The Grotto

I would put this in the category of upscale fast food the food is served on real plates with real forks and knives I had the chicken pasta the sauce was really good pasta was a little undercooked but overall worth the money I paid for it my husband had a bacon cheeseburger was very tasty he said I did sneak peeks at other people’s food and it all looked good. I would definitely come back for a quick bite

Food is good but I have repeatedly been disappointed by the service. Last night I went there to eat and I missed where the napkins were. When the girl with the blue hair brought my food to my table, I asked her if she could «please bring me some napkins.» She pointed to where they were and I asked again, «could you please bring me some», and she pointed over in the direction again and said, «they’re right over there», and walked away. Blatantly refusing to get me some and basically telling me to get them myself. Good customer service! I won’t be back.

Everything we get here is top notch. For good quality food, the price is super cheap and very quickly made. We eat inside the restaurant and get take out and the experiences of both are fantastic. Our family of four can eat for under $ 30!
They are accommodating for our gluten and dairy allergies as well! We love gluten free pizza, the burgers, black bean burgers and more! Try it all, you won’t be disappointed!

This is a great place to go for a semi-​quick meal. Are you craving a burger? chicken? fries? pizza? falafel? Got it!
You walk up to the counter, order your food, and then they bring it out to you! They have a lot of good, healthy choices, as well as vegetarian/​vegan/​gluten-​free options! They have a good amount of seating and were able to get my group of 8 in right away around 5:30 through the week. Not really a date place, but it’s a great casual lunch/​dinner restaurant!

Another one of my favorites. The food is fresh and yummy. I love the Hippy Burger, the Haight Ashbury pizza and the Steak Gorgonzola Pizza. Highly recommend.

Food was ok. Chicken is very spicy for me. Service is slow so it is not a good place for a fast lunch. I would try other items sometime. The kids pasta was good for my youngest.

Good service, food can be better. Nothing to great, had sandwiches, pizza, and salads. Can use improvement.

Odd (not in a bad way) atmosphere. Food was great, blue cheese chips were awesome. Need to serve beer though

I like this place. They have great food. The menu is a little lacking or I would give it 5 stars. The food is always made with fresh ingredients and always tastier than it sounds on the menu!

The pizza and atmosphere are great. The kids loved it. My main complaint was that the furniture on the patio is tied down, which did not allow for a larger family to eat together outside. At the same time, it was good to get a break from the kiddos!
Gluten free is pretty good. However, I would stick with the pizza or pasta as the hamburger meat gave a little to be desired. We plan on going again.

Went back again. Still unsatisfied. A large amount of menu items were unavailable due to «transitioning the menu», which was annoying. Both of us had to change our initial orders. We had salads made with iceberg lettuce and no other greens. Chicken was tough and had no flavor. The flat breads were fine, but needed salt. Not worth it.

The food at The Grotto was wholesome and even deliciously, wholesome tasting.
I ordered the Avocado Chicken sandwich; it definitely tops any avocado/​chicken sandwich I’ve had in a long while.
The chipotle sauce was not super «spicy», but definitely added flavor. The chicken was nicely grilled and decently sized. The French fries were not greasy, salty, or bland. Some of the best fresh fries.
The dining room was spacious, light, and superbly clean.
Definitely recommend The Grotto as a lunch/​dinner spot!

It’s rare to find fresh, high quality food that gets served quickly and doesn’t cost a fortune. This place accomplishes all that, and does so in a casual, relaxed environment that’s great for accommodating kids or for days when you don’t feel like putting on a suit and tie to eat a decent dinner.

Came here at the recommendation of my children in college at Missouri State.
Very fresh and very reasonably priced and a great value for $ 10 a person
Chicken and steak nice. Good burger.

This place is so close to being great, but just misses the mark in a few vital categories.
The food is good, I always get the Bleu cheese burger, but about half the time the fries are old. The burger on the other hand, is yummy.
Their bus boys are not always on it, and usually half the empty tables in the joint are filthy.
I usually opt to sit outside at restaurants because I don’t like listening to pop music or the TV over my lunch partner but here it’s inescapable. I once asked an employee to turn down the patio music because we literally couldn’t have a conversation over it and they didn’t know how. We ate quickly in silence and left.
It’s really a matter of the employees not caring and the management not staying on top of these small details, because right now I’d rather take the food to go and enjoy it at home.

