Grand Rapids, OH 43522
419.832.3082
website
A community-centered fine dining establishment in small-town Grand Rapids, Ohio, LaRoe’s Restaurant serves a lot of roles in this community. It’s got a brass-railed, rich wood interior that serves in part as a tavern and in part as a fine dining establishment and bistro with a riverside view of the Maumee River. From year to year it also hosts a ton of community events, ranging from a holiday dinner theatre to a concert venue to a banquet hall for special occasions. This far south of Toledo, it’s great to see the small town charm of a place like Grand Rapids, and LaRoe’s fits into this town very well.
The food here shows a similar array of diversity. It’s dominated by surf and turf. From shrimp to tilapia, pollock and salmon the fish are the most diverse, but it’s also got a number of other specialties, like the pork chops, a number of chicken dishes, and the signature baby back ribs. I was a fan of the ribs, the meat is tender and the sauce is a slightly sweet and vinegary combo that goes together well. A lot of gristle in it, though, which is a shame, because that kind of throws off the whole dish, and value-wise it’s not great. If you’re here on a dime, there is a buffet and banquet menu for touring groups. The menu also has just about all of the alternatives as far as sandwiches go, with things like a burger, a Reuben sandwich, chicken salad, turkey club, etc.
The interior of the restaurant meshes a lot of concepts together well, the restaurant is relatively spacious, and the aforementioned brass and wood makes the bar overall a little more upscale than your average community tavern. The restaurant area is very family-oriented, very welcoming. It’s one of those classics of a nice small town: a restaurant that does a lot of different things well. It’s a charming centerpiece to Grand Rapids, and a great place to come in this small town. I recommend it for locals and those visitors looking for a little bit of local flavor.
Recommendations
- Surf and turf is the base of the menu, but LaRoe’s has one of just about every kind of food you’d want in small-town America.
- The restaurant does a lot of different special events, ranging from a music venue to a dinner theater to a buffet and banquet hall for tourist groups.
- The website is updated frequently with different specials, coupons and events, if you’re looking for a reason to stop by LaRoe’s, you’ll find it.
Another Food Critic 