Clara’s On the River

Went here to celebrate after a competition at the Kellogg’s arena. Room they had us in was super noisy. Requested to be in a different area but they couldn’t accommodate. One in our party ordered a chocolate milkshake and said it tasted funny. It must just be the type of chocolate ice cream they use. The house salad is good the pepperoni and provolone are little bits, wish there was a little less as it over powers the lettuce. The bread was the bright spot of the meal. For the main course 3 ordered the steak and this is where the disappointment was. All three were overseasoned and all you tasted was salt. This was a shame since the cut was cooked extremely well in all 3 cases. The disappointment continued with the bernaise steak sauce, also heavily salted to where it couldn’t we used. 2 of us ordered mashed potatoes on the side and were again disappointed because it was overseasoned. The mashed potatoes were also creamy to the point of having no texture, which some might like, but there was old skin on the one my daughter received and the serving she got must have been the end of one batch because her friend’s was sweeter but still not that better just not the end of a tray they had sitting in the back kitchen. Also had fettuccine Alfredo and baked potato which were fine and the mozzarella filled breadstick was great. But due to the disappointment with the entrees we decided to drive to get get donuts for dessert rather than try what was on their menu.

Hadn’t been to Clara’s in over 5 years and recently have had two lunch meetings there in the past month. Both times the food was very good, service was ok, but the best part of Clara’s is the atmosphere. If you love antiques and history, this is a place you need to take in. The building is an old railroad depot and they have many pictures, memorabilia and décor that tell a story from Battle Creek’s early days.
I had the soup and salad one time and a «low carb» club sandwich the next. Prices are pretty steep for what you get. The serving size was adequate for me, however – wouldn’t be for someone with a larger appetite.

Woof. As a 20-​year citizen of the area, Clara’s used to be *the* place for a citizen of Kalamazoo spending a day in Battle Creek. It has been around ten years since my last visit, and tonight, on my wife’s birthday, we decided to take a jog down memory lane and try the old girl out again!
I could tell things had slipped once we walked in– despite being a freezing night, the fireplace was unlit. Cold would prove to be a theme of the night, as we were seated next to a window and under a ceiling fan.
The waitress landed, and instead of a greeting, gave us a sigh and a look that said ‘here we go.’ I ordered a Pepsi, and she walked away while my wife ordered a beer. You read that correctly: my wife had to call out her drink order to the waitress’ back.
We ordered the stuffed mushrooms, which tasted okay, but were scalding on the inside and not on the outside (nuked?). I ordered the cow catcher burger (ham, bacon, and cheddar), and while it was cooked to order, there was no seasoning involved, and while I’m no chef, the whole thing screamed frozen meat. The Clara chips are thick cut (more of a potato round) and flavorless. Also, they were cold on the inside.
My wife’s steak was the low point of the evening. While cooked perfectly medium, there was no juice, and when I tried a bite I found the more I chewed, the more the texture became like tuna or turkey. I don’t know if this means the meat was frozen, or old, or some bad alternative. Her baked potato was also cold.
We should have complained. We didn’t for a few reasons– our waitress really seemed like she didn’t care, the service was already slow for a dead night, and honestly, if they can’t get a steak right, what hope could we have had for another meal?
I’m guessing the recession is to blame for the downfall of Clara’s. They have boasted a huge menu for as long as I can remember, and everything that was wrong with our meal (be it frozen, old, or nuked), seemed like a cost-​cutting measure.
I would like to see Clara’s get their juice back (literally and figuratively)! For such a beautiful location and atmosphere, I would completely not begrudge them simplifying it down to a two page menu if it meant the quality would come back!
In the meantime, it looks like my wife gets a stomach ache as a fond reminder of her birthday meal.

We hadn’t eaten here in a long time but wanted to see how it was. The chicken marsala was wonderful and my enchiladas were wonderfully cheesy. The service was great

The ambience here is extraordinary. The old train depot with all it’s polished wood and uniqueness makes for a great atmosphere to eat.
If only the food equaled the atmosphere. There was 3 of us dining. We had a burger and fries, a burger and chips, and a meatloaf with salad.
I had a cowcatcher burger cooked medium well. The cowcatcher comes with ham and bacon on it, plus I got bbq sauce on the side. The burger itself was cooked perfectly and tasted good, but not great. Above average and worth ordering but that’s about it. The BBQ sauce was subpar, made me glad I hadn’t ordered the ribs. Not disgusting just not good. The fries were slightly below average also. Very crispy just kunda missing any taste to them. The other burger was cooked medium rare and was also cooked perfectly. The Blu cheese was very nice. Overall rated above average also. The chips were very good. Lastly the meatloaf was declared to be very good but short of excellent. The Chipotle sauce was the best part. It came with mashed potatoes that were declared bad, they tasted like they were from a box. I tried them and had to agree. The side salad was considered very good.
All in all we might come back again someday due to atmosphere, but the food could use some work.

