The coffee here warms your soul on a deep level. I have never tasted such rich flavor before. Also the people are friendly and knowledgeable.

Been a regular since my college days back in the late 00s - dependable spot with great service.

We stopped in on our way through town. We were encouraged by the comfortable atmosphere and the fact that there were a lot of customers on a Sunday night. Great menu with lots of choices. The drinks were great, but the best part was the barista. He was super friendly and did a great job! We own a coffee shop in Iowa and wish we had him on our staff.

The Bitter End is A coffee house that is open 24 hours a day, making it an ideal location to study, or to have a coffee and start the day after a long night out on the town. Located right by Grand Valley State University, it is an ideal place to stop by to get your morning fix before class. They have novels to read in case you forgot to bring your own, and a selection of boardgames to play if you are looking for some group fun. In addition to selling coffee by the cup, they also have beans you can take home, and assorted snacks like bagels and chips.The decor and atmosphere is reminiscent of the 90s, and has a comforting nostalgic vibe to it. If you are looking for a good latte to enjoy whether its morning or night, youve found it.

Great place to get some coffee or tea, they even do old fashion sodas. Open 24/7.

Absolutely the best frozen coffee in all of Grand Rapids! I had their frozen kona mocha and it was FABULOUS! I highly recommend this coffee house.

Nice little grungy coffee shop with about a bajillion coffee combinations. Fun art on the walls, open 24 hours and friendly staff! Perfect spot to meet a friend, read your news paper or do homework.

We love this coffee shop, but... This visit the server either was having a serious nerve issue or was quite high on some form of stimulant. She was almost painful to watch, to the point that we avoided ordering or normally more complex beverages to avoid the show.. Then the drip carafes were mislabeled so I got a flavored cup instead of the darker roast that I had chosen..No big deal, we will be back.. But I hope that whatever was going on she gets help.

Cutest place ever, so unique and inviting. The barista was an absolute doll loved his positive attitude. Wasn’t sure what to get so he made me a frozen chai with blueberry and hazelnut and I absolutely loved it. Best chai I’ve ever had! Will definitely be back.

My favorite coffee spot! The coffee and vibe here are choice (and the price point makes it easy to frequent). The decor is perfect, always keeps me looking at the lil details that make this place so cool. Dez and Alex are the baristas I interact with most, they’re both gems! Always friendly, and puts a smile on my face when I come in and get to chat with em. Glad this place made it thru covid, GR would be sorry to lose it.

Bitter End is BITTER TODAY!I come here often for their Chai Tea, however, today will be the last. The barista Emily was rude because she had to remake my Chai tea. If you listened to the customer (VOTC) the first time you wouldny be so sour. She raises her voice at me, then w/attitude snatched my debit card. When I asked to speak with the manager, she asked why, what is it that you need now? The employee goes to the back to the shop and I can hear her giving an inaccurate narrative. Emily comes back out stating the manager refuses to comes out, shes busy. Disappointing and apparent that customers arent valued. Then, the barista escalates the interaction with me. Now! The entire coffee shop is leaning in acknowleding the poor customer service and rudeness. Finally, the manager appears, although uninterested in my experience. And stated the buck stops here and no intention to address my areas of concern nor an apology. Then suggested I must be having a bad day deflecting the issue at hand. Train your employees to execute customer service with excellence.I will not return. Every customers experience should matterDO NOT COME HERE ON SUNDAYS!!RESPONSE TO OWNER: Surprised! Be honest - youre not surprise. How can you be surprised when I told you I would write a review regarding my exchange, PERHAPS, this would explain why you didnt provided the correct name of your barista.Correction: You nor your barista offered no apology. The line. The line grew due to your refusal to come out to extend service to a customer. If I conducted myself as you suggested you wouldve responded immediately. The truth of the matter is I was calm and collected despite the aggressive behavior of your employee when she returned from speaking with you in the back. You werent far and could clearly hear, as I heard your barista speaking to you. When you did finally come out, you stated the bucks stopped here, and what did I want, that I must be having bad day and excused the behavior of an employee. Deflecting my experience to me having a bad day instead of an learning opportunity for an employee.If you were to inquire of any of your other employees about the Chai tea lady (I always state 3/4 chai w/oat milk, whip cream w/cinnamon and nutmeg sprinkled on top) they would tell what a great customer I am, how they enjoy my presence and a great tipper.It was clear you didnt care about me as a customer then. And in this response trying to express parallel to what you did on Sunday, that somehow I was at fault, and should be appreciate that my drink was remade (I use to come in weekly and order the same drink and never had an issue); that somehow I am a mad black woman who was extremely difficult. When in fact I was courtesy and patient, as one of your customers who sat at the window came out to tell me.Its apparent as a very small business owner you dont value the customer experience, and regrettably, as a minority-woman owned business you wouldnt value the voice of another woman of color, but try to stereotype me and the encounter. Clearly, a lack of professionalism, leadership, cultural intelligence, etc. DO BETTER!And, yes, I found a phenomenal Chai Tea - Sparrow Coffee & Tea on Wealthy Street.

