Bode's Corn Beef House — Restaurant in Plymouth

This place is hit or miss. It's not cheap...when the food is as intended, it's great, and worth the money. When it's bad...it is really horrible. Each dish is never consistent. Several items ( the cinnamon french toast, the banana nut waffle or pancakes, and the spinach salad) i have ordered and fell in love with, then when i return another day or week and order the same item, it's made completely different (not the same ingredients, not as stated on the menu). Unfortunate. Just depends on who is cooking and working that day or week. Today was a horrible experience. Walked in, both men and women's restrooms had out of order signs ( how are you open, as a restaurant! ) walking in through the back, the floors were slippery like thinly coated with oil or something. We sat up in the front booth seating area, it was very hot and uncomfortable. On our table was a jar of dead flowers with stagnant water and gnats crawling all over the stems. Flies and gnats flew around the restaurant. The table we sat at was cleared, but not clean/wiped down. Against our better judgement (I wanted to just leave, my companion didn't want to be rude and walk out) we ordered a breakfast bowl, and spinach salad, 2 drinks(no refills offered or given), and a side of grilled chicken...totaling $30+...my issue is not with the price, if done right. On this visit, the salad contained decayed leafs of spinach I picked out (yellowish brown with dark spots and slimy)...and this is after the waitress explained they only had a little spinach, so I agreed they could mix in other lettuce greens to compensate), the dressing was not the usual red fruity vinaigrette (brown balsamic vinagrette not terrible, but not great), the walnuts were not at all candied as described on the menu, just badly toasted and the majority were bound together in a black, burnt char cluster that tasted cringingly bitter and chemically (inedible, picked out), no apples at all, too many dried cranberries, most didn't get eaten, and my side of chicken tasted very sour and gross (think chicken about to go bad, soaked in vinegar, then slapped on a griddle)...much of the chicken was left uneaten. The salad was little more than a bowl of lettuce greens. My companion's breakfast bowl was bland, the eggs (ordered over medium) were overcooked and dry solid yolks. We waited a long time for this food to be served, the place was mostly empty...so i see no excuse for the terrible service and food. The waitress volunteered to reduce our bill by 10% (we didn't complain, she realized herself how badly this was going). $30+ after the supposed discount. We left there unsatisfied, thirsty, and hungry. In the name of not being rude, we put ourselves at high risk of food poisoning. In retrospect, we both wished we had just left before ordering. There were many other gross observations I made about the restaurant and it's staff today, but I can't bear to waste any more time on this place.

We agreed we are never returning.

No wonder the restaurants down the side street are crowded busy when this...

Somehow I feel more than a bit guilty for writing this critique of a Plymouth staple such as the legendary Bode's, mainly because of my lack of exposure to their primary offering. When a place has a history that dates all the way back to 1860's you know they have to have done something right, especially considering the debilitated state of Michigan's economy during the Depression Era as well as today. From my brief visit what I've gleamed is that "something they do right" is decent food at affordable prices. Which is always a recipe for success by any era's standards.

The decorum could be described as quaint , and if it wasn't for the steady stream of business by both locals and passersbys. This might be an ideal place to perch at the counter and finish that novel you've been trying to hash out for the past six years.

"By the way how's that going anyways? Ay interesting dialogue? Witty repartee between betwixted characters? Hmmm? Unrequited love triangles? Mustache twirling fiends in dark, perfectly tailorer suits, with matching bowlers? Yeah...uhmmm I didnt think so"

The menu unfortunately wasn't as interesting as the history and charm of the establishment. Bordering somewhere between a decent Coney Island (if you're SE Michigander you know exactly what I'm talking about) and a Rams Horn (same here) it left a lot to be desired. With only about 6 specialty sandwiches all a variation on the traditional corned beef standard. You know the drill corned beef sand, reuben, reuben with turkey, etc. But on multiple glances all appear to be crafted with love which is waaay more costly than the 6 buck average price for them.

I ordered the traditional club sandwich which ranked about average in my book of box car type sandwiches, but in retrospect my book is very long and has multiple volumes. Short on bacon, long on smoked turkey, zero ham or cheese. So to someone more mature and less traveled this may seem a bit harsh, but everyones palate is different.

An institution's longevity is only as good as it's reputation, and with both as stellar as this place are. It's a safe bet Bode's will still be here serving up good classic american food at reasonable prices through the end of the next U.S....

I've lived in or around Plymouth my whole life - just outside of it for the past 27 years - and had driven past this place thousands upon thousands of times (slowly, mind you: the speed limit is only 25) without stopping once. Yes, yes - I saw the attractively-painted and framed sign, and, as a descendant of the Irish, felt the draw the words "corned beef house" place on the Irish soul - like the Siren's song to the seafaring , but I Never. Once. Stopped.

Sigh.

My daughter introduced me to it this past November, and all I can ask myself is: why? Why did I never stop in? Why did I never dive into the awesome Reuben sandwich they served me before this day? WHY OH WHY had I not sampled their AWESOME fried pickles, and wonderful, fresh and crispy french fries? WHY, DEAR GOD, WHY?!

Well now it's been done. Bode's is on my radar, and I can die happy. Thanks, Bode's! And thanks, Jessica!

Don't let this be your sad story, too. Stop. Park. Try the door. If they're closed, go back to your car and wait until they're open. Sing that Veggie Tales song about cheeseburgers to pass the time. It doesn't matter how long that takes: it's worth it, and that song is entertaining. When that doorknob unlocks, Go in and experience the wonder which is their Reuben. On rye. Toasted rye. WITH the sauerkraut. Ask for Russian dressing - it's better than Thousand Island (maybe they'll start to offer it if we all ask for it...). And, what the heck: have the fried pickles, too. You will NOT regret it.

And...