Gretchen and I headed just across the county line for supper tonight.
It was supposed to be a very special night – we have barely seen each other since Thanksgiving – so we headed to a new restaurant for a nice dinner.
“The first couple of bites were okay, but…
Hoover Grille is located on the shores of Hoover Reservoir on the west side of Westerville about two miles south of the Delaware – Franklin county line on Sunbury Road. The exterior is beautiful and I have little doubt that on a summer evening this would have been a wonderful place to watch night claim the sky above the reservoir.
However, this was December and even at 5:30 the sky was already dark and we could only enjoy the outlines of the lake from our table. So we looked forward to the food and a chance to relax and enjoy the ambiance of the Grille.
The ambiance met our expectations. Despite being a single large room, the location wasn’t extremely loud and while Grille claims to be “casual” you really felt that you were eating in a higher end establishment.
Of course, the menu was priced like a higher-end establishment as well, but unfortunately the food wasn’t on par.
We began the meal with Parmesan Crusted Calamari ($8.95) and it was presented very simply with a spice ladened tomato sauce. We both agreed that the calamari wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t great. The pieces were crisp and the breading was actually quite bland and without the tomato sauce it was almost too salty to eat. It was better than I’ve had at other places, but not on par with Molly Woo’s or Ocean Club’s appetizer.
Gretchen ordered the Crab Cakes ($21.25) which came with whipped red skin potatoes and a vegetable medley and water. She really liked the whipped potatoes and veggies, however the crab cakes were not up to her standards. “The first couple of bites were okay, but then the texture and flavor just didn’t do it for me,” she said later.
I ordered tonight’s special, a 14-ounce medium-rare prime rib ($22.95) with a baked potato and the same vegetable medley. The server said it was a “smoked” prime rib but I didn’t really notice any difference in the flavor as opposed to other prime ribs I’ve had. The meat was tender and was obviously a decent cut of meat. It was similar to a cut of meat that I’d have gotten from Outback or any other chain restaurant in the area. I had the coffee and it was just like everything else with the meal, unmemorable.
I don’t mind paying good money for good food – see the Fish Market, Smith & Wollensky, etc. – but to drop more than a Grant on a meal and not be satisfied isn’t a good experience in our book.
Will we go back to the Hoover Grille? I don’t know if I would — but after I told Gretchen there was a Chipolte about five miles down the road, I think the answer is no.
Hi Toby,
Sorry you guys didn’t enjoy the restaurant. Jack and I loved it. We had the scallops as an appetizer. I love scallops, but hate if they are overcooked. They were perfect. I had the salmon as my main course and Jack had the fried walleye. We went with friends and I believe they enjoyed their meals too. I plan to go back. Oh, I had my first ever long island iced tea there too. I don’t have anything to compare it to, but it tasted good to me!
The fried walleye looked good, but I know it would have made me sick. I LOVE fish and chips, but since joining TOPS the grease makes me sick. Hmm … have to decide which one I want to keep
I have been to this restaurant many times, with the girls, my husband and nieces. The food we ordered was pleasing to all ( and yes I like quality food also). There are always going to be better restaurants and worse ones, and your comparison to the way more expensive restaurants is out of line, yes their cuts of meat might be good but 2 to 3 times the price. You need to try the Hoover Grille again, maybe this time try lobster bisque, great salads, and leave the crab cakes to the great east coast. Thanks for reading..
The first couple of times I tried Hoover Grille I didn’t really care for it. My boyfriend and I tried the burgers, pizza, and a few other things and were not impressed. However, we decided to give it one last try and we went on a beautiful summer night. We sat on the patio and ordered the seafood pasta – I think that’s what it’s called and it was delicious! It cost about $16 or $17 sort of high but not really. I can’t wait to return again even for the pasta and the patio!!