Arboreal Inn

My spouse and I just moved back to West Michigan after several years away, and decided to do a birthday dinner at the Arboreal Inn. Neither of us had been there. We had tenderloin tips as an appetizer that were prepared medium and were served at the right temperature and consistency and were absolutely delicious with the Gorgonzola sauce accompaniment. For our mains she had chicken and I had a full rack of ribs. Both were outstanding, and the au gratin potatoes served with them were equally great. Food wise -- if there was a weak spot, it would have been the vegetable medley -- it looked like something from a package, and was not up to the quality of the rest of the meal. That said, the wine and dessert was fabulous. Our server, Heather, really made our evening and provided impeccable service. We are looking forward to going back at some point in the future, and trying the seafood. All in, with tip, we paid $130. For us that seemed like a good value given the steak tip appetizer, big mains, alcohol, dessert, and tip. For comparable in Grand Rapids, we would expect to pay $200 and would be hard pressed to exceed the quality of the food we had at the Inn. The one zonk I might give it is the ambience. It is an open room of tables in a mostly monotone colored room with wall sconce lighting that reminds me of the 1970s, and no background music or anything else. It looks nice, don't get me wrong, but it reminded me a bit of being at my father's country club growing up, and was stuffy. It also got a bit noisy with people talking rather loudly, and not much to break up the sound or voices. We listened to the guy next to us talk endlessly to his date about his admiration for the brilliance of Elon Musk. We liked the Arboreal Inn overall, and would recommend you give it a shot if you want really good food, healthy portions, good service, and a night out in a setting that hearkens to a different era. It's all those, and a good value.

I'm only 2 years later with my review..better late than never haha It was my anniversary, our name was on the front board as we walked in. Our server was so friendly and knowledgeable about the wines and foods. Our meals were just incredibly delicious! We haven't been able to make it back again yet, but we most definitely will! It's formal but yet casual if you like. I know I wore jeans and a nice blouse and my husband had jeans and a button up on, but there were guests with nice evening dresses and suits as well.

Came in September 1st to celebrate the wifes birthday after hearing great things from coworkers about The Arboreal Inn and this was one of the best experiences we've had in dining. Everything from server, drinks, food quality, taste, presentation was top notch and on par. Wife had calamari appetizer, beer cheese soup, delmonico steak with fingerling potatoes and asparagus and the key lime pie. I ordered the southern shrimp appetizer, lobster bisque, parmesan crusted Halibut with au gratin potatoes and asparagus and Crème brûlée desert. The owner also made rounds to check on the guest as well which was great, he's a very friendly face that makes you feel even more welcome. I really can't stress enough how great the server was also, it enhanced the experience sevenfold. I'm exited to come back soon, this is going to become one of our go to places in west michigan. Update 8/31/23 I really can't stress enough how great everything is here still

My wife and I were looking for something nice and special for our 34th Anniversary on Friday June 30 and Arboreal Inn hit it out of the ballpark! The atmosphere was pleasant and the food and drink and service were spectacular! Thank you Arboreal Inn and thank you to our waitress Brook for making our evening extra special!