On Mar. 5, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services decided to allow indoor dining at restaurants as long as the capacity did not exceed fifty percent or 100 people in total. However, with the rise of new COVID variants and the recent uptick in cases throughout Michigan, choosing a restaurant with outdoor seating is still a safer bet. According to health professionals, indoor dining typically carries a higher risk of COVID transmission.

Thankfully, several restaurants close to Calvin’s campus have outdoor seating available. You can take advantage of the warm spring weather by treating yourself to a meal on a local restaurant patio.

The Omelette Shoppe in Breton Village specializes in breakfast foods like benedicts, skillets, and quiches. 

Big Bob’s Pizza in the East Grand Rapids Gaslight Village offers sandwiches and wraps, subs, pastas, and burritos in addition to their “legendary” pizzas. 

If you continue down Wealthy St. into Eastown and beyond, you can explore a variety of outdoor dining options at restaurants such as Terra GR, Winchester, Royals, Donkey Taqueria, and The Green Well. 

Terra GR prepares sustainable meals with foods sourced from local farms. Winchester has a Monday Night Burger Night special. Royals serves corned beef hash, biscuits and gravy, and waffles for their 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily brunch. Donkey Taqueria sells many types of Mexican foods such as tacos, tortas, and tostadas. Turn onto Cherry St. from Lake Dr. to find The Green Well, which is currently the fifth highest rated Grand Rapids restaurant on Tripadvisor. 

If you’d rather not eat on location, catering and food delivery options are available at most Grand Rapids restaurants. And if you’re looking for a cheap and fast meal as opposed to a more expensive sit-down one, make sure to check out nearby food trucks by following the Grand Rapids Food Truck Association on Facebook.