Village Inn Pizza Parlor - Holland

I met a friend here the other evening for dinner and since I had dental work done a couple days before I could not order the pizza which I know is terrific, I ordered the pasta namely the Spaghetti with Marinara and may I way it was phenomenal!  

A big plate full of pasta with sauce and sauteed mushrooms for added flavor made this dish superb reminded me of my own grandma's homemade spaghetti, it was the best!  The flavor was just the way a really good plate of spaghetti to taste and the presentation was also excellent. Someone walked past our table and said: "WOW that spaghetti looks good!" and they were right about that, it was really good!

The waiter and other staff were awesome and did a great job with refills on our sodas and definitely earned their tips, and they deserved better tips because they were providing excellent service. There is a back room with the bar and access to an outside patio if you like eating outdoors. A front dining room is available also and take out and delivery service available also.    

I highly recommend a visit to 'Village Inn Pizza' on South Washington in Holland, Michigan

Thank you Village Inn for being open and having your dining rooms open when most places are still closed to the public.

Village Inn Pizza

The Filling Station. Grand Rapids, Mi

I have eaten at most likely all of the Mr. Burger locations in Grand Rapids and I always get good hot high-quality food at a decent price, however, there is another restaurant owned by the same people called 'The Filling Station' which is located on Alpine Ave, and it's worth the drive.

The thing that is different about the Filling Station is that it has Mexican Food on its menu along with the usual Mr. Burger type fare.  People seem to love their burgers and they are really good and remind folks of the former Mr. Fables Famous Beefburgers.

I had theThree Taco Special for lunch one day and it was tremendous!  It came with three tacos filled with meat the cheese and I mean they were filled.  Nothing like Taco Bell where you get a centimeter of meat and even less cheese, there Tacos's were worth the money I spent.  I have also enjoyed the Grilled Cheese,  and the Cheese Burger also.

So if you ever get hungry for a great burger or some Mexican food head north on Alpine, past the bowling alley and keep going until you see the sign that reads "The Filling Station", it's worth it!

Gus's Original

Nothing is yummier than hot and fresh stone fired subs and pizza!

One afternoon I stopped into this little place on Leonard St. next to the Red Hot Inn purely out of curiosity.  I found a hidden treasure, a unique establishment with scrumptious sandwiches and more.  I ordered a pizza subwich and found it to be absolutely delicious. 

Gus's offers Several appetizers, Breakfast, soups and sandwiches, deli and specialty sandwiches, several Grand Rapids themed pizza's and you can even create your own pizza the way you want it.

I highly recommended a trip to Gus's Original!

Jersey Mikes Subs is a Sub Above the Rest

Had some time to kill today so I dropped into Jersey Mikes to check out their fare and ended up with a regular size Big Kahuna Cheese Steak in front of me and boy was it good!

Now I know that this is a chain of sub shops and I like to report on mom and pop local places mostly but this place is worthy of a mention.  

The sub was approx. eight inches long and grilled with onions, and peppers, white American cheese, mushrooms and I had them hold the Jalapenos.  It was a great cheesesteak and it lived up to what the guy behind the counter stated: "The Best Cheese Steak this side of Philly"!  I have been to Charley's more than once and had their cheese steak and it is really good also, but I think this one was bigger.

I enjoyed some Miss Vickie's Smoke House BBQ Chips and a Dr. Pepper with my Cheesesteak.

Hey, there are sub shops and then there are SUB SHOPS!

Jersey Mike's is a SUB SHOP!

Give them a try!

     

My First Time Ever at Chick-Fil-A!

Well, it was inevitable that sooner or later the nationally known quick service chicken restaurant would make it's way to West Michigan.  Hundreds lined up for the grand opening and some free food. I am wondering if freezing their buns off out in the cold was worth it but hey, it was an experience of a lifetime for them.

So I managed to take a lunch over at the Chick-Fil-A on 54th near US 131 and Clyde Park in front of the Meijer store. I went inside and got in line behind 50 other people and the line stretching across the length of the entire restaurant mind you.  It did not take that long to get through the line and place my order and the staff was friendly and helpful to this Chick-Fil-A green-horn.

I order the grilled chicken nuggets 8-count w/BBQ sauce to dip them in and of course the famous waffle fries, and a delicious chocolate shake to round things out.  I am not someone who enjoys fast-food Chicken but I had to give this place a try so I went online beforehand and scoped out the menu so I knew what I wanted before I got in there.

