Kirtland’s Olde Towne–More then meets the eye

After a brisk day of cross-country skiing at Chapin Forest in Kirtland we decided to give the Olde Towne a try since it was the closest place and the people at the ski

center said it was good.   Located at 7592 Euclid Chardon Road, kirtland, OH, about 1 mile West of the intersection of Routes 306 and 6, Olde Towne looks like an old time roadhouse, a bit rundown and dreary.  However once you walk in you get a completely different impression.  The interior is done up in Western Mountain Chic, with large field stones, lots of wood, some antler chandeliers and a roaring fire place.  Its upscale rustic, but comfortable; it just doesn’t quite connect with the outside or the name..
Seated comfortably by the fire with the TV over the mantel tuned to football, we settled in to peruse the menu (which you can see here) which has a nice selection of American classics.  I settled on the fried fish with a side of the jalpeno mac and cheese.  Others at the table, had sandwiches or entrees from various parts of the menu.
The food took a while, even though the place was pretty quiet, but when it came out the food was nicely prepared and well presented, but the flavors were nice without being exceptional.  My fish was nicely prepared and a decent size, but nothing that will stick with me.  The jalapeno mac and cheese had a little bit of a bite, but not enough to really excite me.  I think what was lacking was a certain depth or variety to the flavor profiles; part of this is the menu description which seem to over promise and food that doesn’t quite match the anticipation that is raised.
I have no big quibbles with Olde Towne, but I think it needs to work on finding its niche.  To me the food was ok, but not anything I have a need to come back for.  The value isn’t there as the prices aren’t bad, but there are plenty of places around that I can find much bigger portions for a similar price.   There seems to be a disconnect between different parts of the restaurant, the décor, menu and presentation feel as if they are going for upscale, yet the location, the volleyball courts and the overall food doesn’t quite make it to that level. 
Olde Towne ends up being a thumbs in the middle for me, neither good enough to give a high recommendation, nor bad enough to advise you to avoid.   Of course your experience may differ.