Rocky River Grillhouse

The first thing I liked right off the bat was the cozy seating area inside the entrance, complete with comfy chairs and a fireplace. Beats sitting in the cold lobby waiting to be seated. The atmosphere is dark, warm and cozy; lots of stone walls and wood beams. We were seated in the bar area, which wouldn't have been my first choice, but it was pleasant and quiet - no loud TVs to drown out conversation, and the conversation of other patrons wasn't deafening, either, which is another restaurant pet peeve of mine. I didn't feel like we were seated on top of other guests, either, which was nice - we could have an intimate conversation without feeling like we were intruding on others.

They serve a nice oat-sprinkled wheat bread with honey butter as a warm up - warm, fresh and soft. The menu is pretty standard American fare - several steak options, chicken options, four or five grilled fish dishes, four or five pasta options, salads and burgers and sandwiches.

I chose the Fire-Grilled Salmon with lemon butter sauce, with rice pilaf and a Caesar salad side. Stephanie ordered had the Spicy Grillhouse Penne with Shrimp added, with the Lodge Salad and peppercorn ranch dressing as a side.

It's pretty easy to get a Caesar salad wrong, but Rocky River was excellent; close to my Bravo's benchmark as the ideal. No iceberg lettuce, as at another recent local restaurant we visited. Tomatoes in a Caesar is odd, but at least they were cherry tomatoes and I could pick them out. My salmon was absolutely perfect - thick and juicy, not overly grilled or dry, and the lemon butter was on the side, with a small drizzle over the top, so I could choose how much sauce to use. The rice was flavorful without being dry or spicy. Stephanie raved about the taste of her Penne.

Our drinks were always full, we didn't have to wait on food, and the server even brought extra bread to pack in Stephanie's take home box. If you're looking for exotic fare or an "experience" for your dinner, you might not be interested in Rocky River, but for tasty food in a pleasant atmosphere, it's great. I want to go back in the future and check out their prime rib.

Rocky River Grillhouse is a chain - the second of three locations opened so far, and they appear to be owned by Darden Concepts, Inc., which is also the owner of Olive Garden and Red Lobster, Smokey Bones and Bahama Breeze.

Location

Rocky River Grillhouse
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5910 E. 82nd Street
Castleton, IN 46250
Phone: (317) 595-0094
Website

Ratings

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Price: Dinner for 2, with soft drinks, no dessert, including tip: $43.19