Kitchen 527
AUBREE’S EXPERIENCE
Meal: Drink $8 Salad $7 Walleye $22
Bill: $ 39.22 before tip
Originally, we had planned to do our third review somewhere else. Of course, upon arrival we find out they are closed on Sunday nights which was a bummer since I was looking forward to eating there all day. I fasted and was hungry! We decided to give Kitchen 527 a try since they were on our radar as well. I was the last one to arrive, fashionably late as always. Steph and Richie had a small square table located in the front middle section of the restaurant. The temperature was a bit chilly and the lights a little bright for dinner. The vibe of this place was much like Phoenix Street with the long narrow space, bench seating that lines the wall on one side of the restaurant with tables in the middle and a chair on the other side. The white twinkle lights along the bar ceiling were cute as well as the custom wooden Kitchen 527 condiment holders at each table. There were a few other tables in the restaurant and business looked good for a Sunday night.
Our server arrived to take my drink order, I wanted to try something new in place of my usual raspberry vodka/soda so I ordered rose hibiscus gin and tonic made with a house-infused rosemary gin. Unless you like incredibly sweet drinks, I would not recommend it. I did the pass around the table to see if anyone else liked it and wanted to trade me…no luck. I stuck with my water.
Caesar salad is my favorite and there are another two other local restaurants that have a kale caesar which I love! This one I was not fond of. The style they cut the kale or the stale croutons. For my entrée, I was stuck between the whitefish or the walleye, our server recommended the walleye which is what I got. It is served pan-seared with potato fritters, the chef’s vegetable which was green beans, and a side of lemon dill white wine tartar sauce. Upon the arrival of our food, the presentation was pretty cool as the potato fritters were shaped like balls and not the usual pancake style. They seemed to have a breading on the outside and hash browns on the inside. Crispy outside and soft inside, they were very dense. The walleye was good, but nothing to write home about. It was pieces of fish broken up and too oily. There was no ramekin or presentation with the sauce just a glop on the plate as if you were at home. The green beans were just ok, a little overdone and oily as well. There was even a stray brussel sprout in them as if the chef used the same pan. I only ate a little and brought the rest home to my son which he enjoyed, he loves potatoes and raved about the fritters.
When we were finished eating, I did ask if I could place a to-go order because my friend was at work and I told her I would bring her dinner, the server told me the kitchen was closed. This was disappointing since it was 8:06 PM when I paid my bill and hours are advertised open until 9 PM on Sunday. I understand we live in a small town and it is the “off-season” but we were already there and in any business consistency is key. Overall, I was not impressed with anything during this experience, but there was nothing major that happened to make it bad. It was like they try to be different and stand out with unique items on the menu, but they aren’t executing flavor or presentation well enough to make it the type of place you expect. I know they say if you don’t have expectations you’ll never be disappointed, however, I was. Originally we were planning to eat somewhere else so my expectations were set higher, to begin with, but for me, this experience was Feast Mode Deactivated. That wouldn’t stop me from giving this place another shot in the future.
RICHIE’S EXPERIENCE:
Meal: Monster Burger with Rosemary Fries, and 2 drinks (the Dark & Stormy, and the Swank)
Bill: $32.86 before my massive tip (you know how I do it.)
What’s good you guys!? I’ll tell you what’s good….the dinner I had at this spot! This is saying something too, because the ladies and I had a VERY different craving for the night, but it didn’t pan out. Regardless (being the hungry and devoted people that we are), we powered through and ended up making an in-the-moment decision to check out Kitchen 527. Although there were a few things I wasn’t a fan of from the overall experience (brutal honesty is part of what we’ve vowed when writing these reviews), I can promise you the food was legit!!!
I want to hit you with the vibe of Kitchen 527, but let me give you some background first (because this is one of the areas that that I wasn’t 100% satisfied with). This time was actually my third time eating here, so I’m taking all three visits into consideration. Kitchen 527 has a great look and feel to be honest with you, but the layout causes the heat from the kitchen to venture out to the dining area. In their defense, it’s a COOL idea (…..see what I did there?) to have an open view of the kitchen. It lets you see the working parts of the process, and I very much dig the transparency that they’re going for. I’m a wrist watch junkie and some of my favorite watches in my collection are automatic and mechanical, which have glass backs allowing you to see their working components. Kitchen 527 has a long and narrow layout, and this open area of the kitchen is right in the middle of the restaurant. Because of this, it gets warmer than I’d prefer in there while dining. I ended up coming out of my sweatshirt within the first 15 minutes. My other two visits were toasty as well (once in the fall, and once in the dead of summer), so I feel like I had to bring it up. This is really the only gripe I have, and it didn’t seem to bother the ladies as much as it bothered me. Other than the temperature, I really liked the way they utilize the room they have. It didn’t feel cramped to me, it wasn’t too loud, and it was a great atmosphere to dine in.
Regarding service, I have zero complaints! Our waitress Shelby was on it! I feel like she was super friendly, gave us great recommendations, and was quick with the drinks and food. She definitely made sure we didn’t go too long without being checked on, and her attitude was upbeat and happy. I wish I had more to say, but it’s as clean cut as that. A good waitress simply speaks for themselves, and everyone speaks that language when it happens.