Absolutely love the decor. The drinks are great and there is soo much to choose from. Friendly and helpful staff!

Decent drinks and plenty of little snacks but, sometimes, the art in coffee and tea is a little bit lost at the Bitter End.Edit: To clarify, the atmosphere and artwork are both wonderful here - I really appreciated the coaster art. What disappointed me a bit was the way Herba Matte was brewed and how the coffee doesnt meet my tastes. I was just surprised the staff didnt seem as knowledgeable as expected, but its still a neat place.

Great Coffee. Great service. Ecclectic feel. No regrets trying it out spur of the moment. Also 24 hrs for the win! Do not hesitate to try it out!

I met up with a friend here for a business meeting. We were going to split a coffee. The barista would not let me have the wifi password because we split a coffee and then kicked us out when we all tried to use wifi. Coffee was also watery and burnt

Great coffee and an interesting and pleasant environment for talking or pulling an all-nighter.

Coffee house that has limited food. Its a great place to study and be social.

Great coffee...and amazing ambience!

Friendly service. Great that it is open 24 /7 quite rare for a cafe

Good company, great service... Very specific vibes that are inviting to most on the westside!!! Plus cant beat those hours.

Cool vibe, inventive menu; I liked the little display of different teas you could purchase. Also they have vegan muffins which is always a great option.

Frappes here are to die for. The workers are super friendly and want to make you have a great experience. Would absolutely recommend.

The inside decorations were so cute and vintage feeling. I asked the barista what his favorites were and he gave well rounded options that hit all the different pallets.

Great Bulletproof coffee. Server friendly and engaging.

This review used to be four stars. I upped the rate because Ive been more than impressed with it after several visits. A few things of note: (1) The service is great! Des is a great barista and enjoys talking with patrons. (1) the atmosphere is excellent. Its clear they put a lot of thought into the design of their decor, ambience, and style. (2) the coffee they use is also excellent. They keep it fair trade and try to find organics as best they can. (3) their philosophy is astounding. I always appreciate a coffeehouse that is intentional about the ethical sourcing of their products. Additionally, they only provide their coffees in-store and do not sell their produce online or en masse to large clients. This enables them to provide the best roasting in small doses for those blessed enough to enjoy their coffee in-store. I definitely recommend this place for customers and cofee-enjoyers who care about ethics and want to contribute to economic justice by buying their coffees. Best coffee Ive had west of the Grand River!

Coffee is alright! Employees are great! Still will never go back after the owner fired employees because they didn’t want to get Covid.

Its a great spot and arguably a founding part of downtown grand rapids as it is today. Many a night has been spent here during college by everyone I know. That being said, ownership almost intentionally refuse to fix the rapidly deteriorating wifi situation. Every time I come to the shop I am surrounded by people complaining about the wifi and asking the hapless barista to restart it. People spend 10+ minutes diagnosing wifi issues, and ultimately tethering to their phones. Ive sent emails to the address listed on the website, no dice. Have some respect for the patrons who support your business, upgrade your router, cable modem, and internet plan.

Great little place. A special kind of class, and cool. Loved it.

The baristas were super friendly but the owner had this terrible odor that just killed the whole vibe. Pretty sure they had D.N. :/

The baristas at The bitter end are always so thoughtful and detail-oriented, very friendly and personable, and really make you feel welcome when you step in the door. I adore coming here, and lucky for me because its 2 minutes from my house. Exceptional!

AMAZING drinks and great food!!! Cheapest coffee place Ive been to in a while as well! So much character ❤️ my new favorite getaway.

