Mediocre food priced as a fine dining establishment. This is a bar trying to be something its not, don't be fooled. Bland food, service was poor, I was overcharged, my order incorrect, items were brought to table out of order. Bottom line, I will not return. Â Afterwards, I decided to sign up on yelp and write my first review to help you save $70 on a few apps and 2 drinks. Â Drinks are good though, if your going for drinks, cool.
Review Source:Tasty menu options await at TMH. Â Interior is very modern/metro but is a nice new option after the Mills failure (it was a "green" and "sustainable" attempt at dining). Â Spouse and I both had bloody Mary's (OK) with our lunches. Â I quite enjoyed my salmon benedict, hollandaise was very tasty and the eggs and salmon were both perfect. Â Micro greens on top were....well cute but added a nice crunch. Â Mi espousa had the veggie burger with fries. Â I LOVE THE FRIES. Â Perhaps from Idaho potatoes and seemed to be fresh cut...I am not certain but they were amazing. Â Skinnier in size and imperfect, but just really really tasty with a seasoning added in the kitchen. Â Her veggie burger was nice too, it was a great portion for a veggie burger, held together really well, and also had guacamole with a white cheese. Â Table next to us seemed a little needy but the staff were just great! Â Our server was very polite, showed me pictures from her phone of the daily specials....different but actually more helpful than I could have imagined. Â
The menu is small, and I believe this place is only open for breakfast and lunch. Â Rooftop patio should be awesome, it was built for the previous business. Â I suspect that TMH will stick around for a bit. Â Chicken wings looked OUT OF THIS WORLD and I really need to try more items from the menu. Â Seems like they have some great pancake, waffle, and french toast options on the menu as well as different fish options. Â One special today was a sauteed catfish dish...this place is different and may be a good dining option to join the many that have dared to pay rent downtown Rochester.
I'm conflicted. I love the atmosphere of the Meeting House. I love the craft cocktails. It's the only place I've ever had calamari and loved it. I have dined here on 4 separate occasions. Every single time I order the steak frites. I like my steak cooked medium. Every single time the temperature of the meat is incorrect. It has reached my table a blood red rare, or a gray well done. I adore the zip sauce. The frites are heaven. Please learn to temp meat!! Sending the dish back really seems to displease the Servers. I'm going back tonight. I'll be ordering the same dish. Maybe tonight will be my lucky night. If not  I will dip my frites in that wonderful zip sauce. Drink another Pear Martini. And chalk this place up as an appetizer and cocktail place only.
Review Source:I loved everything about The Meeting House! Â
What I like to refer to as "craft" food (hey beer does it, and so do restaurants) was done so well with the items we ordered. Â I was in heaven! Sure if I tell you I had chicken wings and pizza, you'd probably think...what's the big deal, but when the chicken wings are white truffle oil, toasted garlic, & parmesan, and the pizza is a smoked chicken and egg pizza...your taste buds start to do a little dance in your mouth! Â Boy were they dancing!
With my dinner, I also tried the new old fashioned The Meeting House's own version of an old fashioned...awesomely good! Â They have a list of craft cocktails, as well as a great beer selection! Â This isn't the place to come if you've got a hankering to chow down, as so many people seem to moan about with portion sizes, but rather a place for a nice social gathering for some great cocktails, and exciting menu options.
As for ambiance, I observed and felt a great buzz around me, folks chatting, eating, being merry....I think that's how it's supposed to be at a meeting house! Â I'll be going back for sure! Â Can't wait to try their Sunday brunch, as well as stop in for a happy hour.
The Meeting House is pretty cool. Â It's a modern looking restaurant on the inside. Â The architecture has a wood and metal look. Â The layout is a long rectangle with the bar on one side next to the kitchen.
The Meeting House takes traditional food and turns it into something new. Â I had Shrimp and cheesy grits with okra and bacon. Â It had a sweet flavor from the grits and salty from the bacon. Â Excellent flavor. Â My wife a the special hamburger; she said it was good, but not the best she'd had.
We ate at the bar and had some wine with our dinner. Â They had happy hour specials running for any wine that was $7 was $5 per glass; a good deal!
For dessert we had chocolate chip cookies on a hot plate with hot fudge. Â It was delish!
Overall we enjoyed The Meeting House and will be back soon.
Gave this a three star, due the the $$ Plus the ala cart menu. Service was decent.
Had the shrimp and grits, pretty good dish. Â After tip, bill came to $20. Far as price goes, there are better places in town.
Freind had the yellow fin tuna, at $23. By the way, was only a piece of tuna, that was it, no sides or anything else. Figure could of thrown in 30 cents at their cost ,some rice or veggies.
