Arboreal Inn — Restaurant in Spring Lake Township

My spouse and I just moved back to West Michigan after several years away, and decided to do a birthday dinner at the Arboreal Inn. Neither of us had been there. We had tenderloin tips as an appetizer that were prepared medium and were served at the right temperature and consistency and were absolutely delicious with the Gorgonzola sauce accompaniment. For our mains she had chicken and I had a full rack of ribs. Both were outstanding, and the au gratin potatoes served with them were equally great. Food wise -- if there was a weak spot, it would have been the vegetable medley -- it looked like something from a package, and was not up to the quality of the rest of the meal. That said, the wine and dessert was fabulous.

Our server, Heather, really made our evening and provided impeccable service. We are looking forward to going back at some point in the future, and trying the seafood. All in, with tip, we paid $130. For us that seemed like a good value given the steak tip appetizer, big mains, alcohol, dessert, and tip. For comparable in Grand Rapids, we would expect to pay $200 and would be hard pressed to exceed the quality of the food we had at the Inn.

The one zonk I might give it is the ambience. It is an open room of tables in a mostly monotone colored room with wall sconce lighting that reminds me of the 1970s, and no background music or anything else. It looks nice, don't get me wrong, but it reminded me a bit of being at my father's country club growing up, and was stuffy. It also got a bit noisy with people talking rather loudly, and not much to break up the sound or voices. We listened to the guy next to us talk endlessly to his date about his admiration for the brilliance of Elon Musk.

We liked the Arboreal Inn overall, and would recommend you give it a shot if you want really good food, healthy portions, good service, and a night out in a setting that hearkens to a different era. It's all those, and...

This little hidden gem is tucked away like a countryside chateau. It's outward appearance is quaint, and not what one would typically associate with fine dinning. However, it's a most pleasant surprise. Let's start the review where it matters the most... -THE FOOD - This place definitely lives up to it's superb reputation, and does not disappoint in the least! Amazing tastes, prepared and cooked to perfection, with an elevated rustic presentation. -THE SERVICE - The service is amazing. The front of house staff are all very inviting, friendly, and their positive energy was genuinely hospitable. Our server Madison was attentive, helpful with suggestions, and able to explain the menu and specials well. She was warm like an old friend, yet professional. It was also refreshing to see the staff offering each other support and putting customer service first. Kudos! -THE Atmosphere - It was warm, and there is a central fireplace in the main dinning room that was lit. The interior is complimentary of the country chateau vibe I suppose, but it also comes off as being dated. A few updated touches would softer lighting would definitely elevate the ambiance from good...

We drove an hour to have dinner with our friends that we haven’t seen in a while. It went okay until the end when we all received our bill and our friend was charged for the addition cost of add ons that he did not want. The server (I will not name) got upset when we pointed it out and went to get the manager and at that time I also got up to use the restroom. I saw the server pull the manager aside to a room closest to the restrooms and they both started talking bad about us waving their hands. So they weren't just discussing what was going on nicely. I heard with my own two ears!! About five minutes later, the manager came back to our table and asked us if we had a problem, so we explained the situation to her, and the manager seemed to think she was a part of the original conversation during the ordering process. In the end the manager took the servers side! Who in their right mind would want an up charge cost of pretty much double of their meal?? We spent a lot of money tonight and would not recommend this place due to the management and staff. I am so embarrassed for the owner to have...