Over a Sunday breakfast several days prior, a new restaurant by the name of Bobcat Bonnie’s was pasted all over beneath a fold of the Grand Rapids Press. Since I hadn’t eaten at a new restaurant in a while due to COVID-19, I was excited to try the eccentric dishes that this riotous restaurant offered.

When I arrived at last after a long day of walking around, I practically ran inside to quell my empty stomach with the source of the wafting smells, which was located at 1968 Brenton Rd SE. The modern structure and mumbling music pulled me in at an even more rapid rate—I could hardly wait to get a taste of the buffalo chicken mac n’ cheese I had heard about in the article. After sitting down, a friendly waitress greeted us with drinks and allowed us time to look over the menu and gaze around the building. The walls were busy with decor, and the seats were equally bustling with eager customers.

Due to the clustered environment, we decided that we should instead take our dishes to-go rather than risk a run-in with the raging pandemic. Thankfully, our waitress was very understanding and brought our food as takeout. Not only was the service excellent and the waiters and waitresses considerate, but the restaurant management allowed for them to express themselves in ways that I found to be subtle yet impactful. I saw one worker from across the restaurant wearing a hat from a TV show I liked, and though not very significant, made the gastropub feel homier.

Once I burst through the door and aggressively pried open the container of my prized supper, I dove headfirst into my cheesy pasta. Though creamy, the dish had a spice that was flavorful yet tame. However, despite being adulterated by the macaroni, the cheesy, spicy chicken was on the overpowering side with its tsunami of savory flavors.

At only one other chain—Noodles and Company—have I had buffalo chicken mac n’ cheese, and such a dish has been at the top of my ranking system for years. Since I had the opportunity to consume another take on my favorite, I was glad to have a prior version to compare it to. Honestly, Noodles and Company beat out Bobcat Bonnie’s, but I still enjoyed Bonnie’s dish until it was too rich for me.

Apart from my mac n’ cheese, I also had the opportunity to try my mom’s plate of spicy chicken nachos. Somehow, the chips stayed nice and crisp through the journey home, which was a pleasant surprise. The toppings were varied and refreshing, yet the chicken was the same as the kind as on the mac n’ cheese, so that was slightly disappointing since I already had more than my fill of the shredded chicken dipped in the slightly stinging sauce. 

Despite being a bit unbalanced, the portion sizes were impeccable. I got full right at the bottom of my dish, save a few stray elbow pasta pieces and chicken chunks. Similar to the food, the staff and environment provided an experience that I’d like to relive another time in the future. Bobcat Bonnie’s alluring alliteration was beyond what I expected—next time, though, I’ll pick out a dinner without spicy chicken.