Bagley Grill
I have to first say that we’ve passed Bagley Grill at least 100 times since they opened 5 years ago, and in fact we’ve regularly eaten at the Chinese restaurant right next door to them for the past 20+ years, yet we’ve never had any interest in going in for a meal. If I’m being honest, one of the reasons is due to the fact that they don’t serve beer or wine. I realize that it’s classified as a “family” restaurant, but there are of plenty of restaurants in that same category that have full liquor licenses. Truthfully, it was never a deal breaker; we just never had any interest.
With that being said, we were in a rush this particular Tuesday night and with it being relatively close to home, Mr. Z decided it was time to give it a try. Much like the neighborhood diners in NY and NJ, the menu is extensive, without a specific concentration on any one type of food, which is always a good thing when you’re not sure what you’re in the mood for. As soon as we walked in, we could tell that this was a place for “regulars”. The hostess (?) seemed to know everyone’s name – except ours of course. We felt very conspicuous.
OK, let’s pause here for a minute before I talk about the food itself. I was anxious to wash my hands before we ate, so while waiting for the waitress to take our orders, I located the restroom and quickly went back. I honestly can’t remember when I’ve ever been so overwhelmed by foul smell before. Aside from the awful sewage smell, there was something else mixed in that I couldn’t put my finger on – to the point where I kept the door propped open with my foot while I washed my hands. I could barely stand the 30 seconds I was in there and was so nauseated by the time I sat back down again, I almost suggested we leave, but…..I toughed it out and tried very hard not to think about the fact that the restroom is right beside the kitchen! Enough of that – I’m pretty sure that my feelings about the situation are very clear.
In any case, we placed our orders and very out of character for him; Mr. Z ordered the salmon with a bourbon glaze on it which he said was VERY good. I was still in recovery mode, but decided on a chicken dish with spinach, mushrooms and cheese on top. It too was pretty good, even though only half of the large chicken breast was tender. It was a very large boneless piece, so I wasn’t bothered by the fact that I could only eat half of it. Both dishes came with choices for sides and we both opted for baked potatoes. He had a bowl of chicken rice soup first and said it was tasty, except a little too salty and not even warm at all. I had a dinner salad which was bland, except the balsamic dressing, as well as the bleu cheese dressing, was very good.
Overall it was a very inexpensive meal, but in all honesty….there was nothing impressive about the Bagley Grill and besides that, I was so turned off by the horrible smell in the restroom that I had a hard time eating. The fact that nobody has bothered to correct that is very disturbing!
Bagley Grill is located at:
15220 E. Bagley Road
Middleburg Heights
(440) 845-7484
https://www.bagleysgrill.com/