Feed the parents: Maple City Family Restaurant

By: Dustin Looney
Features Editor

Yesterday, Nov. 9th, on a beautiful summer-like day, I ate lunch at a small, locally-owned restaurant, Maple City Family Restaurant.

Although the food did not shine as much as the sun on this unusually warm day, the restaurant was not horrible and it definitely was reasonably priced.

On the front of the menu at Maple City Family Restaurant, it states “We strive constantly to present the highest quality food, well prepared and at very moderate prices. It is also our desire to add to your dining enjoyment by providing prompt service as well as a clean, pleasant and comfortable atmosphere.”

The atmosphere was nothing special; it had a very typical family restaurant feeling, with a bar to your right as you walk in and a dining room to your left. The waitresses were moderately friendly and service was quick. The restaurant gave off an informal vibe to it, as all customers were dressed in casual clothing.

The menu offered a wide variety of food, but was primarily centered on sandwiches. I ordered a BLT, which was served with pickles and a cup of chicken noodle soup for $3.80.

The soup was adequate, it had a good homemade flavor, but it had obviously been cooking for an extended period, as the noodles were mushy.

The BLT came out shortly after I finished my soup, and only five to 10 minutes after I ordered it. It was a pretty typical BLT, with toasted bread, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and bacon. I have had better BLTs, but it was not the worst, either.

Other items under the sandwiches section of the menu include mushroom burger, giant roast beef, gyro sandwich and beef eater. Sandwich prices range from $3.20 to $5.70.

The menu also included club sandwiches, chicken breast sandwiches, hot sandwiches and the melt shop. Prices of the items in all of these sections are right around $5.

Maple City Family Restaurant also has a salads of the house section, with several fancy salads, including julienne, taco and chicken breast.

The restaurant also offers several different fish plates under a section called the catch of the day. Fish plates include perch, shrimp basket and steak shrimp, with prices from $7.25 to $9.45. For somebody looking to eat an upper-echelon meal, steaks, chops, chicken and ribs are also on the menu. Some tempting options are ribeye steak, pork chops and BBQ pork back ribs. Prices on these items range from $6.85 to $13.35.

The last type of food offered on the dinner and lunch menu is Italian specials, which includes typical Italian food such as spaghetti, mostaccioli and chicken Parmesan.

Maple City Family Restaurants also has a dessert menu. It is located at 235 South Main Street, down the street from the Bijou Pub.

Overall, I was not too excited about my experience at Maple City Family Restaurant. Although service was quick, the waitresses could have been friendlier, the décor was mundane and the food was just mediocre.