Granville Inn

It upsets me a great deal to give the Mother’s Day Buffet here 2 stars. Honestly, I am SO bummed about the lousy food we experienced. My family has been coming to The Granville Inn for 50+ years. So many fond memories of previous occasions with my deceased Grandmother, Father, Brother and living family members. No More. We won’t be back.
For starters, at $ 40 per person, the food should be exceptional. We didn’t see a menu when we made reservations back in late February for Mothers Day. My husband was looking forward to prime rib, which is usually served on fancy buffets. No way here! Not only was this steamship round of beef, but it was REALLY WELL DONE, GRISTLY, AND DRY.
The appetizers were the best part of the meal. There was a large cheese board. It could have benefited from tags explaining the type of cheese. The cracker and roll selection was good, ample amount of variety of those. The addition of dried apricots and walnuts was also good. The chilled, poached shrimp was the best part of the meal for me. It was in the shell, which I prefer, because the shrimp taste better cooked this way. The cocktail sauce tasted like it came from a jar. To make up for the other selections, I had about ¾ lb. of these. The salads accompanying the apps were your basic cesar salad, a couple kinds of pasta salad. Didn’t taste interesting.
As to the entrees, I have already described the beef. There was ham, baked cod and pork loin, but I don’t eat those. Some kind of chicken alfredo pasta dish. Wild rice and a good vegetable medley and some butter green beans. There was also crème brûlée french toast, which was OK, lacked taste.
For me, the desserts were a huge disappointment. All the cakes and cookies I tried were extremely dry. My family concurred. The red velvet cake icing was dried out and inedible. The mousse cake was the best of the bunch. The while choclate macadamia nut cookie was so dry I had to drink an entire glass of iced tea.
The last straw came when our waiter asked how the food was and we complained about the beef. He responded that they had had the same problem with the Easter buffet. AND YOU DIDN’T FIX IT???
Nope, we will try the Buxton Inn next. No more Granville Inn. A family tradition has been broken.

It has been a year since my last visit to the Granville Inn. One positive is that service is better in the Tavern. There was still food on the floors near the tables. That makes for an unpleasant meal. My friend got the crab cake and a salad and I ate the black bean burger with a salad. The home made buns were incredible. Just the right amount of butter on the toasted bun. The salads were a ⁵⁄₁₀. Nothing to write home about. The plating was really awkward as the salad was on a plate and then that plate was placed on the main plate. The salad plate was at a weird angle and clearly didn’t fit on the plate. Just put the salad on the main plate! (Obviously this doesn’t change he taste of the food but it was a little odd) the black bean burger was homemade with beans, corn, peppers, and beets. It was decent. Maybe a ⁵⁄₁₀. Not the best veggie burger I’ve had but not the worst. It did get cold very fast.
My friend said her crab cake was very breaded on the outside. It looked like it was deep fried. The inside was fine… mostly crab and not a lot of fillers.
The desserts were yummy as well! However, the chocolate cake did not taste homemade, was dry, and lacked the addicting chocolate flavor. The grasshopper tartine was a lot better than the chocolate cake. However, there seemed to be an odd piece of paper in the tartine. Mistakes happen!

We had a lovely Spring lunch today on the terrace. It is a beautiful setting looking over the lush lawn. Unfortunately the food here has always been disappointing. The best item on the lunch menu, imho, are the home cooked chips, pictured here.
If you try the «Grilled cheese and vegetables «you will get a triple decker with more bread and veges than cheese; in fact there is barely any cheese.. Nothing classic here so it is probably not a good idea to order it for Jr. so even Sr. if they are expecting some nicely melted cheddar between a pair of golden brown bread slices, like good olé Mom used to do. I will continue to come here for the ambiance but may stick to salads, and chips.
Come on Denison and Granville Inn, get your chef up to speed! It could be the best high end restaurant in Granville, even though there isn’t a lot of competition.

The remodel of inn and bar is beautiful! We ate out on the patio and were not disappointed with the food or the view. Plus, there was a bridal party there having pictures taken. That was fun to watch too. I can see why it’s a wedding destination.

Party of five for Brunch. The waitress was very attentive and did a great job. Food was superb! Not one complaint. Absolutely love this new chef.
This was our second visit since the remodel.

We recently visited the Granville Inn for lunch on a cold, damp December day. We were seated promptly at a table by the fire, which was nice because it took away the chill we brought in with us from the outside.
Once seated, I had the opportunity to take in all of the classic details. The furnishings look vintage, as do the wooden walls. I’ve gotta say, the tavern area is beautiful.
I went with The Burger for my lunch, along with a Caesar salad. Both were top notch. I’ve gotta say the Caesar was probably one of the best I’ve ever had — I didn’t even have to ask the server to add anchovies.
Speaking of which, our server was very attentive and our food arrived promptly.
For me, lunch at the Granville is a five-​star experience.

