Elizabeth Brown

Review of Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa

We did not stay at the resort and my rating is for...

We did not stay at the resort and my rating is for the dining experience in the Blue Ridge only. Let me preface by saying that the venue itself is beautiful, the concept of separate food stations had the capacity to be a novel and inspiring experience, and our service was outstanding. With that said and with no intention to be unkind, I can say with all sincerity that my husband and I agreed that most fast food had more taste than what we ate. It was our 37th wedding anniversary and we expected a lovely formal meal. What we got was a plate of cold or lukewarm foods that seemed unseasoned, bland, and aesthetically unappealing on the plate. I did not avail myself of the Asian station (which seems to have substituted for a pasta option) and, therefore, the only other hot vegetable available that night were peas in the pod that I suspect were meant to be blanched. They literally still had the woody stems and tips on them-all of them!- (I discovered when I choked on them) and were as crunchy and verdant as when plucked from the garden. A "blue cheese and pecan wedge salad" literally left a pool of water on my plate and I counted two specks of blue cheese and half a pecan in the whole serving. It had zero taste. I exaggerate not. Cocktails were all ice and fruit juice and horribly expensive! A preschooler could have enjoyed them. The desserts were beautiful to look at, but even they seemed to taste a lot alike. I hesitate to sound snarky, as my son is a chef in a high-end bistro in Ohio and I know adjustments to menus are being made during Covid-19. However, I do think care can be taken in the prep of food so it is at least eatable. We did not have a late evening reservation which might have explained some deficits. Most of our very expensive meal was left uneaten on our plate.