Still remains my favorite coffeehouse in grand rapids for over a decade

The best place ever. Every single barista who works here is exceptional, theyre all super kind. Atmosphere is very soft and calm, very large beverage menu, and the baked goods are incredible. Can get busy but is open 24/7 so you literally go whenever you want. (My review is a reflection of the workers, not the owners.)

Love this place! A true gem 💎

I’m a big fan of this coffee shop. It’s cozy and a great place to study. All the drinks I’ve tried taste great, and I love the vegan muffins! My only issue with the place is it’s sometimes hard to get a table because it’s too crowded, and sometimes the internet runs slow. Otherwise, perfect coffeehouse.

Absolute jem of downtown. Its a great place to go on a rainy day. They have handmade sodas, fantastic lattes, and a great ambiance. The customers are incredibly polite too. Literally had a guy offer to give up his table for me and two other people so wed have more room. They have board games, bagels, and free WiFi. Highly recommend!

Very nice place!

The omelette sandwich was not at all as described, my coffee tasted like regular Maxwell House or equivalent. Im not joking. I dont get it.My wife did like the microwave frozen corndog though. So not all bad.

The drip coffee selection is phenomenal. I love the ambience (1930s interior: wood walls, tall ceiling with stylized tin squares covering, with a floor made of tiny tiles, and eclectic art on the walls). And, its 24 hours. I wish I could teleport to GR every day to enjoy this place.

This place is absolutely magical. The barista Liam, I believe his name was, is also an astounding human being that made the experience that much better. Definitely will be back.

Cute place with a cool barista.

My favorite coffee place. Please go back to being open 24hrs.

Friendly and helpful service, was a quiet place at around 6:45a

Great menu and great coffee!

Coffee Coffee Coffee! If you like coffee, go to this brewer. I personally like dark coffee and they had exactly what I was looking for. Wide selection, friendly atmosphere.

The best Coffee place in the city!

This charming coffee house is busy 24/7! Coffee is great and the service is fantastic. Lots of students study here.

Great staff and amazing coffee. Bonus that they are open 24 hours, one of my favorite coffee spots in GR.

Open 24 hours and serves hot beverages. What else could one want when studying for twelve hours straight? Please, for the love of God, upgrade the Wifi speed. Its the same connection youve had since 2007.

Amazing coffee, love the vibes! Perfect for late nights and chill outside

Great Great coffee, Great atmosphere and really cool that the building used to be a bank. Nice barista as well!

Awesome little spot.

Why did no one tell me this existed? Its cozy, warm, TWENTY-FOUR HOURS, the staff is friendly and outgoing, the decor is aesthetically pleasing and eclectic. SHOP LOCAL. Its only 15 minutes from my job and is close to downtown. How perfect is that?

Best chai tea in grand rapids, among other things to of course! Cant go wrong with the cozy aesthetics either.

The Bitter End is a great spot for a study, people do talk so bring headphones. Also! They dont have to stay cups, so remember your to go mug.

Cozy, quiet atmosphere. Great for studying with an excellent selection of lattes, all made with a smooth espresso blend.

Lovely servers that help you figure out what you want and accommodate your needs. Amazing atmosphere and overall a good place to just hang.

The place has a cozy feel. The barista was amazing and the coffee spectacular.

The esta establishment is clean and home-like. A very welcoming and calm atmosphere. Its a bit noisy with one of the machines they run but overall I really enjoyed my time there talking with a friend. A lot of college kids doing homework. The beverages are delicious and worth trying.

Cozy atmosphere. Quaint little coffee shop open 24/7 with a wide selection of hot and cold beverages. Gets a lot of student clientele. Prices are fair, and with ample parking in a lot directly across the street, there’s not much to find fault with here.

I love everything about this place except not always getting a seat because it’s usually busy—for a reason! Great coffee, diverse, helpful menu. I especially appreciate the skinny versions of some of their standards. LOVE this place! It’s a real gem. Now I want coffee...

My favorite part about this place is that it’s 24 HRS and has an old time feel to it. Just a small little brick building, but has the right amount of seating. I went hoping for some photos and was not able to complete that adventure because it was missing one important element. Coffee cups LOL. Like actual mugs of some sort. They use disposable every day cups. Totally understandable as it cuts down on labor and cost, but I would’ve enjoyed that. Service was good. About the same pricing on drinks as expected pretty much anywhere.

