Center Grove Grill & Soda Shop — Restaurant in Summerfield

I discovered this place while trying to give my mom a variety of foods. No matter where we went, she ordered a cheeseburger, because it was still familiar to her. This was the only place she would order something else. If we went on Tuesday, she would get the homemade chicken pie, fried okra, Mac n cheese and a corn muffin. So she had another meal that she could remember and enjoy. They were always so nice and patient with us. Once I got her seated, they would stow her walker/chair until we were done. They would chat her up and she felt like they were old friends “doing a catch up”. Over the years, my family and I have personally tried: cheeseburgers, hotdogs, grilled cheese, fries, onion rings, chicken pie, wraps, corn dogs and LOTS of desserts! My husband and I went today and reminisced about how my mom would ask for a to go box, even if she only had 3 pieces of okra left. LOL. Today, Hubs enjoyed a bacon cheeseburger and 2 ATW hotdogs. I got the daily special of country style steak and gravy with mashed potatoes and more gravy, fried okra and a dinner roll. The hotdog bun was toasted but not buttered but it was still good. The bacon cheeseburger had crisp thick cut bacon and good iceberg lettuce. My meal was delish! The meat was fork tender and tasted like roast beef. The gravy was from the meat juices, so yum! I love their fried okra and the mashed potatoes are homemade. I really wanted to get the Hershey’s cappuccino crunch ice cream but I was stuffed and we had more errands to run, so a pint to go wasn’t feasible. The people that work there are still sweet as pie. We...

We picked up dinner for takeout. I ordered inside instead of calling. The wait was only about 20 minutes.

The cheeseburgers are always made-to-order and delicious. The crinkle fries were still hot once we made it home - that’s a big plus.

We also tried the ground steak dinner meal. I was not to pleased that the ground steak was served so plain - no gravy, no onions, just the steak burger. I could have had grilled onions added, but without gravy it wouldn’t have made a big difference. Don’t get me wrong, the meat was juicy and cooked perfectly with no grisly bits, just rather plain IMO. However the fried okra, black eyed peas and green beans were really good. When I got home I made some quick gravy with onion, red & green bell peppers, Mccomicks vegetable seasoning and a bit of beef bouillon and olive oil.

My next Monday meal will not be the special, but one of the delicious sandwiches are...

Stopped in yesterday and was excited to discover this fantastic little gem. The 50s theme is strong and charming, the staff is friendly and the food is great. I had the pimento burger and it was delicious. Do yourself a favor and get the homemade fries, they are worth the trip alone. Not exactly cheap or fast, but it is a diner that isn't what they are there for. The ice cream looked great but I was stuffed and didn't save room for it (next time). Obviously a local hangout, which was also fun, but they were incredibly welcoming to strangers. I...