2-Minute Review: The Grotto

This is Springfield's newest lunchtime hot spot. Find it, love it.

Tucked on the west side of Battlefield Marketplace facing Kimbrough Avenue, The Grotto is easy to miss. Don’t miss it. Flag it on your GPS, memorize the directions, because if it doesn’t become one of your regular lunch stops, you’re missing out.

The Grotto (3046 S. Kimbrough Ave., 417-886-9600, gogrotto.com) has the feel of a chain but is one-of-a-kind, owned locally by Mark Coleman. It’s serving system is that of an efficient Panera Bread, the décor industrial-chic, like Chipotle (think clean lines and metallics), and the menu is that of a high-end pub like Springfield Brewing Company. Yet it’s hardly a sports bar. In fact, the eclectic music selection (we were there on ’90s day, apparently) and complete lack of flat-screen televisions was one of the restaurant’s selling points.

Then there’s the food. Do yourself a favor and order one of the pizzas. I tried the Anaheim pizza (pictured), which included artichoke hearts, two kinds of mushrooms, calamata olives, tomato slices and chopped bacon. It’s California-style, so the crust is light and flat, the toppings exquisitely fresh, and the cheese and sauce not just dumped on top. A single serving, at 8 inches ($6.99), is plenty for one person, and two can eat a 12-inch pizza ($12.49) comfortably. My dining mate, 417 Magazine editor Gregory Holman, tried the Mexicali chicken sandwich ($7.99), which he said was “good, though not very Mexican.” He particularly liked the bread, as well as the huge house chips on the side.