Joe V’s Sports Louge is a decent place to have a beer and watch a game. It’s a bit dark, with lots of TV’s, and a friendly wait staff and bartenders.
It can get a bit loud – the place has been packed since the closing of the Stockbridge Pub just down the street. I’ve been there when it’s both packed full, and when it’s completely dead. Big plus: when it was dead, they unlocked the pool table, and my wife and I played for a few hours. We definitely made up the loss in pool money with the gain in beer sales that day.
When it is very busy, expect slightly poorer service than at a typical “busy” restaurant: Joe V’s has a tendency to under-staff. You’ll get served, and your food is always right, but when busy, it definitely takes time to get everything going.
This is more bar than restaurant. That said, they have a decent sized menu, including the typical pub/bar foods: pizza, subs, burgers. They have several beers on tap, which are always well chilled. Even in dead times, I’ve never had a stale or warm beer, which really says something in Grand Rapids.
If you expect quick service, this is probably a two or three star restaurant for you. If you like bars, games, noise, and pizza, five stars.
