Square One Eats and Treats — Restaurant in Waterford Township

First time in... slow day due to snow day... went for lunch. 3 other tables with patrons while we were there. Hostess and waitress were very friendly. The space was cold in both temperature and ambiance but nothing a nice lit candle on the table couldn't fix prior to them maybe putting some inviting art on the walls, and turning up the heat on a cold day. They are new so I am hopeful they have some plans in place for some LOCAL art to build the decor. The French onion soup had a nice flavor with the correct amount of cheese. Cheese melted in nicely and didn't congeal. If you are a fan of French onion soup with a crouton or bread round that begins with some texture, like we are, you may be disappointed. The homemade croutons were just a few mushy spreads within the soup, and not their own entity. Not bad, just different and not croutons. The French dip sandwich was delicious, and large enough for my husband to be full after the first half. The fresh cut fries were fantastic as well as the au jus . They do not have bev naps available for drinks for condensation or spillage, and they do not have a pepper mill or cheese grater for topping to pasta or salads. Easy fix. I had the scratch made fettuccini with alfredo, with an additional side of pesto. The pasta and sauces were excellent, but the portion size of the pasta was small for the price point. The quaint breadsticks that came with it were very good and fresh. The homemade ranch was very good and thin. I say this because a lot of people love and look for great thin ranch. It is really good. The salad that came with the meal was super fresh. I could smell the cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion distinctively. We did not see any staff other than the one waitress and hostess while we were there, but on an expected slow day I didn't expect to have contact with the owners or a manager. Bathrooms are key, and in this case they missed some major cleaning opportunities in the actual water closets, with the commode itself, but that is trainable. The iced tea tasted fresh brewed and the water comes out in a nice goblet with a slice of lemon. Menu is still a paper version which is understandable if they are still tweaking the final version for print. They should print new fresh ones each day, however, as mine had a bit of food mush on a page of paper. Our experience was just okay.... but look forward to trying it again after they've been a couple of more months...

2024 Update: Revisiting this place a couple of times it is really nice to see all they have improved and how well this place has grown. The food is really good and well prepared & seasoned when arrived. Staff is nice & friendly, always greeting with a smile. Moving my once 3-star into a 5-star, because it does seem they do care about what people say and the customers that visit. This is also a fantastic spot for brunch! Left my old review below for reference.

Old Review:

We went here because of all the great reviews. And it wasn't bad at all but the price to taste value was way off. For two of us we ordered each a adult beverage, split an appetizer, split a plate, & split a dessert. All of this for $70. The atmosphere was a bit off putting too it felt very cramped. With this being a remodel from a old diner it does look better but could really use some more touch ups and rearranging.

The staff was very friendly and helpful but sadly the time we went they seemed short staffed. And I'm not knocking any of that, my 3 stars is mostly a reflection of the food & price.

We ordered a homemade vegetable pasta which we were hoping for a savory delicious plate but it was missing some ingredients that would make it a much better pasta. It was missing garlic & mushrooms & salt. Everything else was fine but seemed like food found on Pinterest but sold at a much higher price.

I'm willing to try this place again and I probably will at some point. Until than this place doesn't have a price to...

We went for Lunch on Easter and it was pretty busy, but we had a great time. They don't take reservations for parties under 5. The woman at the counter let me know it would be about 25 mins for the 3 of us and , it took right around 25 mins. We were seated and our server Jacklyn greeted us. Let me stop right now and let you know how fantastic she is. She was friendly , efficient and really personable, what a great personality and commitment to customer service! The table order consisted of the BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger, cooked to perfection and really well seasoned which is important to me and something I find missing in many places. My Wife had the breaded eggplant sandwich and she loved it. The French dip is my mother in laws favorite and it didn't disappoint. if there was anything that was not quite up to par, I'd say it was the Fries. they were a little underwhelming but not that bad. I enjoyed the Bloody Mary because it was not too spicy, as ordered, and is served with what I always refer to as "the good ice" which is well crushed like you get at Sonic or Johnny Rockets. I like it because it keep the drink cold the whole time. For desert we shared a generous slice of chocolate cake that had a fudge frosting that was really good, even though I'm not a big cake fan. all in all it was a really nice experience and I would recommend you try them out . If you're lucky, you might even get to sit in...