Thoroughly unimpressed.
I was excited about a new restaurant opening, but upon my read of the Midland Daily News review and perusing their menu online, my hope quickly faded. I went anyway to check it out, but left disappointed.
The staff was friendly and polite, the decor is decent and my food arrived quickly (although it wasn't great - a lot of pasta, not much primavera, and no flavor).
Ultimately what is important is the food and there is absolutely nothing compelling about this menu. As the MDN put it, and I agree, there isn't much here that isn't found on menus EVERYWHERE ELSE. They claim to be "elevated comfort food". "Comfort food" is basic stuff one makes at home on a rainy day in one's sweats, not for a dining out experience. Who gets psyched to go out to a nice restaurant for...meatloaf? I also couldn't help but wonder where the "elevated" part was.
Their entrees are primarily meat sandwiches, a few ground beef-based dishes and 2 nearly identical rigatoni pasta dishes. A sandwich is not a dinner entree at a sit-down restaurant. I don't want a sandwich for dinner; you can go to one of the 167 other places offering sandwiches for that. The only non-heavy-non-meat option is an iceberg lettuce salad, the description of which sounded suspiciously like the add-on salad you get at Applebee's for $5. Seriously - an iceberg lettuce salad isn't even trying.
Their wine selection is a joke; subpar bottles that can be purchased at Kroger.
I might also suggest that a place called Beatniks that claims to "groove" really should be playing better music; not the tired, old, over-over-OVERplayed 70s rock-pop. That would have really have added unique ambience to enhance the vibe they are going for.
My recommendation is stay home, get a Taste of Home recipe magazine and make your own meatloaf. Or sandwich. read more