Now to the main event, which is this damn burger!!!! This burger is called the Monster Burger for a reason! It’s a $15 beast of a sandwich consisting of a half pound patty topped with bacon-onion jam and BBQ sauce. If you noticed, I didn’t mention cheese as a topping. Now, you’re probably wondering “What the @#%$?!?! No CHEESE on a $15 burger!?” Well, I didn’t mention it because there’s cheese in the buns. Except……they’re not really buns, they’re friggin grilled cheese sandwiches!! Yep, a grilled cheese sandwich on top, and another one on the bottom. Grilled cheese sandwiches. As buns. *Spoiler Alert--I love this!!!* Who thinks of doing this, honestly?! Well anyways….it plays. It’s a wonderful idea, it’s a wonderful taste, and it’s a wonderful experience. This is one of the things they're known for, and I’m not surprised. The only complaint I could even come up with (and I’m really reaching with this one) is that it’s huge! I cut this bad boy right in half, gave the ladies each a quarter of it, and was STILL happy I wore stretchy jeans. It’s a very filling sandwich (Sandwiches? Sandwich Inception?), and it’s so tasty that you can’t even really complain that it’s too much to eat in a single sitting. You’re really just happy that there’s more to have later (if you’re not the sharing type). I feel bad that I haven’t even really mentioned the rosemary fries that came with it, because they’re delicious too!! They are these small, skinny, perfectly textured fries covered in a perfect amount of rosemary. They are about the size of a shoestring potato, so it’s hard not to grab them in bunches and shove them in your face. They very much play a supporting cast member to the burger, but honestly what side dish wouldn’t?
Of course, we can’t give you the FULL experience of this place without trying the drinks, and we REFUSE to do our readers a disservice! I showed up in a sweet and spicy mood, so I went with the Dark and Stormy right out the gate. This is a rum drink with ginger beer, lime, and shaved ginger on top. It really hit the spot, and went down pretty smooth. The other drink I had during dinner was the Swank, which had pomegranate liqueur, Campari, and grapefruit juice in it. This one was actually sweet and refreshing, with a mild mix of tartness. I liked them both, but the Swank ended up being my favorite of the two. Both of these were well mixed, and gave you your money’s worth without being overly boozy. I’d definitely recommend their drinks if you were out on the town looking for a place to check out!
So to wrap up my experience at Kitchen 527, I can definitely say I’d recommend checking them out. The only complaints I have in my overall experience was the temperature when dining in (which was my personal experience from multiple visits), and possibly the price range. Again, the ladies didn’t seem to mind the temperature, so I may just be nitpicking. The pricing concern is only to give you a fair assessment of what to expect. In their defense I DID order two $8 drinks, but for two drinks and a burger, I can see where some people may be put off with a $32 bill for just one person. I have absolutely zero complaints with regards to the food, drinks, or service. I have friends that love this place above all others, and I can definitely see why they feel that way. I know they’ve given me a bar to compare other unique and wild ideas for burgers, that’s for damn sure!!!
STEPH’S EXPERIENCE:
Meal: Pan Seared Salmon, Avocado Fries, and a drink (The Swank)
Bill: $40.28 before tip
I’m pretty sure I was the only one of us three who hadn’t been to Kitchen 527 before our tasting experience. Yes, I’ve lived in SH for basically my whole life (minus 10 years in GR), no I have not been to every restaurant… This is why we are here, right?? Anywho, I’m going to second Richie’s statements on the vibe. I actually loved the decor and and feel, however, I don’t know if I would be too keen to eat here in the middle of summer as I can easily see it getting uncomfortably warm. I was wearing a cropped hoodie and was comfortable but, any hotter and I would likely have been too warm. So, if you run warm, you may want to dress in layers so that you’re comfortable. However, being able to see into the kitchen is definitely a dope experience.
Shelby was so sweet and knowledgeable about the menu. She was able to give us recommendations and answer any questions we had. The entire vibe of the restaurant was welcoming, all the way down to the staff. For my drink, I ordered The Swank. It is made with pomegranate liqueur, Campari, and grapefruit juice. I HIGHLY recommend this drink! It would be especially refreshing in the summertime as it definitely tastes like grapefruit without being overly boozy but still packs a punch. This is one of those drinks that you need to be careful with or you’ll get caught off-guard when you stand up, if you know what I mean…
For the food: I ordered the appetizer of avocado fries. Literally what they sound like: breaded slices of avocado, fried, and served with green goddess dressing. I low-key became obsessed with these! The breading was perfect while the avo was nice and creamy on the inside. I even reheated them in the microwave a couple days later and, while it got a little mushy, the avo didn’t brown and the flavor was still there! My main course was the pan seared salmon with the chef’s vegetable (a mix of green beans, shredded carrots, and Brussel sprouts), and wild rice. The salmon was topped with a peppered maple glaze that was almost like a crust (I honestly don’t know how to describe it). The rice was… rice and the veggies tasted fresh and I rather enjoyed them. The salmon I actually REALLY enjoyed! The glaze was a little sweet but very flavorful and the salmon was very well cooked. Not dry at all, very different from any other version of salmon I’ve had at a restaurant before, and I would definitely have it again!
Only thing I found weird was that the kitchen closed at 8 pm. I’m not sure if it’s just a Sunday/off-season thing or what but I feel like they are selling themselves short by having such minimal hours. I really hope they keep it open longer in the summer! If you can stand the heat, I def recommend trying out Kitchen 527!
Kitchen 527
527 Phoenix Street, South Haven, MI 49090
(269) 637-7527
A casual, New American restaurant
Hours:
Closed Mon - Wed
Thurs 4 pm - 9 pm
Fri 12 pm - 10 pm
Sat 12 pm - 10 pm
Sun 12 pm - 8 pm
