The Maple Grille Restaurant and Microbrewery — Restaurant in Richland Township

2022-12-28 1713 local time

Went to dinner with the family last night. This is our first time here. This place came recommended from four separate social circles that know I enjoy my food.

Josh got a cup of the Smoked Trout Chowder, full order of the Hot Pulled Beef-and-Gravy sandwich, two full flights of everything but IPAs, and Roasted Chestnuts. I got the Lamb Burger, Grilled Trout, Pan Fried Walleye, and Maple Root Beer. Nikki got the Pan Fried Whitefish, Maple Root Beer Float, Apple Crisp, and Maple Bread Pudding. Bonnie got a Patty Melt and Maple Root Beer Float. Pete got the Sirloin Steak and an IPA. Grace got a Wood Fired Cheese Pizza.

As with all of my travels the table started out taking a quick few photos and then sampling each others plates.

The Hot Pulled Beef-and-Gravy sandwich was a shredded beef masterpiece. The gravy was thick and heavy and coated almost every strand of beef. The weight of the sandwich was probably close to a full pound. The pronounced beef flavor was throughout the gravy showing that the sauce was made with roast drippings.

The Smoked Trout Chowder was wonderfully flavored with smoked trout. It was a good mix between what you normally consider a traditional chowder to be and eating a side of smoked trout.

It has been a number of years since I have had actual fire Roasted Chestnuts and they are exactly what I remembered. A hearty mealy nut cracked from the fire. If you know then you know... and if you don't... you want to find out.

The Lamb Burger was one of the most phenomenal burgers I have had. The lamb was juicy, flavorful, and cooked to a proper "lamb" temperature. The bun was flame toasted as with all of the sandwiches we seen being prepared. The sauce was the perfect accompaniment to the burgers flavor.

From the three fish fillets, the Grilled Trout, the Pan Fried Walleye, and the Pan Fried Whitefish... They were a good dish. They were lightly seasoned, properly cooked, and moist. Both the walleye and the whitefish were exactly what you would get from most places. The char on the trout and the "fish" flavor made it the favorite of these three for me on the night. Both Nikki and Josh liked the walleye over the trout.

The Patty Melt was a good sandwich according to Bonnie. She did not rant and rave over it as she had others and I did not get a taste, so we can assume it was acceptable.

The Cheese Pizza had a good wood smoke flavor that got into the cheese topping and the crust. The crust was crisp and had solid flavor. The cheese was your standard pizza cheese.

The Sirloin Steak that Pete got was every bit as a good as any steakhouse you will go to in the similar price range. The cook was perfect rare. The simple seasoning allowed the natural beef flavor to come through perfunctorily and was exactly what I love about a good steak.

The sides on the plates of squash and butter beans with kale were not something I thought were flavorful. The squash was squash with nothing special. I did not care for the butter beans and kale but that is because I am not a fan of kale. Pete who eats a lot of kale was also not a fan of it. Josh, Nikki, and Bonnie liked both of the sides.

The Maple Root Beer was pleasant but no where near my top 20 root beers. I had a mild sweetness from what I can assume was maple syrup but there was no pronounced maple flavor in the root beer.

The Apple Crisp was very flavorful with large chunks of apple, a slight flavor of maple, and light sprinkle of crumble on the top.

The Bread Pudding was easily one of the best I have had in my life. This is easily top 5 bread puddings in my almost 5 decades. The sauce was sweet, the bread was flavorful, the temp at table was hot but not boiling, and the overall mouth feel was luxurious. Regardless of what entrée or appetizer you order, you must try the bread pudding.

Side Note - the photos do not do justice to the portions on the plates... Be careful, because the quantity and quality of the food can cause you to be late for work the next day, at least that was the case for...

My wife and I recently visited this establishment 4/5/18 and were less than thrilled by the food and the way we were treated.

We ordered Smoked Cheddar Jalapeno Sausage Appetizer ½# Burger Smoked Chicken Leg ¼ The Sides that day were Smoked Potatoes and Parsnips

The Sausage appetizer was very good – the Green Apples with vinaigrette were a nice touch, they offset the spicy sausage well – we could have used a little more of the apples. We liked to alternate bites to enhance the flavor of the sausage.

The Smoked Potatoes were good, the parsnips were slightly undercooked

The Burger was OK – nothing special, I have had better / I have had worse

The Chicken ¼ was miserable – the skin was so tough you could not pierce it with a fork, also properly smoked chicken the meat should fall off the bone and the joint should be easy to crack to separate the drum from the thigh. It took almost all my strength to break the leg in two with my hands. We have our own smoker and have used it on almost every protein you can think of, we even smoke spatchcocked turkeys at Thanksgiving. My wife quietly went to our server to speak of the issue with the chicken. The Owner/Chef intervened and was very condescending and belittled my wife, He told my wife that the chicken was properly cooked and temped and that there was nothing wrong with it. Then he went up to one of the customers sitting at the counter and loudly stated/asked him, that he did not have any problem sucking the meat off the bones of his chicken. We were given another chicken leg and the skin was just as tough – we asked for a to-go container, dumped it in and walked out. When we got home we took a hard look at this “fabulous” chicken. The skin was super tough – even with a good knife it was difficult to cut – on this piece the meat did fall off the bone better but it still probably could have used more time in the smoker and the joint was still overly stiff. The meat did not have much of a smoky flavor – without the smoky goodness we might as well call this baked chicken.

I can handle mediocre food but an owner that treats any customer...

On our way to Saginaw, we decided to stop at The Maple Grill, a highly-rated farm-to-table restaurant with over 20,000 Facebook followers.

First Impressions: Upon arrival, we found the parking situation and entrance a bit confusing. There weren’t clear signs directing guests where to park or enter. Once inside, we were greeted by a cozy, rustic ambiance, but again, there was little direction on what to do next. Several employees were present, but no one initially provided guidance until a waitress finally explained the ordering process.

Ordering Experience: The menu is displayed on a wall near the counter, meaning you have to make quick decisions, especially if there's a line. Since it’s a farm-to-table restaurant, the menu likely changes often, which is great for variety but can be overwhelming without descriptions of the dishes. A printed menu at the entrance would be more convenient.

Food & Service: The food itself was delicious, well-prepared, and priced fairly. However, when we had questions about certain dishes, multiple staff members seemed unsure of the answers, which raised concerns about their familiarity with the menu. Despite the longer wait time typical for a farm-to-table establishment, the quality of the food made it worth it.

The Downside: The biggest drawback was the lingering smoky scent from the restaurant's cooking process. After sitting for an hour, we left smelling like we had been at a campfire. This could be an issue if you're headed to an event or work afterward, as the smell clings to your clothing. Improved ventilation would make a big difference.

Overall: While the food was excellent and the concept appealing, the lack of clear instructions, the rushed ordering process, and the strong smoky smell were drawbacks. If you're looking for a relaxed, rustic dining experience and don’t mind the lingering aroma of wood smoke, The Maple Grill is a great stop. Just plan accordingly if you have somewhere to...