Country Inn: Atmosphere, Menu Variety Appeal to Family, Taste Falls Short

Black Friday 2010. Survived Partridge Creek Mall unscathed, but famished. The mission: find a restaurant in Macomb Township fit for daddy-daughter day. We take a drive down Romeo Plank.

After noticing more than a couple restaurants being closed (either permanently or for the day), we decide on the .

Family restaurants do not try to hide what they are—a place where the whole family can go and, more than likely, find something each member will enjoy. Nine times out of 10, a family restaurant will have decent food, but nothing to write home about or anything that adventurous. The Country Inn falls squarely into that category.

Decorated to look like a log cabin, the interior is a warm and welcoming space. There's a fireplace. The waitstaff is hospitable and attentive. All of the waitresses call you "hun" or "dear," like your aunt is waiting on you. Booths are spacious, so spacious that they could probably hold eight people.

Even given all of the space, our waitress mentioned that on Sunday morning the place is full of families.

Looking over the menu, it is easy to see why families flock. Omelets, waffles, burgers, pitas and more comprise just a handful of the menu items. Most people would see this smorgasbord of choices as a good thing. But my worry is that when you do so many different things, how many of them do you do well?

If there's one thing you must order off the expansive menu, it's the potato skins. Crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside, these skins are excruciatingly hot when they are brought to the table. Of course, that doesn't deter me from biting into one as soon as the plate hits the table. Add to that the pile of melted cheese and bacon bits on top and you have a cheesy, salty, substantial plate of food.

Speaking of substantial, Country Inn's signature burger is called the Big Cabin Burger. Two 1/3-pound patties, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and lumberjack sauce all piled into a bun. For something different, ask for your burger on a pretzel roll instead of a bun. The pretzel roll isn't anything special, but it has more flavor than a regular bun. Essentially a souped up Big Mac, there isn't much to this
burger other than its size.

While not totally dried out, the patties are virtually flavorless. The same could be said about all of the elements of this burger—there just isn't much flavor. Further, while the pretzel roll sounds good in theory (and it is better than a bun), this one was gummy and tasted like it had been either steamed or microwaved in a unsavory fashion. French fries can be inspired, but the ones that shared the plate with
the burger were not. Limp, greasy, and salty, another disappointment.

As I mentioned before, places such as the Country Inn offer choices. Rather than ordering a whole Belgian waffle, we were able to order a half with strawberries and whipped cream. Might not seem like a big deal, but if you have a small child, half orders are a nice option.

The waffle was average. Lacking in both texture and creativity, the waffle's flavor was buttery with a hint of vanilla. Strawberries were mushy and lifeless and the whipped cream was obviously canned.

None of what I'm saying here should be surprising. Restaurants such as the Country Inn don't take risks or try to wow you with exotic flavors or textures. Rather, they provide comfort in both their setting and menu. The food, while lackluster, is passable and would be even better if shared on a Sunday morning with family and friends.

Accomodating waitstaff, warm atmosphere, and family-friendly attitude make
the Country Inn a place worth stopping by once to say hi. Who knows? You might just enjoy it.