With delicious coffee at modest prices you can expect to find a huge selection of various lattes, brews, tea, frapps, and more. I could go on and on about the huge selection! If nothing suits your fancy then simply ask to have your coffee made to order! Staff is super courteous and knows every little detail about any drink you could want. This place is a must visit if youre ever anywhere in Grand Rapids.

My favorite place to be. I have so much love for the bitter end. Id honestly love to work there. Great environment. Great workers. Always warm and cozy and have gotten me through school, a break up, and so much more. Chi tea latte is sooo yummy! Fair prices and amazing artwork.

Ive been going to this place for years and absolutely love it. It has a homey grungy vibe to it which I really love but if you want a more polished experience this might not be your favorite place. It is open 24/7 which is very helpful for us night owls.

Loved the vibe

The coffees are delicious and fresh, the prices are affordable and the service is fast.

Experience was not the best. Friendly staff overall, but there is a problem with consistency in the drinks. Half of the time Im there, the drinks taste perfect. But the other half of the time, the coffee is bitter and undrinkable because the shots have been sitting too long without any milk to balance the flavor. Ive loved the Bitter End for years, but the consistency needs to improve.

A unique coffee house, eclectically decorated, of whomsts staff goes above and beyond.

This place is always here when I need it. Greatest 24 hour coffee shop in a 20 mile radius probably. Find me something better and Ill give it a shot.As a general coffee shop, its got good specials, the atmosphere is pretty chill if youre into dim lighting and jukebox music. (minus the jukebox sadly...) great place to study or chill.

Not the worst place in Grand Rapids for Coffee, but truth told, its not far off. The seating is generally packed or nearly full. Environment is moderately ideal for working/studying, but with varying volume and chatter its more a space for casual coffee with a friend. That said, my coffee experience here has been rather poor. My espresso has consistently been over-extracted and I dont believe the baristas have anywhere near the level of training as is standard in this area. Milks are always either scalded and overstretched, often times both. Lastly, its sad to say but the staff is consistently rather moody and rude. Ive been in a number of times hoping to have just caught them on bad days at first, but it seems thats just a factor of the work culture here. Id love to push people in due to their fair trade support and products, not to mention location to campus while still on the west side, but until the culture and quality changes, I say pick another cafe. A true bitter place to be.

Coffee was delicious. Some college students studying, some people meeting for the first time. If you dont mind a little background noise its the perfect place. It was really busy on a Sunday night. Pretty impressive. ( bathroom was not working-reason for 4stars)

Rustic vibes.Cozy.Good coffee and service

If you like Starbucks, you will love this place :-) we definitely went in because of the name, it does not disappoint! Very quaint, great service, good people. Also, open 24 hours! Huge Plus! I am sorry I did not take pictures to show you the lovely decor and warmth that is this shop.

Love the ambiance, and I absolutely LOVE that all of the coffee is fair trade. This is the perfect place to study, but not necessarily to socialize. Its small inside and it gets full very quickly, and sometimes it can be a little slow due to only one staff member usually being there.

Hipster college age 24 hour coffee shop inside a bank building from 1900.Many types of coffee. I had dark Hawaiian.Many hipster snacks.Cool vibe. Small tables. Was packed from 8-1030pm.

Quaint little local place. Seems to be a pretty popular hangout for the college crowd. Some excellent specialty drinks along with basic brewed coffee in several varieties. A few tables outside on the sidewalk in the summer.

Open 24 hours with an endless list of drink possibilities. A bit overwhelming for the first timer but just take everything in. Quite and cozy, mostly filled with college students or business peoples. A few outside seats are nice even next to the busy road. Some food options available as well. Staff isnt unpleasant but not overly friendly. Always left happy!

Coffee is good I got the signature latte the peppermint/vanilla and also tried the salted caramel and vanilla cappuccino caramel and milky way theyre good they have good coffee I highly recommend

I must admit the name, while catchy, made me avoid this place for a long time. Recently a client asked to meet there and I accepted. Loved it!Not being a coffee nut myself I had a freeze that was delicious! Fast, friendly service. Great atmosphere. Ignore the name and enjoy a great local treasure!

