Dravenstott's Restaurant — Restaurant in Orrville

"The food isn't quite as stale as the decor" was my response to the question "How was everything", but the girl taking my payment didn't get it.

The exterior of the building is very misleading. It's well taken care of, the plants are pretty, and the siding looks newer. Inside...it has the same decor as it did when it opened in 1969.

We went because we were at another business in Orville and someone said that this place and the "Amish place" had a salad bar...we should have gone to the "Amish place" instead. We should of walked right back out when we saw the decor, and that the average age of the clientele was nearly dead.

There are old menus badly framed on the wall going to the restroom and it looks like nothing much has changed in over 50 years.

We had to pick through the lettuce to find some that wasn't turning brown. The boast of "over 60 toppings" had attracted us...but there were nothing special about any of them. Most were prepackaged, nothing was homemade.

The "homemade bread" consisted of a loaf of possibly freshly made origins (but maybe not made today), but it was badly presented on a side table with plastic wrap over it. The butter was in a dish that everyone had been digging out of, and was also of questionable age.

The "award winning" soup wasn't bad, but again the presentation sucked. The display cases and utensils all looked original from 1969.

While at the salad bar I had to move out of the way because a waitress was loading a bowl for a guest. She didn't say excuse me, just pushed past.

I'm a big guy and like a good soup and salad bar...I made one trip. That says a lot.

Then there was the staff. They weren't particularly unfriendly...but they weren't very attentive. I know, we were getting the salad bar, and they seemed friendly to their regular customers...mostly old folks, who are probably the only people keeping the place in business.

I looked at the food coming out and wouldn't return for that either.

For two of us we spent over $30...and it wasn't...

In my breakdown, I give 4 stars across for food, service, and atmosphere, so some people may be asking how this is a 5-star review.

For me, a good restaurant comes down to value and what you pay for what you receive. In this case, Dravenstott's is a definitive 5-star experience, because they provide a great value for what you will spend.

Is their food the best thing you'll have ever tried? No, but it doesn't try to be. It's diner food that's on the better end of the spectrum, and some of their stuff is absolutely amazing (You'll definitely want their broccoli cheddar soup). They also have a well equipped and fresh salad bar, which is near impossible to find anymore. You could fill yourself up on this alone with plenty of variety for only $13 or so. If you add a sandwich, the price only changes by a few bucks.

Service is friendly and inviting. No, they aren't removing bread crumbs from your table with a fancy tool every time you get up like an expensive steak house would, but you'll get a smile, some polite conversation, and they'll keep your drink full and check in on you from time to time.... it's exactly what you need, but not too much.

The atmosphere has looked exactly the same since I started eating here (I hate to admit) some 30+ years ago. In all that time, they still have the same chairs, tables...maybe even the same paint....they did renovate bathrooms a while back, but even that's probably been almost a decade. It's not fancy... it's just...adequate...

This place is all about what you get for what you pay, and they excel at that. You'll like your food, leave full, and pay a very reasonable amount doing it. For that reason, they'll see me for the next 30+...

It's an inexpensive diner, so expect inexpensive diner food. Atmosphere: Some of the interior could stand a refresh, but it doesn't look dirty. Seats were very uncomfortable. I was excited about the soup and salad bar because the soups sounded really good, but I took a look at the salad bar and decided against it as not much of the salad bar actually looked fresh at all and the price of the soup and salad bar together was not worth just a bowl of soup. The bread station was a bit lackluster. It consisted of what looked like plain white bread covered over with a piece of Saran wrap, a couple of muffins and some cornbread. The service was excellent though. Our server was very friendly and attentive, and refilled drinks before we were even done with our first ones. Four of us ate there for about $45 before tip and that included 4 burgers with either a side of fries or onion rings (with an upcharge) and three drinks. I will say that those are the best onion rings that I've had in a very long time!!

Overall, if we wanted a place to sit down and have a cheap meal,...