With autumn settling in and cooler weather upon us, it’s time to seek out comfort food. One place you’ll certainly find it is at that West Michigan restaurant staple, Russ’ Restaurants. Russ’ have been around over 85 years, beginning with the original location in Holland which opened in 1934, and expanding over the years to 12 locations throughout West Michigan.
It had been a bit since I’d visited Russ’, so accompanied by my friend Jeff Schaap, aka The Olive Burger Aficionado, we voyaged in to see if it held up to previous visits of yore. Walking in, it immediately felt comfortable, familiar, and naturally, very Dutch.
Russ’ menu is quite extensive, featuring a large breakfast menu in addition to their burger, sandwich, chicken, and fish lunch and dinner favorites, a rotating soup menu, plus the option of a soup, salad, and potato bar. The rotating dessert menu features an array of homemade cakes and pies, including Hot Fudge Cake, Coconut Cream Pie, Baked Blueberry Pie, and many more. Bake-at-home whole pies are also available for purchase.
Today the mission was comfort food. I zeroed in on the “Russ’ Knife and Fork Hot Sandwiches” section, and picked the Meatloaf Stacker, consisting of their meatloaf grilled and stacked atop homemade bread, smothered with homemade meatloaf sauce, then loaded with mashed potatoes, beef gravy, and topped off with two onion rings. No sides necessary, this is a hearty monster of a meal. I foresee a food coma in my near future!
Jeff grilled our waitress on the differences between the Famous Twin Burger and the Olive Burger, which both feature olives in different quantities. She fielded his questions like a champ, and he went with the half-pound Olive Burger
r with a side of homemade onion rings. The kitchen didn’t skimp on the fresh olives, olive dressing, or onion rings. Neither Jeff nor I went hungry this day, I can tell you.
It’s always a good time to revisit an old favorite, so don’t sleep on Russ’ Restaurants. Speaking of sleep, it’s time for that food coma I mentioned earlier. Until next time!
Take a Pie Home for the Holidays!
Looking for a homemade pie without having to do the homemade-pie work? Russ’ Restaurants has you covered.
Their whole pies are available to take home and serve up for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or really any time a good pie is called for. Check with your local Russ’ for availability before heading out, but we found these favorites generally available:
- Apple: $16
• Coconut Cream: $18
• Pumpkin: $16
• Rhubarb: $16
• Baked Cherry: $17
What’s more? The majority of locations offer drive-thru or pick-up service windows (though individual setups can differ) so you can collect your dose of comfort food from the comfort of your car.
So go ahead and let Russ’ do the baking while you take all the credit. You can order online at russrestaurants.com/order-online.