This place used to be probably the best restaurant in town, but ever since the change of ownership, it has been a disaster.
In my most recent dinner experience, I ordered a medium-​rare steak and it was super over-​cooked. When I kindly asked the waitress about my steak she was very defensive and kept on «teaching» me what I have is medium rare. I just wanted to laugh… I happen to be someone who have been cooking steaks for the past 10 years and have taken series of cooking classes around the world including NYC and Paris, and she is saying I have no idea what a medium rare steak is?
I did not argue with her because we had a guest to entertain… But oh well it was a super ridiculous and disappointing experience! For a restaurant that charges $ 25 for a steak, I think at least they should hire staffs who know a bit about food and respect customers’ opinions.

Was so excited to see the grand lady remodeled and had such high hopes for her return, but really hope the owners and university will seriously consider a different management group.
Our first meal after reopening was such a disappointment. Service was great, because our waitress was a consummate professional, but it was hard for her to hide her frustration with the disorganization in the «back of the house.»
Food was nothing more than fair. It was late coming out, and with mistakes, and there were no gluten free accommodations readily available.
The real kicker though was the seating. Literally, the chairs and table are awful. Bulky, wrong proportions for ladies, and don’t even try to comfortably seat a squirmy six-​year-​old. Add to that the fact that you are in elbows reach of your neighboring table.
The worst part for us was the «bar crowd» spilling over into the dining room. A party of 10 of my sons’ closest friends would have been quieter and had better manners than these 40 somethings hooting it up.
Please don’t give up! Please find a management company who understands the vibe of Granville and the elegance and tradition of the Granville Inn.

The renovation is beautiful and loss very nice. Unfortunately the service is still lacking. Waited over 10 minutes after being seated and then had to go ask for a waiter. Sitting in main dining room with 6 tables of the 13 occupied. Couple next to US currently experiencing the same issue.

Nice lunch spot. There’s outdoor seating on the patio, and the umbrellas give great shade on 80°+ afternoons
Cocktails were pleasantly strong and well-​made.
Nice atmosphere.
I was surprised to see they serve the old Lazarus chicken salad as a lunch plate and a sandwich. I had to do the salad plate… to remind me of childhood days spent in the Chintz room whilst shopping with my mom.
Husband had the club sammy, which was generous and tasty.

Had to leave. The service is terrible! Several dozen tables available, and I had to wait in order to be seated. The waiter ignored me for 10 minutes before making eye contact. Sitting at this table with no water I had to ask myself if it was worth the amount they are charging for their high priced food. I asked the waiter when he finally came how many tables he was juggling –told me 3 :(seriously?
Had tried it a week ago and got same bad service. Food was also nothing special– cold salad came at same time as entrée. Waiter was never to be seen. Could not even get ketchup.
The staff says they are overwhelmed but that is not the case. I talked with the manager before I left, and all he could do was say he was sorry. Honestly the place was almost empty. Even the manager took several minutes to arrive.
For the price they charge they really need to up their game. The pub down the street had a drink in front of me in 2 min and was twice as busy.

Denison bought the Inn last year and completely redid the inside – it looks great! They kept the wood and a lot of original features, but it is definitely cleaner and more modern. I haven’t seen the guest rooms, but ate in the bar area and had a great crab cake and so-​so sangria. I’ll definitely be back to eat lunch on the patio and enjoy the space.

Went for lunch today and I have to say the renovations are beautiful. They have kept the atmosphere authentic but with lots of updates.
Service remained the same as before the renovation. Super slow! We went for lunch from work and ended up being 2 ½ hours because it was so slow.
The Tavern menu was nothing to write home about. It was nothing spectacular. I was expecting a fresh new take since the renovation.
I got the Crispy Deviled crab cake sandwich (real crab which was nice). It was deep fried in a thick crust on a very dull thick bun. Fries were cold and must have sat under the lamp for a long time.
The Rice Noodle Salad would have been ok if it wasn’t drowning in dressing.
Seasonal Crème Brûlée was nice.
I hope that this is only a result of just getting their bearings after the renovation.

We made reservation following graduation this past Sat at the newly renovated Granille Inn. Our table was ready when our party of 8 arrived. The renovations look great! Our waitress was knowledgeable and made excellent recommendations. We had excellent service and our food was delicious — the Meditterean Nachos were a big hit as was also the wings for appetizers. My son had the bone-​in rib eye steak and thought it was delicous! WE definitely will return and it greats to have the Granville Inn open again! We had a 16 month old with us and they were so accommodating! The only disappointment was that we could not sit outside (because of the rain) but that was beyond their control!

