When they say location, location, location, they usually don’t mean rural Michigan, but the Schoolhouse Lunchroom at Olde Schoolhouse Commons in Lambertville makes the absolute most of its charming country locale.
The diner is in what used to be the gymnasium of a country schoolhouse. The building itself is more than 100 years old, but it has been completely refurbished with some office spaces and small storefronts both upstairs and down. There’s even a historical marker noting that the school bus safety mirror was invented right there.
It’s a charming spot, with fun, kitschy theming throughout: a screen door leads from the dining room to “outdoor” tables in the hall; the menus are designed like old report cards; the wallpaper is like something right out of a farmhouse kitchen; and even the hallways are made to look like a small-town street. The old building doesn’t have many actual windows, and it’s not a giant space, so it wouldn’t seem like an ideal spot for a restaurant, but the fun decor goes a long way to making it an inviting and comfortable spot to get a meal.