The Grill Room pairs good eats with hospitality

By Kelsey Smith

People can enjoy a round of golf on a pristine, classic course and savor a high-quality, home-cooked meal all in one place: Clearbrook Golf Club.

Located in Saugatuck, Clearbrook houses The Grill Room, a well-known casual restaurant offering eclectic yet recognizable dishes.

“We draw from the past; we draw from our mothers’ cooking,” said Jim Jeltema, owner. “Our four-grain, three-meat meatloaf is back on the menu this year. It’s a twist on a classic dish from mom’s kitchen.”

Other popular dishes include the griddled Canadian walleye, which is served “camp style” with bread crumbs, egg wash, flour and herbed butter; the grilled top sirloin Trotter steak, which is a tender, 8-ounce cut, named after the late chef Charlie Trotter and served with herb butter, fresh vegetables and cream-whipped potatoes; and the lamb confit cassoulet with rosemary-braised lamb, grilled andouille sausage, white beans, shiitake, kale and cranberry chutney.

“These kinds of items are delicious, crowd-pleasing dishes, and they see a lot of action here,” Jeltema said. “And what makes us unique is our pricing. Our pricing is mid-range. I would say we cater to the middle 60 percent of the market.”

The Grill Room is open year-round, and it is strictly a dinner house.

“We’re a really great restaurant first, but with a nice, older golf course attached,” Jeltema said. “We’re the only restaurant of the sort that has golf as an amenity.”

The restaurant’s lower ceilings, crackling fireplace, large windows and elegant woodwork create an inviting atmosphere, making it a cozy haunt during the holidays.

“What I want a customer to ultimately experience is genuine hospitality,” Jeltema said. “Every single day, it hits me how fortunate I am to work with such an incredibly wonderful group of people — and that includes both our staff and our guests.”

The Grill Room
6494 Clearbrook Drive
Saugatuck
269-857-2000, ext. 4
clearbrookgolfclub.com/the-grill-room