Ballard's in the Atrium — Restaurant in West Baden Springs

Dissatisfied with our visit. This was our first time visiting and we were celebrating our one-year anniversary. We made our reservation a week prior. When we arrived at the Atrium, the view was stunning. We went to the podium for Ballard's and waited about 15 seconds to be told that we would need to wait for the hostess to come seat us. We wait about another 30 seconds and then are seated at our table. The table was probably the worst table to be sat at. The table was the only one that sat in the middle of the walkway for the waiters and waitresses to put in orders and run food orders out. At first it didn't really bother us. Then staff started having conversations right by the table. It seemed a bit inconsiderate. By this point our waiter came by to tell us he would be back to help us in a bit and then went to another table. About 10 minutes went by until he came back. Our waiter seemed a bit dismissive and didn't say too much. We ordered the French Soup as an appetizer, the Chicken Vodka Penne, and the steak with Frites. The Soup came out pretty quick and we enjoyed tasting it, even though it was a little different than what we were expecting. Our entrées came out maybe 15-20 minutes after. This is where the dinner went south.

Before we had even had a chance to look at the food, our waiter came and asked how the food was. We told him we had not gotten to start yet. Our waiter then left and did not check back in. The food was just not good. The chicken was overcooked and chewy. The sauce was decent in taste.The steak had a lot of sauce and yet lacked flavor. The Frites were crispy but dry. They tasted like they had been cooked an hour prior and then served on the dish. We were both disappointed with our food. The price did not match the quality of food that we were served.

We then wait another 15 minutes after finishing our food. The waiter came and we asked for the check. A couple minutes later the check was given. The waiter came back to grab the card and took it back to pay us out. It took roughly ten minutes until he came back. We weren't sure why it took that long.

Needless to say, we will not be going back. We also will not recommend others to dine here. Maybe our experience was a one off, but there was so much during the visit that bothered us and ultimately left us unsatisfied that we do not desire to go back. It's unfortunate because the Atrium is beautiful. A good meal mixed with the view would really make this an astonishing environment. The live music helped, but the atmosphere was given a three due to the customer service mixed with the...

Let me begin by saying that I have traveled most of Europe while living in Germany for 20 years I drove truck hauling heavy equipment in the lower 48 states and Canada. The reason I'm explaining my travels is to give no doubt I have visited almost every type of restaurant and eaten all types of food My wife and I chose to eat at the Dome in French Lick on New Years day for a special treat to her. We chose the Atrium and Ballard's to view the Dome. Drink order went well with our waiter (no miller lite) and once the drinks arrived, we ordered. Appetizers were Artichoke Spinach dip and Tomota bisque with real cream. She ordered Steak Frites med well done. I chose Blackened salmon with rice, paplando pepper, and corn.

Artichoke dip was fresh baked ( ? ) but looked very dark on crusty top. After showing her disgust at first bite , I chose to take a spoon full too. It honestly tasted old , had absolutely no taste whatsoever. Even I make one better!! Tried to salt it . Nope ! 2/3 went back uneaten. Tomato Basil was col at top and Luke warm downwards. Also after 4-5 spoonfuls I started to feel bloated and tasting a sourness. Done with that ! Main course came out and we were both skeptical of it being a flop or not. Steak was tender and tasteful according to Mrs. But potatoes were not fries but long cut boiled 😐 Blacked salmon 😋 was rice parlando pepper and corn in a cream like sauce filling the plate nicely displayed with salmon in center. However !! Who in their right ..... minds puts a gob of some kind of red sauce (bbq,pasta) on top of salmon. Rice was somewhat tasty but not my cup if tea. Red sauce definitely led me to be a strict believer in plain salmon with lemon. So my conclusion to this restaurant visit is that when you drop a 150 $ on a treat to yourselves then I should be giving 5 stars not 1 and 2. Actually food only got 1 star because the Mrs liked her Steak. Service was polite but requires help of an extra waitress to order a 2nd drink.

We definitely won't be back as the Dining in the Dome was a bigger...

We drove up to West Baden Springs, IN for lunch and decided on Ballard's in the Atrium. The atmosphere is breathtaking inside one of the largest atrium I have ever seen. Regardless of the food, this is a must-do experience you need to undertake.

I ordered the Classic Wagyu Beef Burger. It was presented with an 8 oz Wagyu beef patty with lettuce, tomato, onion, house pickle, and a choice of cheeses. I went with American. The burger was good, but not great. I had fries as a side. The fries were a little soft and soggy.

My wife enjoyed the Caesar Salad with salmon. The salad was served with chopped hearts of Romaine, shaved Pecorino cheese, and garlic croutons. This was all tossed in a traditional Caesar dressing. My wife enjoyed this very much.

We had glasses of wine to go with our meal. There is a great selection of drinks offered. There is also a children's menu.

As I stated above, this is a must-do place to dine just to take in the beauty of the atrium. The food is somewhere between 3 ½ to 4 stars. Three and a half for the burger/fries and four stars for the salad. I'm giving Ballard's in the Atrium four stars more because of the atrium and not so much for the...