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Baldini's Family Restaurant & Lounge
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Has TV:
- Yes
6 reviews for Baldini's Family Restaurant & Lounge
6 reviews in English
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Review from Helen S.
Gold Hill, OR
4/2/2012
Very good food, good prices, friendly staff! We will be back. Best spinach lasagna I have ever tasted.
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Review from Peggi O.
Grants Pass, OR
7/16/2011
I'm a little late on the review, I dined here about a week ago.
It just so happened that I was driving through the area (while I live in nearby Grants Pass, I don't often go through Merlin to get to the river) when my grandma and I decided to stop for a quick lunch.
Baldini's doesn't really grab your attention, but we wanted a cocktail with our meal and as far as I know, it's the only restaurant in Merlin with a full bar. The waitress directed us to "sit anywhere," and since there were few other diners there we had a good pick of tables. She was quick and attentive with our drink order and menus.
There's nothing really fancy here; this is a down-home restaurant. The prices are terrific. We both ordered cheeseburgers (it was that kind of day). I was a bit disappointed that the restaurant had such a big bar, but no flavored vodkas. No worries, that's why I drink vodka tonics :).
By the time our burgers arrived, we were halfway through our cocktails. Now, I'm extremely picky about my cheeseburgers....this was hands-down the 2nd best cheeseburger EVER (the Galice Resort will always be #1). The patty is hand-formed and char-grilled to perfection (carmelized outside, slightly pink inside). The buns are buttered and grilled, then the top bun gets a liberal helping of mayo. It comes "build-your-own" style, with the lettuce, red onion, tomatoes, and pickles on the side. I appreciate that, since I don't eat pickles. The flavor is just amazing.....I love the mix of red onion, cool mayo, and perfectly charred meat. By the way, their fries are amazing too - I can't figure out what they use for a coating, but it makes them super-crisp and delicious!
Grandma ordered another cocktail while I enjoyed every morsel of my delicious burger....this time, the bartender brought it to our table with its own cute little shaker. Unfortunately, she pour a gnat out of the shaker with the cocktail! She replaced it immediately, but grandma wasn't too enthusiastic about drinking it. Also, when we picked up our check, we realized it belonged to the table next to us. The wait staff needs to be a bit more attentive, given the gnat situation and the bill mix-up.
Given the good prices and delicious burgers, we'll definitely be back when we're in the area again. -
Review from Kimberly V.
Portland, OR
Updated - 8/10/2009
It kind of sucks to rip on an independently-established business in a small town. Even if your review is honest, and even if you truly think that it's your arbitrarily-sanctioned right to flip your shit, it's not the greatest feeling. That's probably why Portland business owners get so high and mighty whenever they read something negative about their workplaces. Hey man, I'm not just an Internet asshole. I get it. It's hard out here for a person-in-charge-of-making-rent-paying-employees-g rabbing-appropriate-licensure-and-generating-reven ue.
So, in its own way, this update of Baldini's marks some improvement. Maybe I was harsh in my criticism of their brunch offerings last year. When you break a fast, it typically means you haven't eaten anything beforehand. It could very well indicate a lack of coffee. This combination has been known to be lethal in making an assessment about anything, from the right way to wear clothes to the right way to order food. This time, it was lunch, and it was closer to the beginning of the evening. It was pizza instead of hash, and since it was pepperoni, it should have been pretty hard to screw up.
Maybe the Lady of the Lake cares for her crust a bit doughier than me. First slice tasted like a dream, but the second made you worry about any aquatic ceremonies on your agenda. I just think the Lady just doesn't know food. If strange women who distribute swords in ponds are no basis for government, one really shouldn't expect them to be intuitive cooks, either.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/4/2008 First to Review
Even the least likely Renn Faire attendee knows about Merlin the magician. He was a wizard,… Read more »
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Review from M Y.
Arcadia, CA
6/26/2011
Into the 16th hour of our 24-hour drive up to Seattle from Los Angeles, we ventured into the middle of nowhere for something different-- something not-McDonalds or another hapless fast food chain location.
The GPS actually offered Romar's Sport Bar but as we rolled off the freeway into Merlin (Merlin! Interesting town name.) the increasingly dark and deserted drive down had us stopping at Baldini's bright sign.
We dined in the bar section of this restaurant close to about 9:30 PM. It was lively with locals and the place was clean and had an interesting character to their decorations. They also had a couple of casino machines on the side and TVs decked over the bar counter and along the wall.
Our waitress was very nice and helpful. She let us have extra time to check over the menu and order. The serving speed is not fast, but I don't think it was very slow, especially as I think we ordered near closing and they were cooking our order up after we placed it.
The food was delicious. I had the light order of steak. It had great flavor, and the sides of garlic alfredo and garlic seasoned grilled vegetables were extremely tasty! My friend's order of a custom calzone and lasagna were also totally yummy! The sweet potato fries were great too.
Their beer portions are generous (my friend's ale was an incredible smooth ale that was very enjoyable) and I enjoyed the herbal tea (hot water + instant packet choice with honey and lemon on the side).
All in all, a well-kept and friendly place with great service and delicious Italian (and American) food. -
Review from Patricia W.
Portland, OR
7/23/2009
How did I end up at a pizza place in Merlin? Well the BF's mom lives here and we came to town to visit and go rafting on the Rogue...too bad the experience at Baldini's wasn't as good as the rafting.
The only way you can describe the interior is 'Italian Hunting Lodge', you have the 3-D cayak mural on the wall, the fly fishing pole curtain rods, and something that looks like a bug zapper by the door.
We sat down and were greeted by our waitress, she took our drink order...and didn't come back for about 10 minutes...for anything. This is a small place, not too many tables and being a former waitress I know that the tables were manageable. We ordered caesar salads and I think we got italian dressing and I had parmesan AND cheddar cheese on mine. Our dinner was pizza, it was ok, nothing spectacular but I was starving from spending 5 hours on the river so I ate. My BF had asked for a refill on his drink and 17 minutes later she brought it. We asked for a box for our pizza AND our check, it took about 10 minutes for the box and longer for the check. Would I come back here? Only if I was starving and the Lil' pantry across the street wasn't open. The service really ruined it for me. -
Review from Paul G.
Grants Pass, OR
9/24/2010
Had lunch with a friend 9/23/10 We both where pleased. Food was great and service was excellent. I will definitely eat there again when I am back in the area.
