Russ' Restaurant — Restaurant in Grand Rapids

Family owned and operated since 1934, Russ' is a time capsule from not only before the Internet (to be sure) but before international travel and even television! Wrap your head around that while we reframe our breakfast visit.

The signage is the first clue that we're no longer in the modern era; it's charming and optimistic. Their motto - "the home made goodness people" - and their logo - a blonde Dutch boy running past a windmill through tulips while carrying a burger - represents a world long past, similar to those heady videos of early astronauts on Coco Beach.

The Saucijzenbrodje (literally "sausage roll") was my obvious first nibble. A Dutch pig-in-a-blanket hounds just right... and it was! The flakey pastry shell was both crispy, flakey, and oily in just the most satisfying way! The sausage has a great texture and flavor, so half got eaten bare.

Served with ketchup, which was tasty too, I pined for the curry ketchup favored in Holland (and familiar to any who have feasted at an Amsterdam Automat).

Russ' Original Breakfast Sandwich (fried egg, seared stack of hickory smoked slices ham, American cheese, on a toasted and buttered English muffin) is a sweeter, ham'ier forerunner of McDonald's Egg McMuffin (1975). Yum!

Jackie, my server, was right on top of my coffee consumption, friendly, and attentive. Anyone whinging about the cook times - yes, few take a few minutes - should reflect on a time before just-in-time pre-prepared drive-thru foods were considered normal.

Russ' filled up during my Saturday visit, from when I arrived at 0800 to when I left at 0930. (This reflects my morning wake up pace, serial rounds of exploring the menu, and reading my morning catch up stuff, and not on the normal time to get in and out).

Russ' is an affordable gem, when viewed from the right vantage point....

I have been a customer of Russ' in GR and numerous other locations for many years Tonight my wife & I came into the southeast Russ' on 28th....Minimal amount of customers...seated....We had to wait to be seated...because the cashier (female.. Hispanic) was having trouble with an elderly couples check.....this elderly man was very patient...while his wife went to sit down...meanwhile the cashier now had two other employees assist the situation...another 2 customers now came in.. behind me....while my wife and I waited. We had been waiting 5 full minutes...when a 3rd young black haired male employee...loudly stated to me and the customers waiting to be seated..."it's going to be another 5 minutes before we can seat you......Why Why Why I thought. My wife and I then went to another nearby restaurant I came back about an hour later because I wanted to let the manager know...well.....that ended falling on deaf ears...the night manager ended up advising me that they were simply understaffed and that was mainly the Crux of the issue....I am here to tell you that now I can see the problem...it also includes the happen stance attitude of the manager....certainly am hesitant about visiting that particular Russ'....FYI.... Russ' FYI ...by the way the continued patronage of your customers are older customers...you better take heed.... otherwise you patronage will dwindle...

If you like a hometown feeling of comfort, and/or down home cooking, then any one of the RUSS's Restruants in the Grand Rapids communities will be a good choice, Russ' Restruants have been a Michigan family restaurant chain since the early 70s, originally were first built in Holland Michigan, the chain grew rapidly as their great food and service became known and familiar to Michigan's Residents, and with Holland "Tulip City*Michigan now known worldwide, for it's springtime festival of this floral array, and the Klompin (wooden shoe women dancers in the parades, an original Dutch Windmill( brought piece by piece from HOLLAND(the city's namesake) and assembled on a manmade island(open for tourists, almost year-round, the Wooden Shoe Factory, and outlet-store, Lake Macatawa(with Lake Michigan Access) Holland State Park, All of the national furniture manufacturing companies plants located around the area, many major colleges in/or within a 2 to 3 hour drive, the great fishing and vacation venues, motels, campgrounds, etc, this city has almost everything anyone could desire, only 45 minutes from Grand Rapids(one of the best and fastest growing cities) also known as "Beer City, U.S.A".) in the USA, with access to all travel transportations, air, rail, car, or boat, what more could one...