This has become one of the go to places for my wife and I. My first time eating there, I got a burger and fries and it was good but nothing amazing, so probably a 3 star.
Since then, I’ve discovered their Hippy Burger, which as far as I have found so far, is the best black bean burger in town. They serve it with a bit (very little bit, so you may need more) of chipotle mayo on there and some guacamole, and it’s really good. With some sweet potato fries on the side, it’s a great meal.

Passing through Springfield on a Sunday and stopped in to support a local business. For those not familiar, you order at the counter and they bring your food to your table. At the end of the meal they also clear your table.
Décor is bright and modern, very well done. Staff were friendly and helpful. The menu ranges from salads and sandwiches to hamburgers and flatbreds.
I ordered the half prosciutto and arugula flatbred with a half Greek salad. My husband ordered the avocado chicken sandwich with fries. We also ordered a plate of the blue cheese chips… as recommended by so many reviewers.
The flatbred was light, yet satisfying. The prosciutto and arugula are a nice pairing with the pesto. The Greek salad was tasty, but I was surprised that the dressing was slightly sweet. Greek salads that I have had in the past were not sweet at all.
The chicken sandwich was a touch spicy, but not to any extreme. All high quality ingredients and overall a very good chicken sandwich. The battered fries had a nice crispness.
As other reviews have mentioned the blue cheese chips were delicious. My husband thought there was too much blue cheese, but I think there is no such thing as too much blue cheese-​ever.

I’m confused. My wife and I must have come on an off day. My experience here was less than superb, contrary to the reviews this establishment has and the frequent visitors.
I had the Teriyaki Bowl, it was nothing to write home about. The chicken was not seasoned, the brown rice was good and the broccoli was cooked perfectly but altogether the dish was just missing something.
The «service», if you could call it that was sorry at its best. The young lady who took our order seemed frantic and like her mind was else where and we were a nuisance to her. I actually was a fan of being able to get up and get my own refills though. Half the time I have to wait for a lackluster wait staff to come ask me if my ice needs a refill with my soft drink so there’s a plus.
The menu was pretty cool and had a lot to choose from. The décor was modern and nice. Now the cleanliness and the smell was disgusting. I took my family to sit in a booth and almost gagged on the sour rag smell that was overbearing from that side and had to resort to sitting at a table.
Overall my experience sucked and I’m going to assume that because today was a national holiday the worst staff was representing this place. I won’t be back. I am very disappointed too because of all the great reviews this place has.

First time there and the results are ok.
The blue cheese chips are very good as others have mentioned. I would go back for those alone. My fish tacos were okay. The chipotle cream overshadowed the fish and the sauce and slaw made for a messy taco.
The décor is not exactly inviting and is a cross between a fast food joint and a corporate shop.
Not exactly cheap for lunch as for two was over 26 for two entrees and chips.
Lastly they do offer a fun menu that offers a wide variety of choices.

Mmmmm. So tasty. The bleu cheese chips and I are going to be great friends. Bleu cheese chips and my thighs are NOT going to be great friends. Dublin’s has been my pivot point for great housemade chips, and the Grotto might have them beat. We also ordered the bacon cheese fries, which were pretty run of the mill, but no complaints.
I was super excited for a black bean burger, but they were out (which I knew was due to a recall, but it would have been nice if they explained that). So, I went with a safe option – Hawaiian BBQ chicken pizza. It was a little too greasy and came out at 4700 degrees… but it was delicious. I am not a huge cilantro fan, but it added a bright touch to my pizza. I was also pleased with the stringy, melty cheese. It apparently doesn’t take much for me. :) It’s a lot of food, and two people can definitely split a pizza.
I have to ding the Grotto for their layout. I am not sure if it’s a chain or corporate floor plan of some sort… but it could use some help. You walk into a hallway that only holds about 8 people if you are good friends. Feels like a cattle chute. Anyway, you trudge up to the register, place your order, and then go sit down. They call your order number with an obnoxious microphone and all your plates are set out on a big counter. The drinks are around the corner, along with ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, yada yada, and napkins.
I had to ask what to do with our plates when I was finished – leave them on the table, FYI. I always feel guilty leaving my dishes for someone else to clean up, but apparently that’s how they roll.
One weird thing is that I asked for a to-​go cup, which they gave me, but no lid. Lids are handy, Grotto. Put it on your Sam’s list.