Grindstone on the Monon

I was really looking forward to trying this place, but my experience with the chicken sandwich was disappointing. After just two bites, the chicken was basically gone—no exaggeration. For a $16 sandwich, I expect a portion that at least covers the bun and feels worth the price. My wife ordered the fried pork tenderloin and rated it 3.5 out of 5 stars. She mentioned it had a lot of breading compared to the amount of meat. My son had the ribs and thought they were average, giving them a 4 out of 5. Overall, the meal was okay for my family, but my dish in particular fell short of expectations for the price.

Review: Grindstone on the Monon The food at Grindstone on the Monon was okay, but unfortunately the overall experience was disappointing. From the moment we walked in, we felt rushed. We had barely sat down when the waitress asked for our order. The appetizers arrived, and only about two minutes later our main dishes were brought out, which made the meal feel very hurried rather than enjoyable. To make matters worse, the check was brought to the table before dessert even arrived. This was especially disappointing because we were there to celebrate a birthday and were hoping for a relaxed, celebratory atmosphere. Instead, the pacing of the service made it feel like we were being pushed out the door. It’s a shame, because this was meant to be a special occasion, and the rushed service really took away from the experience.

This was my first time coming to this place and overall I was pretty disappointed. We made reservations for a special birthday dinner for my mom for an off time on a Sunday. Upon checking in, the host seemed a little confused when looking for the reservation. Another host came over and found it. This is going to sound a little petty but neither of these guys acknowledged or wished a happy birthday to the guest of honor. The fact this was a birthday dinner was explicitly stated twice in the reservation. I also had to explicitly tell the server it was my mom’s birthday before it was acknowledge at all. In the reservation I also made one request - that we were sat at a quiet table because my dad is hard of hearing. Well, we were sat amongst other guests in a very empty restaurant right under a speaker. Another slightly annoying thing was that one of our two water bottles was not chilled. Some of the table was drinking nice cold water and others had room temperature water. For our first course, everyone ordered the French onion soup. It had a good taste, but it should have been hotter. It also was lacking in the amount of cheese that was on it. This is where my biggest grievance comes in - after about 4 bites into our soup all of our entrees came out. We were all surprised and had to start shuffling all of our plates around. Now it was a decision of what do we let get cold, the already lukewarm soup, or the entrees that were brought out 10 minutes too early. It felt like we were being rushed and created an atmosphere that was not relaxed or enjoyable. The taste of the entrees was average. Nothing special but not bad either. Then the bill was brought out before my mother’s birthday dessert was even delivered. It again felt like we were being rushed. I would be more understanding to a rushed experience if we had not chosen an off time to eat. The restaurant was not busy and it should have been easy to get all of these grievances correct. I would not recommend this restaurant for someone looking to make a special dinner night. There are a lot of better options at the same price point.

We loved it here. We wanted to try everything from the menu. Our food all tasted good. Prices were affordable. The building itself had a nice appearance. Staff was very nice. Overall was wowed by how good it was.

A great bar and restaurant right in front of the hotel, by the monon trail. Both the indoor and outdoor seating areas are spacious, comfortable, and perfect for relaxing with a drink. It was hard to choose from the big menu, but went with the fish & chips, crab dip, and jambalaya pasta — all were delicious! Nice atmosphere, friendly service, and tasty food.