My buddies and I ambled in Sunday morning before going to paintball game. This place’s brunch provided the sustenance we needed to maintain our energy for paintball. The brunch items were varied and plentiful. The Eggs Benedict were presented with a special touch– the hollandaise sauce was served in syrup bottle, allowing me to slather the perfect amount of sauce on my egg. The walls were decorated with historic cereal boxes, giving a local flavor that was much appreciated. We sat at a table with a wonderful view of Battle Creek. When the bill arrived, it was only $ 50 for all four of us. A pleasant surprise for city slickers that are used to paying more for less. Good job Clara’s! I know why so many locals frequent your establishment.

I only went here once. It was just okay. The menu was too huge to even begin to make a good choice. Apparently it is an old train station. The location was really cool, right on the Battle Creek River (Yes, it’s called the Battle Creek River) near downtown Battle Creek. Would have been beautiful to sit outside, but it was October so too cold. The service was strange, but I’m pretty sure the server was brand new so you can’t really blame them for that — I guess.

We stopped at Clare’s passing through Battle Creek. Great place to eat. The building is an old rail terminal and is very unique and interesting. The food was very good. The wait time for our dinner was a bit long, a large party ahead of us we were told, but our server doubled our desert order in the house to make up for the wait.
On their patio, a jazz group was playing, and they were great. The restaurant backs up to a little River front which was very nice and a perfect place to listen to the jazz.
If we’re ever in this area again, we’ll stop back at Clare’s.

Cute place– needed to dust lamp fixtures and replace curtains when I was there. Also the menu is too big! I wish they would make it way smaller and value the food more. The patio is great and service was good. Just needs some updating to stay with times.

Clara’s is a pretty neat place. The restaurant is in a large, old, historic building. It used to be the train station.
The walk down memory lane is about all that Clara’s has to boast. Upon one look at the menu, you see that they feature Tex Mex, Italian, Pizza, and Seafood? Which is their specialty? Because I can tell you both times I ate there I had steak (yes they are a steak house too.?) and pasta it was not special.
Yes it’s harsh, but for the prices you pay, you would hope that old Battle Creek memorabilia would not the most exciting thing about this place.

Very cool atmosphere! My family enjoyed this old train station turned into restaurant! Wish we lived closer! Stopped on our way home from Michigan to Joliet, il!

I like Clara’s. Part of the fun of this place is that the building itself is a big old authentic train station perched right on the river. The dining rooms are big and cavernous and full of old memorabilia type things. So the atmosphere is cool. In addition the menu is large and I can’t say I have ever had a bad meal here. They offer American, Italian, and Tex Mex + a pretty decent selection of fish and seafood. Fettuccine Alfredo is off tha chain here. Salads are great, and most of the menu selections I have had have been above average. One complaint is that I have tried steaks here occasionally and they really have not been worth the money, at least in my experience. That said, a good solid eating experience.

If you are ever in battle creek this is a cool old train station turned restaurant that Bill and I stop at every year when we go to our grand daughters dance recital at Kellogg Center. I had the Polynesian tuna melt which was a nice sandwich with pineapple and cheese on top but I’m a tuna freak :) bill had the lake perch basket which he enjoyed. Nice ambience, casual with interesting memorabilia on the walls.

I came here under the recommendation of a friend. Overall I wasn’t disappointed. The meals were served quickly and the staff was professional. I was warned of two things though:
1. Don’t get anything with mushrooms
2. Desserts are HUGE.
It’s priced decently but the wait time was about an hour. I’m not sure we would have been called if one of us didn’t go up there to ask about our wait time.

Sunday brunch is probably the best thing this side of the Mason Dixon. Also the best brunch in West Michigan. Do it.

I came for lunch and enjoyed a delicious Santa Fe Chicken Salad. The service was great and the restaurant was clean and had an eclectic decorative theme. I’ll be back the next time I’m in Battle Creek.

