The Grill Room

Reviews 4

PH

Phil Brookhouse

This was a letter I sent to the Grill Room after my last experience I’ve dined at The Grill Room on 3 different occasions, and have had varying experiences. However, the last was the worst. The first time, everything was terrific – we had a wonderful time and the food was delightfully cooked and nicely presented. The second time was mixed – my lamb meat loaf was hot and juicy, with a great sauce, but the garlic mashed potatoes it was resting on was at best, sort of warm. You’d think that the chef would care about consistent temperature. Yes, the server offered to warm it up, but to me, that is not the option in a classy restaurant. It smacks of chain eateries where they are used to inconsistency. I was disappointed, but, again, the meat loaf was superb. Now this last time is the real complaint. I made reservations for the evening of my 65th birthday – an occasion with both positive and negative connotations – December 6th, at 5:00 PM. We arrived early, and enjoyed happy hour appetizers and drinks at the bar. Our mood was definitely enhanced by the service and we were escorted to the chic table for two at the window, where we met our waiter, Zoltan. He’s a gem and he made us feel welcome and appreciative. We listened to the specials and I was really excited about the Porterhouse – what a treat for my birthday! My wife ordered the scallops. I specified medium for how I wanted my steak, Zoltan suggested that the chef slice it before serving our table. Great idea. After he left, I noticed how dim the lights were – at the table near us a diner used her flashlight phone app so she could see the menu. Our dinner was served, and I was amazed at how large the Porterhouse was. Zoltan asked if everything was all right, and I replied yes. Then I started eating my steak. I noticed that the end pieces were like medium rare, which was fine. As I delved deeper into the steak I saw that the rest of it was more than just rare – it was raw in the middle. The place was busy, so when Zoltan was finally able to come back to the table, I told him this. He offered to take it back to cook it better, but I was not really happy, and decided to stop eating and just take the meat home to enjoy it my way. Imagine my surprise when I saw that my raw hunk of meat (yes, as a full entrée) costs $90!!!! I was flabbergasted, My wife was, too. Stunned as we were, we decided to just tell Zoltan that we were surprised at how expensive it was and we just left. The more we thought about it, the more I felt like a chump for being so nice. After all, you pride yourself in being a steak house, and this Porterhouse should have been really special…I mean REALLY special! The lighting was bad – otherwise I would have sent it back immediately when it was brought to the table. In any case, the chef should have seen that it wasn’t cooked when he cut it. I had a Living Social $50 voucher, so it didn’t break us, but we felt ripped off the more we thought about it. I am probably not coming back, but I wanted to let you know what happened and how we felt. Before I post this to social media, I thought I should give you the benefit of responding to our concerns. You have my address, email, and phone number – feel free to contact me. They never did...

JU

Julie Cummings

This is a restaurant that I would absolutely AVOID as Portland boasts many other wonderful restaurants with owners who value their customers and stand behind their food. My family recently visited the Grill Room to celebrate the exciting news that my husband and I are expecting a baby! Our extended family lives in Portland and this was the only restaurant with available reservations for a Saturday night out. Apparently, everyone in town already knew what we did not -- AVOID THIS ESTABLISHMENT. Our meal started off well -- nice waiter, decent menu. Our food arrived and one meal was completely wrong. The waiter tried to make it right but ultimately, the dinner experience was negatively influenced (we waited for a replacement which was still wrong). Unfortunately, management did not apologize for the mistake but instead, the owners wife, Darcy, was the rudest, most unprofessional "manager" we have ever encountered. When a member of our dinner party complained about the meal, she told us the issue was "not her fault" and there was nothing she could do. After we continued to (calmly) contest, she actually walked away in the middle of the conversation (I think her parting line was, "we are done here"). In my life, Ive never seen a restaurant manager, let alone the restaurant owners wife (whom I would hope might have pride in her family restaurant), act in such an offensive, disrespectful manner. As it turns out, Darcys disrespectful behavior came as no surprise to anyone on her staff and many waitors actually apologized to us on our way out saying, "thanks for your patience" or "thanks for saying something to her." When we got home, we did some research online, and it appears Darcy and her husband dont only treat their customers poorly but their staff have also filed countless complaints about the work conditions. In the future, I will not be supporting a restaurant where the owners cannot stand behind their food or be bothered by a customer and I hope I can prevent others from having a celebratory evening ruined by the OWNER.

ER

Erin Learoyd

I have only been once, but that experience was just fantastic. Went on the Saturday of the Kentucky Derby. Called ahead about 45 min before we got there, and they put a reservation in for us (2 people). Barely had to wait when we arrived, which was right before the race started. Place was packed, but tables were turning and it was a good mix of folks having dinner and hanging at the bar. Our waitress was very nice - chatty, but not overly so. She didnt shy away from making recommendations (but only after we asked for them), and she was courteous, prompt, and genuinely friendly. All tables were seated, so its not like she was having a slow night. So the service was wonderful, and the food? Superb. We both got filet mignon, cooked to different temps. They were PERFECT. You could practically cut it with a butter knife. The sides were all delicious. I dont remember exactly what we got (it was a couple months ago), but I just know it was all incredibly flavorful. Finally, if youre a drinker, the cocktails are creative and memorable. I recommend the Screaming Viking. The bartenders didnt even mind when we ordered a "specialty" drink with a modification (not always a welcome request). Bar service took a little longer, but was completely reasonable given how busy it was. Worth every penny. Ill definitely be back!

AL

Alise Lovecraft

If I could do no stars, I would. My coworker and I picked up two "big salads" for lunch and were disappointed by how flimsy, unfulfilling and paltry the portion was. They came in a huge box, of which was hardly 1/3 full. My coworkers salad didnt have all of the ingredients listed, was mostly iceberg lettuce, and the steak was cold. The experience went from disappointing to insulting, seeing as this happened after we called them for clarification about how "big" these alleged salads were. We asked if they were big enough to quantify a meal, they assured us that yes, they were huge. My coworker and I arent obese. Im a size 6, shes a size 2, i probably eat less than 1200 calories a day. My salad wouldnt have qualified as a satiating snack. This isnt some subjective complaint about the portions, its false advertising. Downright befuddled as to what we paid for because there couldnt have been more than $1 worth of produce in mine and it was $9. Id recommend the Grill Room if youre a loaded anorexic but if youre on a middle class budget with an average appetite, look for lunch elsewhere.