So gave this place a shot after passing it by many times. For a $20+ dinner, there are plenty of other choices in town that you'll get a better portion for the buck.
The thing is, not a bad restaurant at all. But for the small portions and expensive prices paid, set me back a bit.
Ah, new American, we meet again, but now in my own backyard. Having worked in the unofficial new American restaurant capital of the Midwest (Minneapolis), I have had a lot of exposure to the tropes of this restaurant genre: packed every night, polished wood grain everything, menu on a clipboard, waiters dressed like hipsters, not using dollar signs, small plates paradigm, a novelty apéritif, specials described by 10 or more adjectives, a nice offering of local craft beers, and a disparity between price and portion (but the plates sure are pretty).
The Meeting House has all of these. I met a friend here on a Wednesday evening and the place was packed full by the time we left at 7, so definitely get there early. I ordered a (fresh, pan-roasted, hand-tossed, Alaska) halibut dish, while my companion had the steak & frites. Her portions were pretty generous but mine were rather lacking (especially for the price). Other reviews have noted that they give you a little brown bag of breadsticks that taste like they're from a pizza place: this is absolutely true.
That annoyance was made up by a wonderful offering of Michigan brews. I ordered a glass of Short's Huma-Lupa-Licious IPA, and it was wonderful, and probably the most enjoyable part of my meal.
Overall, good effort, Meeting House. I love this genre of food and would love to see more places like it in Oakland County.
They say the average person falls in love 4 times. Do restaurants count? If so, you can punch one on my foodie love card, as Meeting House has become my latest culinary infatuation. How do I love thee? Oh, let me count the ways:
1) Well curated selection of wines by the glass. There are quite a few $7 pours, and I've really enjoyed every one. Usually at other restaurants their BTG offerings are limited, or you have to go up to the $12-$15 a glass range to find a wine that's really stellar. Not at Meeting House!
2) The chicken wings. Oh, the chicken wings! I could compose a sonnet about those wings alone. Crisp and flavorful on the outside, juicy and succulent on the inside. Perfect!
3) The food in general is really tasty, and spans the entire price range. You can get a burger or pizza for $10, or a main entree for $18-$25. The "free-form" lasagna is an amazing vegetarian dish - it was so good my carnivore of a bf didn't even notice or care that there was no meat!
4) The wait. What, you say? You enjoy waiting an hour for a table on a Friday night? Au contraire! But that just means taking a seat at the bar with the friendly and hilarious bartenders, and having your meal there while chatting with fellow patrons that are also fed up with being wait listed.
The only downside is that Rochester is a relatively longer hike for me to get to, but you know what they say, you do some crazy things for love. I guess it will be a long distance relationship!
Frankly, I have been trying to place how I feel about The Meeting House since I dined there. Â I really had high hopes and expectations, but I left troubled. Â
The service was relatively poor. Â The hostess was friendly and on point, but the wait staff was cold, unhelpful, and uninformed. Â Our waitress was literally reading the descriptions of the specials from a list. Â Fine at a coney island; not so much at a place that charges nearly $30 a plate. Â After the meal, asking for a coffee, the waitress seemed very put off at the prospect of having to explain to me their offerings. Â The staff was also very on top of making sure we felt like they wanted us gone. Â I was pestered about the check by three members of the wait staff. Â That is something I can at least understand if the place was packed to the gills, but there were plenty of empty tables. Â What's the damn rush? Â I have been to plenty of nice restaurants and I have never experienced a staff that seemed so ignorant of the fine dining experience. Â I feel like if you are going to treat people like they are at a Chili's (not to take anything away from their wait staff...I have actually had better service there) then you shouldn't have anything on your menu that costs more than $18. Â I know that seems a little picky, but it is the little things that really matter when the value of food is so low.
The food was good, overall. Â Our appetizer was under seasoned but doused in citrus, which made it less enjoyable but not inedible. Â The entrees were good, not great and the portions were small. Â We eat with our eyes first, and it all looked amazing. Â The flavors were good as well, but maybe didn't live up to the opulent presentation. Â It's a lot easier to find something wrong when you already feel like you are being shortchanged. Â The prices were definitely on the high side for what they give you.
The decor is trendy and modern, but in my opinion it was cold and uninviting. Â Normally I don't care so much about the look of a restaurant, but the look of this place really encapsulated the pretentiousness of the whole experience. Â For my money, the experience of a nice restaurant is about more than just the food. Â Good service and a warm, inviting setting can really turn a good meal into a great overall experience. Â I never realized how the absence of two of those elements could so negatively affect my opinions of the third. Â
As a Rochester resident, I was excited about the prospect of this place.  I have seen the owners on public access and followed the transition over the city council meetings.  I was so impressed with the length the owners were going through to restore the façade of the building (and they did a great job with the exterior). Â
I want to like this place, so badly! Â Sadly, I don't believe I will be returning to The Meeting House. Â Not on my own dime anyway.
