Jones Food Street Journal – Thorndale Inn

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Thorndale Inn

By David Jones

I recently had the opportunity to have lunch with 3 of my favorite lovely ladies, my wife, my mother and a family friend. We were heading home from shopping in Exton and decided to stop at the Thorndale Inn.

My mother uses a cane and Jeanette, our friend, uses a walker so we needed to use the ramp for them. The problem is the Thorndale Inn does not clearly identify which ramp to use and they have one on the dining room side and one on the lounge side. Since the door up the steps on the south side (dining room) was propped open, we decided that was the ramp to use.

We were wrong. After getting to the top of the ramp we found that door locked tight. This meant we either had to get everyone back in the car and drive around the building, or walk all that distance. These entrances should be clearly marked if they are open or locked so you can see them ‘before’ you get out of the car. Better yet, leave both doors open.

Once inside, we found that the only place to actually eat lunch is in the bar. That wasn’t a real problem for us, but if you’re someone who doesn’t like eating in the bar, you might want to keep this in mind. The Inn has a very nice menu with lots of choices for lunch.

The food is a little inconsistent though. I got the fish and chips ($10.99). The fish tasted like it had been frozen for quite a while. It just wasn’t very light of tasty. The fries were quite good though.

Mom got half of a chicken salad sandwich and beef vegetable soup. She said both were good and enjoyed them.

Jeanette had the fruit salad. This was a very large plate that was nicely presented with a ton of fruit and rainbow sherbet in the middle. The fruit consisted of watermelon, pineapple, honeydew and pear. They were quite good and fresh with the exception of the pear, which was overripe and could have been left off the plate.

This experience makes me wonder if the chef actually takes a piece of each fruit before plating them. If so, he should have known not to plate it to begin with. There was so much on the plate the pear could have been deleted and there still would have been more than enough. For her part Jeanette said she loved it and if she was still driving (she’s 93) she wouldn’t hesitate to return to the Inn.

Lin had the Thai Noodle Salad. It was a huge portion of chicken. The fact that it came on large Romaine leaves that were hard to cut and keep on the plate was a bit of a disappointment for Lin. She also felt the salad was ‘drenched’ in dressing and her advice is to get the dressing on the side. Overall, she felt the salad was ‘edible’ but says she would not get the Thai Noodle Salad again.

I am actually a fan of lots of dressing, so this wouldn’t bother me and may not bother others either. Getting the dressing on the side would eliminate the problem I think.

When Lin and I got home we talked over our experience and settled on a rating of 1 and ½ stars for the Thorndale Inn. It was just a little too inconsistent and hard to find your way around for those challenged with a cane or a walker.

The staff were very nice and helpful and the prices were quite good. Four of us had lunch for $48, including tax and tip. This did not include any beverages, as we all drank tap water.

I think they do a nice job at the Inn, but a little more attention to details can really enhance the dining experience.

Address: 430 Bondsville Rd, Downingtown

Phone Number: (610) 269-5455

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A native of Chester County and a 1968 graduate of Octorara Area High School, David Jones earned a Masters Degree in Medical Ethics from from Villanova University. Mr. Jones served as CEO of both Mayview and Wernersville State Hospitals and later worked directly with then Governor Rendell to modernize and right-size Pennsylvania’s entire state hospital system. Jones and his wife Lynn make their home in Parkesburg and dine out frequently across Chester County and the Delaware Valley.

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