Is This The Best Restaurant Review in West Michigan History?

It was ten years ago today (August 28) that a popular West Michigan restaurant received a handwritten letter from a recent patron that, in my opinion, is the greatest restaurant review of all time.

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Ten years later, let's take a look back at this work of art.

Rose's on Reed's Lake Reviews

Rose's on Reed's Lake has been an institution in East Grand Rapids since 1901. Originally, the restaurant was built because of its proximity to Ramona Park. Now, it's the only remaining piece of the once-popular amusement park.

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Overall, reviews of the restaurant are excellent (I've been there and can attest that both the food and the atmosphere are top-notch). But it was in 2015 that the restaurant received what is arguably the best restaurant review ever. And it came from an unlikely source - an unnamed 92-year-old woman.

A Handwritten Review Arrives at Rose's on Reed's Lake

Sadly, we don't know the name of this absolute wordsmith of a nonagenarian, so we can't give her the true recognition that she deserves. But we can share her carefully crafted review with some hilarious barbs directed at her roommate.

It starts out nicely enough. "Thank you for donating the $25 gift certificate." Oh, so she was there as a special treat? Nice! She goes on to tell us a little about herself - her age, where she is, and the fact that she has a roommate (name redacted).

But then, it gets even better. Our unnamed reviewer also has a review of her roommate, stating that she "isn't very nice." What makes her not very nice, according to our reviewer? "She won't share her magazines, radio, or TV." Rude. In fact, the reviewer goes on to say that the roommate won't allow her to use those things "even if she isn't in our room."

To add insult to injury, sometimes the roommate will "put her radio on very quietly so I can't hear it, I ask her to turn it up and she won't."

A Nonagenarian's Trip to Rose's on Reed's Lake

Then, we get to the review of this reviewer's experience dining at Rose's. It turns out that it was a group outing for the center where she lives (with said roommate). She says that once a month, they all get on a bus and go out to eat. On this particular occasion, they went to enjoy lunch at Rose's.

Her impression of the place and the food? "It was very nice." We love to see it.

A Savage Send-Off in Review of Rose's in East Grand Rapids

But then, the roommate re-enters the chat. It turns out that the reviewer's meal didn't use up the entirety of her $25 gift card. She still had $6 left after she paid. According to the letter, her roommate asked if she could apply what was left on the card to her bill. And our reviewer's response to that question is the greatest thing that I have ever seen written by a 92-year-old woman ever.

Take a look at this absolute masterpiece of a review. (Because somehow seeing it scrawled in cursive makes it even better.)