Chimney Rock Inn

HAPPY 18TH ANNIVERSARY TO MY BRO & SIS-IN-LAW

Today is 10/10/10, only happens once you know?  It is also my sis-in-law and brother's anniversary... celebrating 18 years and many more to come.  My entire family (minus the Cali people) got together to celebrate both my brother's 18th anniversary and my sister's 20th anniversary at Chimney Rock Inn, which is a family favorite.  It's nice that this restaurant isn't really a franchise and caters to very large groups... I prefer non-franchise restaurants in general. 

TELL ME: What is your favorite family restaurant?


LOCATION
800 North Thompson Avenue
Bound Brook, NJ 08805 (actually in Bridgewater township)
732.469.4600
(Central Jersey)


AMBIENCE
Chimney Rock Inn is situated in a scenic location surrounded with mountains. 

Today was extra nice because the leaves were starting to change colors.  

The restaurant has a rustic feel with a friendly atmosphere and caters to families.  

RECOMMENDED TO
Casual Dining, Groups, Kid Friendly.


CUISINE
American, Pizza.  


MENU - $$
Chimney Rock Inn Menu.  The menu looks like a newspaper.  The prices here are very affordable ranging from $7 to $20 (steak).  There is a kids menu as well including salad... chicken tenders... mac & cheese, and more.  Chimney Rock Inn offers beer, red and white wines.  BTW... this restaurant also offers a Gluten Free Menu.

Late Lunch for 8 adults + 5 kids (ages 10-15):
2 pitchers of coke + 1 salad + 2 appetizers + 5 pies of pizza ~ $110 to $120 (just an estimation... my Dad was nice enough to treat us all  :-) 


RECOMMENDED HEALTHY EATS... choices below are based on my knowledge of food and nutrition. If you are watching what you eat, when dining at American/Pizza type restaurants, avoid anything fried... such as French fries/nachos, avoid ribs, avoid steak, avoid soups with cream, avoid plain pizzas... instead go for a grilled chicken, grilled fish, grilled veggie (soup/sandwich), and opt for a pizza that is loaded with veggies.  In addition, take advantage of the whole wheat choice at this restaurant... whole wheat pasta and whole wheat pizza crust comes at an extra charge, however it is well worth it.  There is no online nutritional information available for Chimney Rock Inn, please use your own discretion when making a decision.

HEALTHY EATS
SALADS (Grilled Chicken/Grilled Shrimp)
Chimney Salad w/dressing on side
Apple Grove Salad w/dressing on side
Grilled Vegetables with Black Bean Salad w/dressing on side
Organic Farm Stand Salad
SANDWICHES (Choose Wheat Wrap/Bread); (Substitute Fries/Onion Rings)
Veggiewich Wrap
Grilled Chicken Sub
CHARBROILER (Choose Multi-Grain Bread)
Salmon Burger
Black and Bleu Burger
Veggie Burger
PIZZA (Choose Whole Wheat Crust)
Grilled Veggie Pizza
PASTA & SIDES (Choose Whole Wheat Pasta)
Pasta with Broccoli, Garlic, Olive Oil (Choose Grilled Chicken/Shrimp)
SIDES
String Beans
Sauteed Spinach
Baked Beans
KIDS' MENU
Junior Turkey Burger
Junior Cheese Ravioli
Junior Pasta (skip meatballs)
Junior Grilled Cheese
KIDS' SIDES
Baby Carrots
Applesauce

MY REVIEW
We started off with 2 pitchers of Coke.  We each had about 1/2 a glass, a good way to enjoy Coke without too much sugar.

For appetizers, we ordered the Chimney Salad which is fresh lettuce tossed with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, pepperoncini, olives, and onions... how fresh and yummy does this look?  This was a very simple salad with a ton of flavor.  I loved the thinly sliced onion rings... they are so fun to eat in a salad.

I requested the Nachos Supreme without the beef... I absolutely LOVE olives and cheese on my nachos.  This was good, however I wish they had used real cheese, it almost tasted like cheese out of a bottle... uhmm... perhaps, Cheez Whizz?  I really hope not, but still tasted good.

Our last appetizer was Garlic Bread which was so yummy with a good amount of butter and a piece of fresh garlic on each piece of bread.  This was gone in no time, hence I was unable to capture a full plate of garlic bread.

Each time my family comes here, we order Pizza since most people in my family are vegetarian.  


We started off with a large Plain Cheese Pizza which was mainly for the kids since they aren't huge fans of veggies and all that good stuff.  This was okay, just normal ol' pizza that didn't have amazing sauce and way too much cheese.  I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either.  Just OK!

I requested the Buffalo Chicken Pizza which was really good, but definitely not the best Buffalo Chicken Pizza I've had.  I felt this pizza was missing the creamy blue cheese dressing on top... the tanginess would have added depths and depths of flavor to this pizza.  Oh well, perhaps next time I'll request some on the side to go with the pizza, very good though!

Since my parents are strict vegetarians and make it known each time they go to any restaurant... (I'll need to let you in on my Diner stories with my parents)... we always order the Grilled Veggie Pizza which was topped with grilled mushrooms, squash, eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and onions.  OKAY... so I'm all about veggies and eating them, but I'm not a fan of squash, eggplant, and zucchini on my pizza.  My favorite pizza toppings are onions, peppers, olives and mushrooms... none of which should be grilled.  This pizza was a let down for me, I prefer the traditional veggie pizzas, something like what you would expect from Domino's Pizza.  Oh well!

My favorite and my family's favorite pizza was the Margherita Rosa topped off with mozzarella cheese and basil with a pink vodka sauce... need I say more?  This pizza had me at basil and vodka sauce... HELLO!  This was sooooo good, so much so we ended up ordering another large pie of the Margherita Rosa and we luckily had leftovers.       

VERDICT - 4 / 5
Chimney Rock Inn brings a lot of elements to the table... very affordable prices, family friendly, kid friendly, caters to very large groups, friendly service, and overall a pleasant dining experience with good food.  This place is a keeper.  I look forward to many more family outings with the gang to celebrate more anniversaries and birthdays yet to come.  I already have my eye on the Mediterranean Pizza (minus the feta cheese....ICK) and the Mexican Pizza... how the hell did I miss that?  I know how, I barely looked at the menu and let my brother make all the decisions, next time I can't be as subdued.  

Tomorrow is Columbus Day... l am looking forward to an outing in NYC tomorrow with my Mom, brother, and my cute nieces, J & R.  Can't wait!  :-)  I already know where we are eating... stay tuned!  I so need to workout tomorrow!!!

TELL ME: What is your favorite family restaurant?