West Street Grill
| Address: | 43 West St, Litchfield, CT 06759, USA |
| Phone: | +1 860-567-3885 |
| Site: | weststreetgrill.com |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–2:30PM Closed 11:30AM–2:30PM 11:30AM–2:30PM 11:30AM–2:30PM 11:30AM–3:30PM 11:30AM–3:30PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 5
SI
Sid Rowell
Overall a very disappointing experience. I selected the West End Grill primarily because of the special St. Patricks Day menu, and brought a date. It has a good reputation, though it is pricey for Litchfield. The staff was polite and welcoming, taking our coats to hang by the front of the restaurant. The meal started out in a promising fashion with complimentary hors douevres--a garnished 1/2 hard boiled egg and a Brussels sprout--that were delicious. Her dinner--the chicken and mashed potatoes--off the regular menu, was excellent. However, my corned beef and cabbage was subpar. The corned beef was a very generous sized portion (actually it was huge), yet was dry and tasteless. The cabbage on the side (a surprisingly small portion) was more like a flavorless coleslaw and the accompanying carrots were drenched in butter. We decided to finish with a chocolaty dessert which was sadly uninspired and not worth the calories. Given that I ordered an overpriced bottle of wine and my check was quite expensive (for 2 people--$250), I expected more attention. Unfortunately, even though the Restaurent was relatively empty, our waiter was constantly being hurried by members of the staff to attend to other customers. He seemed like a nice young man trying his best; it certainly was not his fault that I had to pour the wine myself and my water glass was empty for more than 5 minutes. On my way out, the owners offered up the perfunctory "how was dinner?", but did not even get up from the table where they were eating to interact with us. When I politely shared my disappointment and some specifics, much to my surprise, one of them was defensive and rude. No apology, no offer to correct the problem ("You should have told us sooner, we cant do anything now"). He seemed offended, even angry, which was a unsetttling turn of events. Unsolicited, he lectured me about the cost of the corned beef, given the generous size of the portion. I could have pointed out the excessive markup on the wine, but chose to let it pass. The owner could have easily expressed some kind of regret and quickly rectified the situation. He could have offered something (a free appetizer or drink) in an effort to entice us to come back. Such responses are inexpensive, not hard to do and is just good for business. Almost always, it results in happy customers who return, spend more money, share the story of good service with others and recommend the restaurant to others. None of that happened. The West End Grille has been around for a while and the reviews have generally been quite good, though all say it is overpriced and I agree. Perhaps the owners had a bad day(too prideful?); certainly they were not interested in our feedback. I am sure they will have other customers, including many who will have very different experiences than the one we had. Just dont go on St. Patricks Day for the corned beef and cabbage...and dont offer any constructive feedback.
TO
Tom Attea
I enjoy fine restaurants in New York City, including such favorites as La Grenouille, Per Se, Le Bernardin, and Jean Georges. I also enjoy what I consider the fine restaurants in CT. Ive been eating at West Street Grille for over 20 years. Its as fine a restaurant as Ive ever enjoyed in Connecticut. The two thoughtful owners, Jamie and Charlie, are ever watchful and affable hosts, the long-time chef has developed remarkable finesse, the ingredients are of the highest quality, and the environment is warmly inviting. While I see the comments in Zagat praise it highly as the destination restaurant it is, I also see that the food is rated at 22. Ive been a Zagat reviewer for New York City and Connecticut for many years, and I can tell you that whoever gave it a 22 out of 30 arrived either comatose or had an agenda other than forthright estimation. We might quibble about giving it a 27 or 28 or going all the way to 30. But a 22? An inexcusable insult to the consistent dedication and excellence of the owners and the attentive staff. Go and taste for yourself. Tonight, for appetizers we enjoyed a crab cocktail, which was made with a gently formed cake of pure, luscious, fresh crab meat and we had crisply elegant shrimp rolls; a main course of hard-shell lobster out of the shell, formed over thinly sliced leaks, with fresh chives and fresh rosemary in an ever-so-light butter sauce, and for dessert a homemade fruit pie with a freshly baked, air-light crust and finely diced apples with currants and raisins, along with a slender glass with fresh vanilla ice cream. We also had an exquisite red French Bordeaux at an inviting price. The sooner you go, the sooner youll know where to eat consistently extraordinary food in Connecticut.
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A Private User
I had eaten lunch here a few times, but the quality of the food, wine, and total experience with friends last evening will certainly bring me back for dinner soon. The menu selections were delectable and wine choices extensive. The decor is very comfortable and I especially liked the room layout. My friends and I could chat easily without people too close. The staff is very professional and knowledgeable. Owner James circulated around the room speaking with patrons new and old. We lingered over all of our courses and never felt rushed. People at our table were very pleased with the taste and quantity of their short ribs and NY strip steak main courses. We loved the garlic bread and all of us shared the main course mushroom ravioli as an appetizer. Little extra courtesies included the offering of black napkins for the ladies wearing black pants and a "heads up" that one of the main course specials was running low if we wanted to reserve in advance. I am so looking forward to my next visit.
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K amp
We drove an hour in the rain just to experience West Street Grill (based on rave reviews from friends) and it was well worth it! The decor was warm and inviting, the staff perfectly attentive without being overwhelming, and the food was exquisite. We highly recommend the crab and mango gazpacho and the peasant bread is a must - no exceptions! While there are a number of entrees on the menu we wanted to try, we ended up having the braised short ribs and pan roasted chicken. The short ribs were exceptional – equally as good as the ones at Craft in NYC. The chicken was flavorful and moist, and the compote with the natural jus was perfection. Dessert? Where should I begin….keylime tart, bread pudding and crème brule were equally amazing – try them all! The website pictures show outdoor dining during the warmer months and looks just as inviting as the inside. Can’t wait to do a day trip in Litchfield and have a West Street Grill visit to top it off!
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Elise D
This is a very cute establishment - I liked the decor and the staff was very welcoming and nice. However, we are at the restaurant to eat and that was where we had some issues. The menu is pretty limited and honestly, we thought overpriced for what you received. In my case I ordered a Caesar salad ($14) and what came out was some lettuce with three slivers of parmesan cheese and a few croutons. I might have paid $3 for this as a side salad at another restaurant so I was disappointed. My boyfriend however had the shrimp bisque and said that it was fantastic. I think that the price point was just too high for what I felt we received so we would not return. It would help if they would bring rolls out with your food or something if the portions are going to be on the small side.
