Unexpected Discovery: The Garden Grille & Bar at the Hilton Garden Inn Exton/West Chester

Boxy, ubiquitous and always along roadsides—just like banks, pharmacies and fast-food joints—mid-scale hotel chains, for the most part, simply blend into suburbia’s landscape. It’s not that these lodging operations are irrelevant—they provide safe and convenient shelter, after all, and, hopefully, a modicum or more of smiles and comfort along the way. But unless you have relatives who are coming into town (or you have the misfortune of a lengthy power outage and no generator), there’s usually very little to entice most locals with a visit to this area’s hotels and motels.

Exton Hilton exterior

Which is why I was so surprised—no, make that bowled over—by the fact that the Hilton Garden Inn Exton/West Chester, just off the Downingtown exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and located directly across from the Eagleview Corporate Center along Pottstown Pike, houses a full-service restaurant and bar as well as exceptional meeting and event spaces. I had no idea this particular Hilton houses a food and beverage component—one with a professional chef who offers fare at finessed levels well above typical institutional food, at a place that happens to be a mere five or so miles from my own front door. For someone who’s always seeking out clandestine and beyond-the-ordinary dining establishments, little did I know this one is located right around the corner!

Let’s tour this hidden gem…

The Setting

Entering the lobby, one immediately encounters a bright two-story atrium with an appealing, sky-lighted contemporary design. Soft pendant globes suspend from overhead as do translucent, cascading draperies. The dining room’s color schemes blend earth tones with cheery pea greens and sky blues to create a welcoming feel. Sure, you’ll know that you’re in a hotel lobby, but Hilton’s Garden Inn brand is more cutting-edge than cookie cutter. The vibe is subdued.

The Chef

Exton Hilton Chef MichaelMichael Milligan is no novice. In fact, he’s quite the opposite. Chef Milligan has more than 20 years of experience working at noteworthy dining establishments including the Lancaster Host Resort, Conestoga Country Club, Wyndham Suites and the General Warren Inne.

Holding a degree from the Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College, this jovial representative constantly takes himself out of his kitchen to meet guests and joke with regulars. He prides himself on having a fresh array of ingredients to work with on a daily basis, and he insists on scratch-making rolls, biscuits and desserts.

The Menu

Hilton Exton Tuna

Breakfast is served daily and includes a buffet ($12.95/$6.95 for kids under 12) replete with fresh fruit, oatmeal, cereal, yogurt, pastries and baked breads plus scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and breakfast potatoes, along with coffee, tea, milk and juices.

The all-you-can-eat breakfast also offers a stable of made-to-order items: a variety of egg dishes, omelets, pancakes, waffles and French toast as well as a daily special like chocolate chip pancakes, biscuits and gravy or maybe strawberry-stuffed waffles. (The day’s special on my visit was a filling eggs Benedict.)

Dinner is the real surprise here. I never expected the American-focused menu to include such an adventurous appetizer like pristine sesame-encrusted ahi tuna sashimi with seaweed salad, cucumber relish and a mildly biting wasabi cream ($12), nor did I foresee the salmon salad ($17) to be laden with a satisfying filet from local purveyor Sugartown Smoked Specialties.

Exton Hilton cowboy steak

Two flatbreads are currently offered—the South Philly, with smoked sausage, caramelized onions and pungent Provolone cheese, and a healthful California Club, topped with grilled chicken, guacamole, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and shredded lettuce (both are $13).

I’ll admit to being somewhat reticent toward ordering seafood at mid-scale hotel properties, especially early in the week. My rationale: How do I know that I’m not actually eating the weekend’s leftovers on a Tuesday? Here at the Hilton, my suspicions were allayed; Chef Michael assures that his sea-centric provisions arrive daily. He even graciously brought over a tasting of grilled sea scallops in a buerre blanc sauce. Freshness and flavor prevailed.

Exton Hilton black and blue burger

My blackened Angus burger was globbed with delicious chunks of blue cheese and topped with crispy-fried onions ($12)—one of the better resto-burgers here in my hometown. Entrees include spicy Thai peanut pasta ($15), bacon and shrimp mac and cheese ($16), chicken Florentine ($20) and a juicy bone-in 14-oz. Cowboy steak for $30. For dessert, three of us split a slice of the chef’s scrumptious chocolate peanut butter cheesecake.

Breakfast is served 6–10 a.m., Monday through Friday, and Saturday and Sunday, 7–11 a.m. Dinner is from 5–10 p.m. daily.

Exton Hilton

The Bar

Simply stocked with a small assortment of beers (with several local brews on tap), wines and spirits, the Hilton’s imbibing station may not impart the same craft-brewed raucousness as some of the area’s other watering holes. Although it doesn’t try to compare with, say, the energized atmospheres of nearby Liberty Union or the Brickside Grille, it makes up for its simplicity with personality—from easy-going bartenders to the clientele, they seem to be comprised of young and seasoned professionals alike who have found their own comfort zone enjoying one another’s company.

There’s an adjoining lounge as well, which is the perfect place to sprawl with a laptop or a companion. The bar and adjacent restaurant feature an acoustic performer on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Each provides an eclectic repertoire of songs. Where else in the Exton/Chester Springs area can you hear live music during weekday nights?

Private Spaces

Besides my prior ignorance about the Hilton’s food and beverage opportunities, I also hadn’t realized there are event spaces within as well, including the stylishly modern Eagleview Ballroom with more than 2,900 square feet of ultra-modern space. This venue can break into three spacious rooms. There’s also a 500-square-foot executive boardroom that seats up to 12 guests comfortably.

Exton Hilton interior 4

To Summarize

Proving that you can’t judge a book by its cover or, in this case, you shouldn’t assume a corporate hotel off the turnpike is for guests only, the Hilton Garden Inn Exton/West Chester Grille and Bar was an unexpected find. The property definitely keeps itself somewhat off-grid, with no sign out front touting its restaurant or its bar. Shhh … our little secret, okay?

Find the Hilton Garden Inn Exton/West Chester at 720 East Eagleview Blvd. in Exton; phone: (610) 458-8822.

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Speaking of Hilton Garden Inns …

When clients ask me for a reasonably priced hotel recommendation in Manhattan, one of my top choices is the Hilton Garden Inn Chelsea, on 121 W. 28th Street. Why? Well, first, I’ve stayed there several times and I’ve landed rates as low as $136 a night (yes, $136 for a room in New York City!). The property is clean and comfortable and, being smack dab in the middle of the island (it’s in the Fashion District, actually), along with its great value and the quality of its restaurant, this is yet another example of a winning Hilton hotel.

  • Chef Michael Milligan photo: Lori Gebert of Hilton Garden Inn
  • Restaurant interior and private space photos: Hilton Garden Inn
  • Remaining photos: Ken Alan

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