A great downtown experience at Bobarino’s
In the six years I’ve lived in West Michigan, I have not once stepped foot inside The B.O.B. for a meal. That all changed Saturday night, when I joined a friend at Bobarino’s, located on the second floor of the building.
Being Valentine’s Day weekend, we weren’t shocked to see that it was packed. But our original 30-45 minute wait was cut down to 10, and we were seated at a booth directly by a window.
We started out with thai chicken lettuce wraps ($7.95) as an appetizer. Though I had always loved lettuce wraps as an appetizer at Asian-specific restaurants, I wasn’t expecting much here. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The three lettuce wraps presented to us were filled with chicken and vegetables, and came with a slightly spicy sauce to add a bit of a kick. It was definitely a great start to our meal.
Now, if you’ve ever been to Bobarino’s — or any of the Gilmore Collection restaurants, for that matter — you know that pizza is a specialty. But having digested several slices of pizza over the past week, I decided to skip my Italian favorite. Instead, I went with a chicken pesto sandwich ($8.50), while my dining partner, Joey, chose a classic reuben ($8.25).
My sandwich was filled with fresh chicken and a tasty pesto sauce. It was then topped with tomatoes, bacon and red onion. My picky-ness aside (minus the bacon and onion), the sandwich was filling, and seemed to have the perfect mix of flavor. While it wasn’t a home run, it was a good complement to the fresh lettuce wraps we had just experienced.
Joey’s sandwich, on the other hand, was lacking a bit. It was still good and fulfilling, but it was what you’d expect. Nothing over the top, nothing that screams flavor, but still good. Both of us opted for fries as our side ($1.95 extra), which seemed to be a mistake. The shoestring fries weren’t as hot as I would have liked, nor did they contain much seasoning.
While the fries weren’t up to my expectations, the service was spectacular. Our waitress checked up on us often, and when she wasn’t around, other servers assisted with prompt drink refills and answering of our questions.
All in all, while Bobarino’s doesn’t “wow” me as anything special, it’s a great after-work dinner and drink spot. It’s probably the most traditional restaurant at The B.O.B., but it does traditional quite well. I’d recommend it to families and co-workers in a heartbeat, or those who are just looking for a good, affordable meal downtown.
Bobarino's ( Rating:
out of 5 )Where: 20 Monroe Ave., Downtown Grand Rapids
Hours: Mon.-Thu. 11:30 a.m. to close, Fri. 11:30 a.m. to close, Sat. 2 p.m. to close, Sun. 5 p.m. to close.
Ambiance: Casual sports and entertainment restaurant
How much will it cost you: Meal for two for about $20.
Credit cards: All major
Alcohol: Yes
Reservations: Yes
Wireless Internet: Yes
Contact: (616) 356-2000