Shrimp and Grits with Pork Belly was so delish! Loved the different flavors and textures.  Ambiance and decor was nice and service was good.  Most of their ingredients and selections are from local farms and vendors.  More selections on the cocktail menu would be nice.  They did  serve Atwater Beers - Dirty Blonde and Vanilla Java.. my favorite MI brews.
Review Source:I've heard this place is always extremely busy but it wasn't that bad. We waited probably about 30 minutes and had a drink at the bar. We got a high table seat and our server was an energetic and friendly lady named Chelsea.
We started with a cup of the soup of the day. Â It consisted of sweet potatoes, beans and corn. It was creamy and salty but not overly so. Also, I'd recommend only ordering a cup because it was huge. I can't image how large a bowl there is.
I ordered the burger with Gouda cheese. It was a delectable. Very juicy, cook just right, and complete with a branded "The Meeting House" on the bun. The taste of the meat mixed with the smokey Gouda cheese was delightful. The french fries were thin and crunchy with a nice texture to the them.
Overall we were very happy with both the service and food. It's a tad pricey but what isn't in downtown Rochester Hills?
I have never been a big fan of wings, until now.  The most amazing wings I have ever had.  They are completely different  ~ not smothered in sauce.  Don't know the process, but just know the white truffle oil, toasted garlic and Parmesan cheese make them outstanding.  We have been there three times, and we never miss the opportunity to order the wings.  As far as the rest of the meal, very good ~ from salads to dessert.  There is even greater incentive to dine (at the bar only) at the Meeting House since they have started the 4-6 happy hour with a $5 burger that is delicious.  The homemade chips were addictive - couldn't stop eating the generous portion they gave us, and we didn't have to wait for hours to get in.  I practically picked up my plate and licked the last bit of chocolate from my warm cookie and Ray's ice cream dessert, so good. . . . . Oh, and their staff were extremely attentive - never an empty glass of their reverse osmosis (I asked what that was) water.  All and all, a wonderful experience.  Definitely worth the trip to Rochester!
Review Source:Great atmosphere and the food was very good. I was part of a party of 6 and everyone had good things to say about their food and its presentation. I had the fluke (type of flat fish or flounder) and it was awesome! Prices were more higher end but if your looking to treat yourself it's worth it. The menu does seem slightly limited if your used to lots of choices. I would definitely go back again. They also have an extensive wine list and several bottled, draft and local brewed beers. We even stayed for desert which is rare for us.
Review Source:We went last night. It was mostly empty so we were free to sit where we liked. It had very nice decor. But it smelt kinda odd... I think it's weird to mention but I thought it when I first came in and then my friends who met me said the same thing. They're very limited on their beer selection but what they did offer was very good. Their menu is short but maybe sweet. I ordered the little neck clams and the calamari (bc of good reviews on yelp). The calamari was ok. The breading was good but that's it. They were oily and there "home made" dipping sauce flavorless. The clams ick completely dry after two I was done.
Review Source:Wow, a lot of hype on the opening of The Meeting House. Â Tried to get in twice and over a two hour wait, so decided to go on a Wednesday night. Â Ambiance is nice, bar area with couches is comfy, and very trendy decor. Â
Food and Drink:  Average.  Had the Clam Fettuchini and Short Ribs.  Flavors were bland and portions were small.  Short Ribs were tasty, but they dropped a spoonful of  corn on top which was a turn-off.  Bread sticks tasted like they came from a chain pizza place. Wine is expensive and they had no Compari.  Disappointing to say the least.
Don't waste your time waiting an hour for an average dinner.
Another great meal at the newly opened Meeting House in Rochester! I started with The Meeting House salad- bacon, cheddar and fresh, crisp greens served with a house-made poppyseed dressing. A great start to the meal. Then I moved on to the scallop special that was served with creamed spinach and crispy potatoes. The scallops were cooked to perfection! It was absolutely amazing! I highly recommend trying the seafood specials that change daily. It seems like the kitchen is really on their game with fresh, new ideas when it comes to seafood. While there has been a bit of a wait the few times I've been in, it is well worth it for the incredible food and great service.
