COMSTOCK PARK, MI — The folklore of Nick Fink’s wasn’t written overnight.
Grand Rapids’ oldest bar, 3965 West River Drive, is adding to a 136-year legacy. One year after welcoming customers back following the pandemic, it has successfully reclaimed its place as a cornerstone of the local community.
The tavern, founded in 1888, has seen strong community support since its return. General manager Diza Connolly and staff are blending more than a century of history with modern hospitality.
“The support we’ve seen is amazing,” Connolly said. “They were flooding us with emails and phone calls in years past of, ‘we can’t wait for you guys to reopen.’”
Since reopening, Nick Fink’s has attracted visitors from every generation. Regular visitors include descendants of the original Nick Fink family.
Denny Fink, son of the Nick Fink IV who sold the business to The Gilmore Collection in 2007, stops in a couple times a week with his family, the manager said.
Fink grew up on the second floor when the building served as the 11-room Riverside Hotel in the 1900s.
Much of the establishment’s historic charm remains intact, including the back bar with wooden beer cooler, wallpaper and leather booths from the ‘60s, and a 1901 safe and original cash register.
Framed black-and-white photos and newspaper clippings decorate the space. Signatures and notes etch surfaces on a group of old wooden tables on the east wall.
The building’s upper floor, which contains 19 rooms from its hotel days, are used for storage. The space includes what Connolly describes as “a mystery third level” where dancing and dinner were once held for $1.50 per ticket.
Sections of the bar remain frozen in a time when patrons rode in on horses or the railroad. People have flown in from out of state to experience the suspended spaces in which they hold cherished memories.
“We love the generational stories. People fly in from out of state, like ‘my grandfather used to take me here when I was a kid,’” Connolly said. “That’s pretty on brand for the Midwest. That’s what families do.”
It’s an honor for us to continue that legacy and be a part of all the legend,” she added.
Connolly tries to soak it all in, even spooky accounts.
“It’s the lore, and I love the haunted stuff. I have felt weird things here,” said Connolly, who refuses to venture up into the upper level at night. “I don’t personally believe in ghosts, but I definitely believe in spirits.”
Beyond personal stories, the lore of Nick Fink’s runs deep. From rumors of Al Capone frequenting a table near the back door, to refuted stories of Ernest Hemingway leaning on the wooden bar, and then there’s a documented account of Nick Fink Jr. taking mounted flight from the roof.
The bar has found success catering to local tastes, serving classic beers like Hamm’s and PBR on draft alongside craft options. They’ve also created historically themed cocktails, including “the 1888,” which is an old fashioned made with Four Roses Bourbon, a distillery also founded that same year.
Its kitchen offers classic tavern fare and local favorites, like burgers, wet burritos, and steak frites.
The Finks Deluxe Burger for $12 is a third-pound angus beef patty on a brioche bun served with lettuce, tomato, and red onion.
The Steak Frites for $28 is a favorite dinner option. It is a 10-ounce New York strip steak served with bleu cheese herb butter and crispy shoestring french fries.
Nick Fink’s is balancing its role as both neighborhood tavern and historical landmark. Recent events have demonstrated the continued community connection, including the bar being host to Comstock Park’s Class of 1975 reunion.
Nick Fink’s is open from 4 to 10 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, from 4 to 11 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, 4 p.m. to midnight on Friday, noon to midnight on Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. on Sunday.
For more information or to see the full menu, visit the bar’s website here or call (616) 784-9886.