This is my absolute favorite coffee shop! It has a unique ambiance with satirical, local, and antique art. It also has a wide range of choices for beverages, and even some food items! The vegan muffins are the best muffins I have ever tasted, and the specialty espresso drinks are phenomenal. My advice to everyone would be to try The Spotted Owl!

Good place to get coffee and study. They have a lot of coffee variety and the overall atmosphere of the café promotes quiet studying and socializing alike. The staff is friendly but at times tends to be a little cramped.

Great environment to get some homework done. Peaceful and relaxing setting with some great coffee.

Adorable. Tiny little college town coffee shop with a great atmosphere and great menu.

The coffee here is great! Cute little coffee shop, staff is very friendly, place is clean and prices are very reasonable. Its a great place to sit and study or work, especially since their open 24 hours. They do have limited seating and they arent too far from GVSU so their is a lot of students here on a regular basis. If your a coffee lover or student, I recommend giving this place a try!

Cute little place, emphasis on the little. Its so cool theyre open 24 hours!

Overall, I would rate The Bitter End as very okay.What I enjoy most about this location is the environment. The interior is visually appealing, with dark wood and vintage decorations. It is great for studying; there are many seating options & the ones lining the walls all have their own lamps.However, if you are looking for a place with good coffee, this is not the place. The espresso is very sub par, the steamed milk does not have good texture, & the flavored drinks are very sweet & syrup-heavy. The one drink that Ive had here that Ive liked was the chai latte. You may have better luck with their tea or drip coffee.Other points worth noting are that (1) there is a parking lot very conveniently located across the street & (2) in my opinion, the drinks are rather pricey for the quality. Also, many of the other reviews comment on the service here, saying that it is bad, but I have never had an issue.In all, this is not somewhere I will frequent. Though I like the atmosphere, it is not quite worth the cost of having to buy a drink each time I visit.

Excellent drinks and friendly service. Games for you to play while you chat with friends and have coffee! Husband and I make a point to stop when we are in the area.

24/7 coffee shop on the west side of GR. Its quaint with yummy drinks, however, parking is not easy. There is a side lot a block over most people use. They get a lot of college kid business for the free WiFi with a purchase, however, it is so crowded! They over packed tables in there to sit as many people as possible in their space and its just annoying sometimes. You cant move without bumping into someone or the chair behind you.

Great vibes. Great options. Great coffee.

Love this local coffee shop. Convenient to walk to, although there is ample parking. I appreciate that it is 24 hours. Makes late nights studying a lot nicer. Staff members are friendly, quick, and clean. Only complaint is there never seems to be enough Rocket Fuel coffee!

I love that this place is 24 hours but it has a really strange vibe. The tables are so close together, so many people are studying you feel like socializing is not an option, and it could really use a more relaxed inside atmosphere. Its not welcoming.

Great after hours cafe. Nice wooden structure. Might of been a house at one time. Cool art on the walls to keep your eyes busy.

Awesome building full of character. Love that its 24/7! At 11pm on a Friday the place was a buzz with people chatting, playing cards, on the internet etc. The drinks were delicious 👍

Very small and crowded inside. Decent menu selection but the drink I had was okay but didnt really taste like what I expected it to taste like based on menu description. On the plus side they have a shelf of board games (including, oddly enough, a Ouija board...) and books. It was quiet, almost weirdly so. Good prices, its close to John Ball Zoo.

This place is open 24 hours lots of students from GVSU go there. Its kind of chic and trendy. Take some extra time when you go there and read the whole menu, it is very detailed and kind of fun. Lots of memorabilia hanging all around the location and is just an interesting place to be. Start frequenting it because youll need to go a few times to take it all in. I love it! And love to stop by there when Im cruising the hot rod or buggy.

Unique local coffeehouse with many great options!

Very hipster place. Its become very popular over the years and at any time of the day or night its pretty darn full of college students with laptops or bussiness men. I use to go here with friends to chill, and talk but now I feel like I go there to be silent but the coffee makes it worth.

Good hole in the wall coffee shop! Great service and varied clientele. Chai latte is a good choice here too.

Great coffee for an okay price. Little cramped seating. Definitely a hotspot for gvsu students coming to study. great service Phil and they serve fair trade coffee as well as a nice selection of teas and other beverages. They also serve a little food.