Elmwood Inn – Review

I’m not sure if other people experience this, and it happens rarely, but eating at Elmwood Inn transported me back to a different time and place. I had what I would call, “food deja vu”. When I was in college at RIT, I would go to The Commons to get food. Periodically, I would get their plate. Their plate, had a distinct taste, and for the longest time, I couldn’t quite put my finger on why that was. It wasn’t that their plate was particularly great, but it had a distinct taste that I had completely forgotten about until I ate the plate from Elmwood Inn. After eating the plate from Elmwood, I believe I have figured it out. For $15.23 you can get the “Elmwood Plate”. I quite enjoyed it, let’s talk about it:

HEALTH INSPECTION NOTES:

There hasn’t been an inspection in 2020, the last one I could find was from December 2019. In that inspection there was a note that stated that they were supposed to have a re-inspection; but I don’t see any evidence that one was conducted. In the inspection from 2019, there was one critical violation, and three non-critical violations. The critical violation includes:

5A: Potentially hazardous foods are not kept at or below 45°F during cold holding, except smoked fish not kept at or below 38°F during cold holding.

I don’t see this as major issue; to me this isn’t as critical as the cross-contamination that we’ve seen in the past. I could of course be wrong, so if you’re a health inspector let me know in the comments below. No points will be deducted from their portion or composition, but it’s something to keep in mind when eating here.

Meat (Cheeseburgers): 4

I felt the burger here was nothing special, don’t get me wrong, it isn’t bad; it’s just not the best burger I’ve ever had. The cheese they used tasted like Kraft singles; it had a plastic texture.

Meat Sauce: 4

What I liked about this plate is how they assembled the to-go order. They were kind enough to put the meat sauce in a separate container so that I could put on as much or as little as I wanted. Of course, I forgot to take a photo of this, but it did happen.

That said, the meat sauce here was solid, again; nothing earth shattering. It wasn’t all that spicy, but it was enjoyable. It was a bit greasy, but nothing obscene.

Potato Side (French fries): 5

I believe that this was the source of my food deja vu. I think there’s something about the oil they used to fry the fries that was the same as they used when I was in college. That said, the fries here were great, they were exactly the kind of fries I like.

Mac Salad: 4

I enjoyed the mac salad, I felt they used a bit too much mac salad, but otherwise, I liked it. Additionally, the noodles were a bit overcooked.

Bread: n/a

I did not receive bread with my order.

Portion Control/Composition: 4

This was a plate that I had a bit of difficulty finishing. The ingredients were quite rich, but they were a bit greasy. It also lacked the synergy that I would have liked. When you mixed it all together it just didn’t come together all that well.

Overall Score: 4.2

I enjoyed this plate, my main concerns were that it was heavy; and was a bit greasy. It’s a great plate if you’re in the area, and would probably make a top ten if I compiled one today.