Restaurant Review: Burgundy's Restaurant in Lima, Ohio

Burgundy's restaurant in Lima, Ohio at 1365 N. Cable Road is the official "fancy" restaurant in town. It's the place where everyone goes for their prom dinner, their engagement and rehearsal dinners, and of course, for romantic dates. Granted, Lima, Ohio is not a culture mecca by any means and yes, I am a little snobby about Burgundy's, especially after living in larger cities and returning again to the same place I went for homecoming, Sadie Hawkins dance, and my very own wedding rehearsal dinner. I am tempted to say that in many ways, it's only fancy because it's a lot more expensive than any other restaurant in Lima, Ohio. The menu is predictable, uninteresting, overpriced, but hey, Lima needs its dose of fancy too, doesn't it? Every town needs a place like this where average blue-collars can go and feel like a million bucks.

At Burgundy's restaurant in Lima Ohio, part of the fancy-feel is not just the high prices for basic steak, seafood, and pasta dishes, but because of the way the servers dress. They look very nice, clean-cut, and are always polite and courteous, treating you like you're some millionaire who is in town for a holiday. This is a very welcoming place, despite the fact that it wants to seem untouchable or better than it is. Unlike other Lima, Ohio restaurants, they serve everything in glasses and even offer you wine, a rarity, indeed in a town where 75% of the population thinks Wild Irish Rose is a delicacy. Okay, that was mean, I am truly sorry. They have big steaks on the menu and several appetizer choices but frankly, all of their food appears to have come from some frozen foods wholesaler. Particularly in terms of the appetizers, none of which are likely prepared (made by hand) on the site.

There are no unique dishes that cannot be found elsewhere and the menu is like a hybrid between the Outback Steakhouse and Olive Garden. The cheeses they used on their dishes were of the lowest quality, akin to government cheese (think school lunch provolone, not the real deal). Their steaks and seafood are frozen (this I know from asking our server, by the way) and in many senses, this makes the place seem more about status or "feeling fancy" rather than good food. While I do not mean to be too harsh in my review of Burgundy's restaurant in Lima, Ohio, I feel they are tricking people who don't know better into paying huge prices for food that is the same quality they can get at a chain restaurant. It's just not that good. They cut corners on cost in nearly aspect in terms of their food products and it shows. Salads do not use interesting ingredients (garden versus roma tomatoes and again! The cheese thing bothers me to no end!).

The service is always good at Burgundy's and I have never had a bad experience with it in any way. Everyone working there appears to be quite happy and when I had a problem with my order, it was handled quickly and without complaint. For a smaller town, they have a decent wine selection, although the set-up of their wine menu and the server suggestions always point you toward wines that do not match the entrée they are suggested with. A minor point, but I'm picky about things like wine and cheeses. They are a mark of quality; a sign that a restaurant has gone above and beyond to bring customers something new, interesting, or otherwise delightful. Burgundy's restaurant in Lima, Ohio does not do this. While it's great that they've gone out of their way to make folks feel fancy, anyone who's ever left the grim confines of Lima, Ohio sees right through the façade.

Burgundy's restaurant in Lima, Ohio is open for lunch and dinner. It is located on Cable Road less than a mile away from the Lima Mall and across the street from the main movie theatre and within a half-mile from Westgate Lanes. Like many Lima restaurants, they don't have a website, which is okay, you don't need reservations generally and the menu is not really listing since it's so predictable. Steak, seafood, pasta. Period.