When they say location, location, location, they usually don’t mean rural Michigan, but the Schoolhouse Lunchroom at Olde Schoolhouse Commons in Lambertville makes the absolute most of its charming country locale.
The diner is in what used to be the gymnasium of a country schoolhouse. The building itself is more than 100 years old, but it has been completely refurbished with some office spaces and small storefronts both upstairs and down. There’s even a historical marker noting that the school bus safety mirror was invented right there.
It’s a charming spot, with fun, kitschy theming throughout: a screen door leads from the dining room to “outdoor” tables in the hall; the menus are designed like old report cards; the wallpaper is like something right out of a farmhouse kitchen; and even the hallways are made to look like a small-town street. The old building doesn’t have many actual windows, and it’s not a giant space, so it wouldn’t seem like an ideal spot for a restaurant, but the fun decor goes a long way to making it an inviting and comfortable spot to get a meal.
Schoolhouse Lunchroom ★★★ ½
Address: 8336 Monroe Rd #114, Lambertville
Phone: 734-854-8810
Category: American/Diner
Menu: Waffles, pancakes, eggs, sandwiches
Hours: 8 a.m.- 3 p.m. Monday-Saturday
Wheelchair access: Yes
Average Price: $$
Credit Cards: Most credit cards
Website:
oldeschoolhousecommons.com/schoolhouse-lunchroom The Schoolhouse Lunchroom is a classic country diner with a simple, straight-forward menu. The focus here is clearly on value and fresh ingredients, with a few specialty dishes leading the way. While there are several full dinners on the menu, the restaurant closes at 3 p.m., and the bulk of the crowd comes for breakfast or a lunch special. We tried both in our recent visits and found a consistently pleasant experience each time.
By far our favorite thing during our stops was the malted Belgian waffle with fruit ($6.29). Even without syrup, the waffle was sweet, light, and delicious. That the strawberries were fresh and in-season certainly added to the appeal, but the huge waffle would be awesome anytime.
We also had a classic breakfast with homefries, over-medium eggs, and country ham — what they call the Crabby Principal’s Breakfast Special ($7.99). It was a sizeable breakfast for the price, and the ham especially was nicely carmelized and appealing.
The lunch special was also a decent value for a classic cheeseburger, fries, and a drink for $9.99. The patty had that pan-fried, salty, crispiness you want from a diner burger.
We also tried a couple of the signature salads, which had a nice mix of fresh greens and plenty of goodies for the $10.59 price. We especially liked the apple cashew chicken salad, which mixed nicely with the sweet poppy seed dressing our server recommended.
The Schoolhouse Lunchroom also features a large lineup of desserts, including dozens of pies, but only the fruit pies and the signature coconut cream are made in-house. We tried a slice of the coconut cream ($4.59), which was phenomenal, with a delicious, creamy filling. There’s also a selection of cakes and brownies to-go at checkout, and we took home a couple pieces of moist German chocolate cake for under $3.
It’s easy to recommend the restaurant for a laid-back breakfast or lunch, especially if you have a little extra time to browse the storefronts and take in the atmosphere.
The restaurant itself offers a solid lineup of diner classics at a really good value, and it’s easy to get to: from Toledo, you take Secor Road north into Michigan, then just keep going for a spell.
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