Café 36

Right now, this is the first restaurant I suggest to people in Kalamazoo. I believe Café 36 is the top restaurant when considering service and food. The ambiance is wonderful. The mix of black booths and white chairs makes the room look clean and modern. The place settings are white mats and black napkins. The ying yang of simple contesting colors is soothing and elegant. The neatness calms you has soon as you walk in. It might be the low ceiling or other insolation, but this restaurant is more quiet than other restaurants in Kalamazoo—you can interact with your dining partners without fear of losing your voice the next day. But there is one potential downside to being above a grocery store and you experience can be different depending on your mood and where you sit. We sat over looking the grocery store which places you just above the commercial neon lighting. On a bad day this could easily give someone a migraine. Fortunately, our party of four adjusted quickly and we enjoyed overlooking the isles and making jokes about the isle marker for local honey and wondering which isle is stocked with honey from Vermont. Another note about the atmosphere The gently manner of the of the setting is mirror in the friendless and grace of its staff. Everyone we interacted with is welcoming and excited about what they do. On my first visit the chef walking through the restaurant was easily pulled aside by a server to explain the intricacies shrimp sticks and their dipping sauce which are fantastic btw. The food we had at Café 36 was wonderful. I have a special for the week, a beef tenderloin with blue cheese sauce, garlic potatoes, and asparagus. The meat was cooked to a perfect pink medium rare and the blue cheese on top added a salty tang. The grilled asparagus gave the dish a smoky element and was cooked to the point where it still had an al dente snap. My wife and mother in-law had the other weekly special: beef cheeks with pasta and a cream sauce. I don’t remember all the components, but I ate of their plates as much as I tried to keep them from eating mine. My father in-law had the hanger steak with fries. Again, the steak was cooked perfectly, and the Moroccan spices paired well with this flavorful cut of meat. Overall, Café 36 is a great fine dining experience and one you can have while still being casual. The staff is dressed up, but I don’t think I say one customer with a jacket and only a few with a button up shirt. The food and the staff aren’t pretentious. They just seem to love what they do and that means I love what they do. And I will be back to share in the enthusiasm.

The fries were really good. Pretty much all the food we ordered was delicious. Pricey, however they make it worth it!

Disclaimer We happen to know the chef on a personal level and my wife and I decided to make the trip down from Grand Rapids to check out his new digs. Somehow Sawall has successfully combined a gourmet grocery store with a great dining experience. The staff was professional and courteous, Chris was our waiter and Max delivered 3 wonderful courses to our table. We started with the grilled asparagus w/ cauliflower puree, split the baby ice-berg salad , I had the short rib for my main course all pictured, and my wife enjoyed the cauliflower steak. The food was fabulous and well worth the drive. Chef Jason Tilmann and his creations are are a rare find in Michigan. Put this place on your list as a must try!

I've been excited to try the Cafe 36 for quite some time now and finally had my chance to dine here. I was in a group of 7 people. The restaurant is very interesting. It is perched above Sawall's Health food store and overlooks the aisles of goods while shoppers browse. It is not a huge area but a cozy area to dine and visit with friends. We started with drinks and the charcuterie board. I highly recommend this as it was plentiful and varied with cheeses, fruits, meats, olives, etc. Very tasty. The bread was a rosemary seasoned pita-like bread that was warm and quite delicious. We also had shrimp sticks which are fried spring rolls with a sauce that is to die for! I ordered the short ribs. Large portion of meat atop mashed potatoes accompanied by sauteed root vegetables and garnished with some type of sprouts. The flavor was magnificent and the meat was not too fatty as can often occur with short ribs. My colleague ordered the Chicken pot pie. This dish came out and its preparation was finished table side. The server poured steaming gravy from a boat over the bowl and then added a large piece of puff pastry and then finished off the rest of the gravy over that. It looked amazing. Other guests ordered the Mussels, Wild caught sockeye salmon, Atlantic Char and Filet mignon. All the entrees looked outstanding and not one complaint was heard from this writer as we dined. The dessert menu looked great and they also had a selection of Tawney Port wines to choose from as well. We did not order dessert as we were stuffed from the dinner. My only complaint is the noise level. The area is open and with high ceilings, the floor is concrete and there is a lot of echos of other diners voices, chairs moving across the floor etc, etc. It made it hard for all of us to talk and hear each other during our visit.

Delicious food and great service! Menu changes seasonally. Wine, beer, and cocktails. My Mom has a number of food restrictions and there are lots of options for her here.

Was totally surprised. My daughter from NYC was very impressed with the food quality. Fantastic.

Delicious vegan, gluten free pizza with veggie sausage, roasted red peppers, onions and fennel. Upstairs in Sawalls. Super nice bartender.

Café '36 did an amazing job of catering our holiday party! The chef guided me through the options and had everything prepared to perfection on the day of pick up. Our guests loved the food and we were treated to some extra goodies that the chef threw in to our order cookies and croissants. We could not be happier with our experience and would highly recommend this restaurant not only for its dining experience but also for its outstanding catering service. Thanks Chef Jason!

Absolutely amazing food at this restaurant. Some seating spots are a little poor with the florescent lights in the shopping area, but the restaurant as a whole has wonderful ambiance. From the bar tender mixing drinks, to the chef creating the meals it's an all around fantastic place to go for a special occasion. Prices could be a little better, but you are going to a restaurant where all ingredients stem mostly from the non GMO, pesticide free, hormone free, wild side of agriculture.

I went here for the first time this year! I had the best Filet Mignon ever!! It was melt in your mouth tender! Great service and prices were reasonable! I had a great mixed drink also. I did not even know there was a restaurant above the store. This was a girls night out group that I went with, we have tried a lot of new restaurants together. This one was a great one! I can’t wait to go back!!