We have held several small luncheons here for various things such as baby and bridal showers and I have never been disappointed. The building itself is beautiful and classic. I love the history that this building has and the romantic décor. While I have never stayed here I can say that the food at the restaurant within the Inn is amazing. I would highly recommend the Beet and Goat Cheese Salad accompanied by their Sweet Potato French Fries. I have also heard that they have an excellent brunch as well.

Here with couple of my friends to celebrate my birthday and had an excellent time. Started off with the calamari appetizer, no complaints and for the main dish, I got the breast of duck cooked medium rare with a glass of Tempranillo and it was very tender and juicy. Hands down the best duck dish I ever had! Both of my friends loved their food as well, one got the scallops lavallee and the other chicken breast. Finished off the meal with Vanilla Crème Brulee which was delicious.
One thing I would hold back on is the bread, it was cold, dry and almost stale. We got our appetizer sooner than the bread and nothing fancy, just the standard bread you would be offered in a regular restaurant. I felt the food was mediocre first time I was here last fall, but pleasantly surprised and rate it very high this time around. Although you may not feel like the charmingly historic building, there’s a lot of history associated with this inn (even listed in National Registry of historic places), and still love the atmosphere.
Brunch menu doesn’t seem anything striking, but might give that a try sometime. Wish I live near to attend the happy hour/​wine events they have through the week. By the way, they have a great wine selection, of course they only got the wine spectator excellence award four years in a row to back it up.

Wonderful brunch! Especially recommend the apple fritters and the caramelized bacon.
For the bad, would never stay here as a guest again. Way over priced. Room was not great, bed was hard and we heard Waaaayyy to much from the room connected to ours. Also had to park on the street a block and a half away since there was no parking when we arrived. Was told sorry, but that’s just how it is.
So stay across the street at the Buxton Inn and eat here for brunch the next morning.

After attending college up the hill for four years and spending many afternoons strolling through town, I’ve wanted to stay overnight at the Granville. Just for one night. Just to see what it is like. I ate dinner there once but never stayed in a room and had the whole experience. When some good friends of mine got married on campus and had their wedding reception here, I knew my husband and I had to book a room!
We were able to book the rooms at the wedding party rate although it was still a hefty price for us (about $ 120 a night). Was it worth it? It… kind of was. Our room was shockingly small and very bare bones. Everything was clean, the bathrooms were nice, the bed was very comfortable (too comfortable — I didn’t want to get up in the morning!), the staff was fine, and the complimentary breakfast was quaint, but we didn’t really think it was worth the price staying here. We actually spent most of our free time hanging out at the Buxton Inn across the street before coming back here to sleep and snack on the bedtime cookies provided in the hallway.
Although I don’t want to stay here again, I do like this building. The restaurant is nice, the ballrooms (the wedding reception was held here) are old-​style classy, and the building itself is beautiful, especially outside with the vines climbing up the stone walls. Total charm. The basement and its’ several small, lavish rooms are interesting. I’ve heard some stories about what used to go on down here, but I’m not sure how true they are. Yet, the history that oozes through the walls is neat. Definitely swing by for a drink and a quick walk around if you’re in the area.

The Granville Inn has hired a new chef since my last visit, and my oh my has it changed my view of the place! I’m still not a big fan of the atmosphere (an old building with furnishings that look outdated rather than charmingly historic), but I can say that I now hold a very high opinion of the food.
For appetizers I tried the Smoked Salmon Rillettes, which was a cream cheese, salmon, and herb spread served with very crunchy slices of French bread, and the Crispy Calimari. Both of them were fantastic. For my entrée I ordered the Sweet and Crunchy Tuna, which is a tuna steak grilled rare (and when they say «rare» they really mean it), covered with a red pepper sauce and served with spicy Asian slaw and crab dumplings. I give this entrée an A++. Every bite was bliss. The tuna steak was fresh, flavorful, and tender, and the spicy slaw was a perfect accompaniment. I was also very pleased with the dumplings, which had large pieces of crab in every bite.
I was extremely disappointed with the Granville Inn the first time that I went there, but I am very glad to have given it a second try now that they have hired a new chef. The atmosphere is still the same, but the fact that you are eating fantastic food makes the whole experience so much better that instead of feeling like I was eating in a musty old house I caught myself daydreaming that I was sitting in Downton Abbey.

I was excited to come here based on the romantic notions I received from two folks well versed on the history of the Granville Inn. I was expecting a country club-​esque establishment, but was disappointed. The food and service is far removed from what the building and décor would belie.
The food was extremely average given the price point and the service was as slow as molasses in the winter time. The shrimp cocktail was made with what appeared to be anemic sized previously frozen cooked shrimp. Meh. The lobster bisque was brown and unappetizing and the wedge salad was standard. Nothing outstanding here.
Overall I would stick to the bar area for a quick drink and skip out on the formal dining room. Grab a burger at the Buxton Inn across the street.