dog, and that is what I was after.
It was not busy when we were there so the service was vary good. The server seemed to know a fair amount of information about the beers, but did not seem able to answer more precise question about the brewing.
It was a good visit, and I think that anyone would enjoy going here as long as you don't expect to find 'outstanding' beers.
Jul 07, 2012The pub has a nice atmosphere, like that of a beer hall with the long tables in rows and an open-space feeling that is created by the high, peaked ceiling. A nicely-detailed bar with shelves full of beer glasses also adds to the feel.
The brewing equipment is mostly in the section of the building that you pass through when you come in from the rear entrance, but there is also a mezzanine that overlooks the pub, and it has three fermenters up there that are visible, and that also adds to the brewery atmosphere.
There were only four beers available when we were there -- an IPA, a Munich Blonde, a Stout, and an Irish Red. The Blonde was said to be their light-flavored beer to satisfy the mass market beer crowd, but it had good flavor that surpasses most crafted light beers. The other beers were pretty much spot-on for their style, but nothing was in the spectacular category. Pint prices ranged from $3.75 (the red and the blonde), to $4 for the stout, and $4.50 for the IPA. Growlers are also available but I didn't ask about the cost, although it probably varies with the beer selected.
The food menu is probably a selection of items that are available in the attached restaurant, but I didn't compare menus to be able to say for sure. The Coney dog is a good Coney dog, and that is what I was after.
It was not busy when we were there so the service was vary good. The server seemed to know a fair amount of information about the beers, but did not seem able to answer more precise question about the brewing.
It was a good visit, and I think that anyone would enjoy going here as long as you don't expect to find 'outstanding' beers.
Reviewed by buschbeer from Ohio
3.85/5 rDev +11.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
3.85/5 rDev +11.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
I checked this place out while visiting my grandfather. He told me it had only been open for a few weeks. According to Gramps, it was a popular restaurant that added on a pub and brewing operations.
We walked in and had to pass through the restaurant to enter the pub. It was modern and had a sports bar/beer hall feel to it. I got there around 2pm on Memorial Day and is was sparsely populated. Just the way I like it. I ordered a sampler which consisted of an Irish ale, a blonde, a stout, and an ipa. Good beers nothing spectacular.
I asked the waitress a little about the brewery and she asked if we wanted a tour. The owner was there and took a group of five of us to the production part of the building. It is a small operation and he said they were going to start bottling in two weeks. Distribution would be within a 50 mile radius. He told of plans to add a bigger patio as well.
Well back to the pub. Grandpa and I split a couple appetizers. He was disappointed that they were out of jalapeno poppers. It's hard to judge food based on deep fried appetizers, but as I mentioned before, Grandpa said it was a popular restaurant first.
I enjoyed the visit based on the impromptu tour and the owners optimism about the emerging brewpub. Bell's and Founders may make great beer, but I love the enthusiasm of an up and comer. That's what makes the little guys special.
Jun 04, 2012We walked in and had to pass through the restaurant to enter the pub. It was modern and had a sports bar/beer hall feel to it. I got there around 2pm on Memorial Day and is was sparsely populated. Just the way I like it. I ordered a sampler which consisted of an Irish ale, a blonde, a stout, and an ipa. Good beers nothing spectacular.
I asked the waitress a little about the brewery and she asked if we wanted a tour. The owner was there and took a group of five of us to the production part of the building. It is a small operation and he said they were going to start bottling in two weeks. Distribution would be within a 50 mile radius. He told of plans to add a bigger patio as well.
Well back to the pub. Grandpa and I split a couple appetizers. He was disappointed that they were out of jalapeno poppers. It's hard to judge food based on deep fried appetizers, but as I mentioned before, Grandpa said it was a popular restaurant first.
I enjoyed the visit based on the impromptu tour and the owners optimism about the emerging brewpub. Bell's and Founders may make great beer, but I love the enthusiasm of an up and comer. That's what makes the little guys special.
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