I hate to say that I’ve eaten out twice this week, but to top it all off, both times were at this place. Not that I like it so much that I picked it twice, they were both for separate birthday parties.
Anyway, what I like about eating here is the fireplace. Something about eating in front of it makes the food taste better. I haven’t had a bad meal here yet. But I haven’t had a cheap one either.
The menu here is enormous. If you can’t find something to eat here then something is wrong with you. Sandwiches, pizza, entrees, soup, appetizers, deserts of all kinds. A meal with water should run a $ 10 average per person. Drinks are more as usual.
The wait staff is usually attentive, and will go out of their way to keep you happy. If you come during the Christmas season, you can walk through the Festival of Lights. Otherwise it’s usually nice to stroll the river downtown and walk off some of that meal.
Parking is free and well lit. I’ll be back I’m sure, just not again this week.

We are from out of town and came across this place on Unilocal.The décor is really nice. I love the soft and cozy feel to it. It was fully decorated for the holidays and the large fireplace was going. It felt very homey inside.
Our waitress was super friendly without being overbearing. The food came fast and was fresh. The portions were quite large and we only ordered half sizes of a salad and nachos. That being said, we ordered pretty typical food that isn’t hard to mess up. We liked it. The prices were a bit high and that’s why I have it 4 stars. But the atmosphere was inviting.
I would go back again when in the Battle Creek area!

I love Clara’s as a concept however it typically is not my first place to go for dinner in Battle Creek which is a shame. Clara’s really could be an awsome place to go ALWAYS! Instead is an awsome place if you are visiting for the symphony and need a place to go afterwards for dessert, coffee or hot chocolate. It is also great for when visiting the christmas lights of Battle Creek each year October through January and need a place to warm up. If you need a place to take business clients it does the job as well. Lastly, if it’s the occasional summer treat and I want to enjoy the warm weather with friends beside the river by having a drink or dinner with friends and listen to the band then clara’s is a perfect place to go.
Clara’s is an old train station that has been turned into a resturaunt. The décor is old world with lots of wood. It has old photo’s of the history of Battle Creek on the walls from military to cereal empires being built. Lot’s of old world charm.
The kitchen does a decent job at the meals they prepare. They have everything from soups and salads, mexican, italian, pizza, sandwiches to full dinner menu. Everything is fresh, the menu is extensive, though spices and flavors are muted and a bit boring. I have never had bad service from Clara’s wait staff.
What keeps me from visiting Clara’s on a regular basis is that the food is nothing to write home about and prices are on the higher side. I don’t mind paying extra for good food I just wish the food was less institutional/​boring perhaps have a rotating menu. I think they miss the opportunity by trying to serve everything under the sun. A great high class chef could fix it.
My only other comments is something they really can’t help and it is their parking lot they share with the library. There is never enough parking and it really needs to be repaved.

While on our Midwest road trip, we stopped in for dinner at Clara’s on the River, an informal restaurant in a converted railroad depot overlooking the Kalamazoo River that was originally built in 1888. Enveloped in a 19^th century ambiance that was stocked with Kellogg’s and Post cereal memorabilia and a number of other treasures harking way back in time, Diane and I were presented with some delicious contemporary comfort food off a massive 16-​page menu.
We began with a good but not perfectly deveined Shrimp Cocktail with 8 fairly large shrimps clinging to the glass. French Onion Soup was good with gooey cheese and a tasty but thin broth. And, my C.E.O. B.L.T. was very good and fresh, with Smoked Bacon, Iceberg Lettuce, sliced tomato, and mayonnaise on lightly toasted slices of Sourdough Bread. The sandwich was accompanied by Stick Fries that were very good: soft on the inside but somewhat crisp on the outside. Cole Slaw was good: cold and somewhat creamy. And, Diane enjoyed her bowl of Clam Chowder Soup with Oyster Crackers, and Lake Perch Basket, an unusual find. Service was excellent, but initially we were jammed by the kitchen, with the soup quickly coming on top of the Shrimp Cocktail, and then our main dishes and sides arriving shortly after the soup.
We took a short breather after we finally dispatched our accumulated food items, as I walked the grounds outside to find the river and retaining wall looming next to it just a few yards from the building. Then we finished up with a shared Clara’s 2 Scoop Hot Fudge Sundae, which bristled with really good Hot Fudge, chewy caramel, M&Ms, and nuts. Whipped Cream could have been ours, too, if we had so desired. The twin scoops were huge, so seemed more like 3 normal scoops of ice cream in all.
It was a delicious end to a memorable dining experience in a splendid setting.