Review Source:It was ok. Â Very overpriced and loud. Â If you go on a Saturday night, you will wait about an hour. Â Bread was good. Â Filet was ok, but left me hungry. Â Small portions. Â Not good for children. Â Glad ours were with a sitter. Â
If they are going to survive, they will need to start being open for lunch.
Love this place and can't wait to go back! The atmosphere, service, beer list, and food were all excellent! My husband had the short ribs and couldn't stop raving about them. I had the catfish special, with cheesey grits and an okra relish, that was perfectly seasoned and beautifully cooked. Go there, you won't be sorry you did!
Review Source:Impressed with atmosphere. Our appetizers were delicious. Especially the Carlamari. However the main dishes are too expensive for what they are. I had the sirloin tips with frites ( fancy way of saying fries) and it had very little meat and more fries. Way over priced for that. I went with girlfriends who also ordered various main dishes and although they were good, we all agreed that it was too pricey. This place won't last if they don't make the entrees more reasonably priced. Us Rochesterians like quality and reasonable prices.
Review Source:My wife and I had dinner here last night. We had a great experience. I had a terrific cheeseburger and the best fries I've ever had. My wife had the lamb shank ravioli in a tomato sauce with eggplant, feta, and pine nuts. Among the top meals she's ever had at a restaurant. Great side salads, too. The service was excellent. Wow. What a great addition to the Rochester restaurant community. Bravo!
Review Source:We had very high expectations for this place, and maybe that's the problem.
The decor is cool - very cozy and comfortable.
Service was great as well, and prices are reasonable.
The food was just okay. Â We had the Wings, Steak and Frites, Lamb Shank Ravioli, Short Rib and Scallop feature of the day. Â The only dish that was memorable was the short rib meal. Â Oh, and the frites were darned good. Â The soft bread sticks were firm and pretty bland.
Still, we will go back and get the short ribs and try something else.
Initially we had some issues with service and allergy concerns (see review below). However, the owner reached out to us and apologized. We dined at the Meeting House last night, and we received both outstanding service and food.
We started with a couple appetizers at the bar, while waiting for our table. We tried the pork belly tacos and the chicken wings. Both appetizers were flavorful; I especially enjoyed the crispy coating of the chicken wings, and the truffle oil/garlic Parmesan  combination. I would recommend both.
For our entrees, my husband ordered the short rib, and I chose the shrimp and grits. I normally don't eat grits, but it was very easy to enjoy them, as there were so many flavors with the shrimp, spinach, sundried tomatoes, and porkbelly. The short ribs were very tender, and they paired well with the gravy, potatoes and carrots.
The service was much improved. We received our food quickly, and both our bartender and server were very attentive to my allergy concerns.
Overall, our experience was very positive. We are very happy that concerns were addressed so we can go back and try some of the other amazing dishes, as well as some of the dishes that are quickly becoming our favorites.
Disaster... 'The Meeting House' name makes it sound like a friendly local place for Rochester locals. We were staying at the royal park hotel in Rochester and we were given a gift certificate that could be used at the local restaurants as cash and could be confirmed by calling the # on the gift card. The meeting house would not accept it! To top it off for the price the food was scarce in quantity and just fair in quality. Unfortunately, our 10% tip reflected this. Hopefully the owners will take the hint and really choose to be a locals friendly spot!
Review Source:My Wife and Twins went to dinner for my birthday 12/08/12 soon as I took a look at the menu I loved the condensed menu. Â We waited for an hour at 5:30pm but got seated at by 6:30pm we had a great waiter we started with the small plate of Chips & Cheese my son loved them and the Spiced Calamari everyone loved also. We ordered Lightly Smoked Chicken Breast, Overnight Braised Beef Short Rib (out of this world Yummy)
Filet cooked to perfection and the Swordfish special. Finished it off with Warn Cookie with Ray's Ice Cream (voted among metro Detroit's best Ice Cream) Pair Crisp with Rays Ice Cream(delicious) We are Foodies and I'm telling you this restaurants is a hit across the menu you can't go wrong! Finally a restaurant with real chefs.
Started with the chicken wings small plate- you can taste the truffle oil, garlic and parm--no need for sauce on these because they are finger-licking good as is. Ordered one of the specials from the chalk board - grilled salmon with creamed corn, sweet peppers, roasted tomatoes and grits. Wow!  A great balance of seasoning and the fish was fresh. Also shared a BLT salad with just the right amount of bacon and blue cheese!  There were so many things I wanted to try - I'll  just have to come back. I also ran out of room for dessert, which was a little disappointing because the warm chocolate chip and ice cream was calling my name. Next time cookie, next time.  I can tell this is the type of place I'll stop by often when I want a cozy and comfortable meal.
Review Source:
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