The Grilled Nuggets were the best I've ever had, they were marinated to perfection with just the right amount of seasoning. The BBQ sauce made them even better and the waffle fries were great also. The shake was awesome, one of the better ones I've had and it did not taste like chemicals like Mc whatchamacallit's does.   Although in all fairness I did enjoy the chocolate-mint shake they were offering over at Mc***** recently.

I will say this that the line inside moved way faster than the one outside in the drive-thru so you might consider going inside instead. Whatever you choose to do Chick-fil-a is an experience worth waiting for.  The prices OK it is not the cheapest place to eat out at but is healthier than that cheeseburger you were thinking of having at that other place.

Related articles

• Holland Chick-Fil-A could open this year
• KFC on West Main in Kalamazoo closes
• This Chick-fil-A menu is unlike anything we've seen from the fast-food chain
• Chick-fil-A campers brave elements before opening of 2nd West Michigan restaurant
• Chick-fil-A opening in Okemos with free food for a year to the first 100

Jody's Restaurant - Rockford, MI

  Jody's is a nice family restaurant that serves good food at a decent price. The help is friendly and seems knowledgeable, and the place is generally clean.  I have stopped into Jody's a few times now and always have good food.  Today I had the All-Meat Wet Burrito!  It was huge!  I thought I would get a smaller size burrito but this was well worth the price and almost too much to eat at one sitting.

Past visits to Jody's I enjoyed the Grilled Cheese and the Cheeseburger, both were tasty although the Grilled Cheese seemed a bit small compared to other venues where I have ordered the same thing.  Jody's offers a wide variety of food so everyone should be able to find something they like to eat.

Jody's is located on Division St. just off of Northland Drive, Give Jody's a try!

Herb and Fire Pizzeria - Grandville, mi

Want something different and a touch upscale from the ordinary pizza joint?

Check out Herd & Fire Pizzeria located in front of the Target Store and Cabela's in Grandville,Mi.  This place is becoming popular lately because they serve really great food and it does not take long to get what you ordered.

When you walk in the door from the parking lot you go to your right and walk down a hallway straight across the restaurant, turn to your left and follow the path around into the Que line.  You will place your order at the head of the line when you reach the kitchen area.  You will watch them build your pizza right in front of you as other places are doing, places like Qdoba, and Subway where all the items are right in front of you.

They have several Signature Pizza's to choose from or you can build your own and they will make it your way. Watch as they pass your pie over and place in the amazing wood-fired oven to bake for 5-7- min or so.

When you reach the end of the Que you will pay for your food, get your beverages, and when you order is up they will place it on a rack and call your name.  You pick up your own order which is no biggie, and enjoy the amazing food Herb & Fire, I did!

Marco's Pizza - Wyoming / Byron Center

There are more pizza places around these days that any of us can keep track of and more popping up every day it seems.  One place I had never been to was Marco's Pizza, so I thought I would give it a try.  I went to the over by Metro Health Hospital, though I would grab a lite lunch and ended up pigging out of some dang good pizza.

Marco's offers pizza by the slice for lunch, or they have a lunch deal at a decent price.  I have four slices of pepperoni pizza and a 20oz Pepsi, none the less it hit the spot!

Marco's is located on the side of the strip mall located on the same side of Byron Ave. as the Health Park is.  Like pizza you'll love Marco's!  I did!

The Grand Villa Restaurant - Still a Decent Place to Eat

Hey, I stopped in here a couple weeks ago and had one of their wet burritos, not bad at all. The place was clean and respectable, the help was friendly and attentive to my needs, and the food was prepared exactly as I ordered, good deal.  The prices were ok, could have been a touch lower in my opinion but I guess the cost of doing business these days has driven up the price a bit.

The Grand Villa and the Grand Villa Dungeon offer food and beverages to suit everyone's tastes. Give the Grand Villa a try one of these days!

Panera Bread Now Offers Delivery Service

For those that like Panera Bread Cafes in West Michigan, they now are offering delivery service within a set area usually 8 min from the cafe or a 2-mile radius.

Already many are taking advantage of this service and enjoying the convenience of having their favorite soup or sandwich delivered hot and fresh to their home, office, school, or other location.

Don't forget your favorite baked good for dessert, and that coffee or smoothie to perk up your day.

Now you can order online, or choose to have some delicious Panera food delivered for a group of friends or co-workers. Panera Delivers!  Catering is also available. Cafes are also looking for Drivers part-time or full-time.  

Customers are encouraged to order online at PaneraBread.com