Cedar Grill

Stepping into this place is like stepping into an old road-side inn from long-ago.  You feel like a pilgrim on a horse-drawn journey, stopping at the inn for delicious, home-cooked food and a great beer.

The service is familial, friendly and definitely casual (emphasis on casual!), but the food is high end. My parents discovered this place and enticed my boyfriend and me here with tales of unique and delicious craft beers on tap.  

My boyfriend said his roasted cornish hen with a side of mixed wild mushrooms was the best meal he has ever had in his life.  My dad had the homemade beef brisket ravioli and I had the homemade pesto ravioli.  Mom had the roasted cornish hen, too.  

We also enjoyed the Kwak beer served in a saddle glass (it comes with a good story - ask one of the owners to tell you about it), the Belgium trippel, the extra fizzy witte and a kolsch golden ale.  

They make everything from scratch each day, so if the chef (the owners' son) doesn't have enough time to make the mashed potatoes or the lobster ravioli before customers start rolling in, it won't be available.  To me, that's the ultimate sign of fresh, made-from-scratch food.

The food might take awhile to come out, so use it as an excuse to try another one of their excellent beers and swap stories with one of the gracious owners.  

Don't expect yessir, black-tie service.  Don't expect a quick, grab-and-go meal.  

Expect to be treated like an old friend, expect great food (maybe the best meal of your life), expect a cold, fizzy beer with a good story.

I don't write a lot of reviews, because frankly I am busy.  I'm a father of 3 kids and I work a lot, probably many people can relate to me.  I do use Yelp a lot to find good restaurants, or get an idea of a specialty associated with a particular restaurant.  You do have to sort through a lot of the rants from people who are, frankly, probably never satisfied anywhere they go.  

But in this instance, I felt the need to write a review because I received what I would describe as a truly exceptional experience at a local restaurant.  The restaurant I am referring to is Cedar Grill, located in downtown Long Grove.  The restaurant is owned by Ken and his family, who work together every night.  Quick non sequitur - What a lucky guy Ken is to spend so much time with his family, I wish I could do the same - I can tell they are a hard working group.

When I walked in the door, I immediately felt the stress of a long work week wash away as I took in the rustic ambiance of the fantastic old barn style building that Cedar Grill occupies.  They had a very nice jazz play-list going that suited the aficionado style drink and food menu.  I learned, to my surprise and benefit, that Cedar Grill makes everything on premise, except for the french fries (perhaps an opportunity for future innovation!)  As I sat down for my evening meal, I simply asked Ken what he recommends off the menu for food and drink.  Ken called back to the kitchen and brought the chef out to meet with me personally and put together a recommendation.  The chef asked about my favorite drinks and foods, and then he selected a Balcones Texas Single Malt Scotch to pair with an order of homemade Beef Short Ribs Ravioli in Marinara Sauce.  The scotch, which isn't available in local stores, and made in small batches by an up and coming distiller in Texas, was perfect - cask strength with great flavor, not smoky.  The Ravioli exceeded my expectations on every level.  The chef slow cooks the short ribs overnight in a special oven to make sure the tenderness and flavor were perfect.  On top of the homemade ravioli pasta were caramelized onions, that I learned take 6 hours to prepare correctly.  The chef came out to check on my meal, and after I heaped much praise on him, he told me about the process he uses to make home made rustic marina sauce.  It was fantastic - nice chunks of tomatoes and even celery were in the sauce, not enough to distract you but just enough to let you know they are present and should be appreciated/recognized for their contribution to overall flavor.  

To wash down my meal, the chef selected a Tripel Karmelier Beer, which I learned is a Belgium style trapist ale - the subtle floral sweetness was the perfect after-dinner aperitif to send me home thoroughly relaxed and content with my choice to stop by and visit Cedar Grill.  

I recommend this restaurant to anyone who appreciates a restaurant which has taken the time to pare down their offerings to what they feel are truly the best experiences for their customers.  They have done the hard work for you and found new and exciting whiskeys and beers (among other available drinks - wine, spirits)  to bring their customers a delightful and broadening experience that is truly enjoyable.  

Keep in mind this is small family owned restaurant, not a large chain with a staff of 30+ people.  You'll feel like part of the family when you eat here.  In reading some of the other reviews, I don't think Cedar Grill is the place you want to go if you are expecting service like you get at Cheesecake Factory, where they are just interested in turning over your table as quickly as they can.  Cedar Grill is a small operation that will reward you with a great aficionado experience, if you can let yourself unplug from the hectic day-to-day of the bustling outside world.  Come to Cedar Grill with a desire to relax and enjoy yourself, and you will do exactly that - and be pleasantly surprised by a truly delicious meal.

Enjoy!

We ordered a couple of pulled pork sandwiches and beef brisket..... Someone else will have to tell me how they taste..... Waited 1 1/2 hours and NOTHING!!!! Not even a "sorry for the wait, may we offer you something on the house". The tall fat SWEATY waiter kept looking at us, but all he could muster up was a smile. The final straw was a large table who came in a 1/2 hour after us and got their food first. I would hate to say that this was a racial episode, but..... We are Hispanic, noticeably, the other table was a white family, noticeably. The smile the SWEATY waiter gave me, as we sat, may have said it all. Finally, my 3 yr old yelled "why is our food taking so long"?? He was loud, it was funny, and he wasnt the only one who noticed im sure. So as we got up from our table, after drinking our water and sipping on the soda, our original "waiter" saw us leaving and said nothing. I wanna give him the benefit of the doubt, and say he did not remember us, as he surely forgot about us, but.... There were only 3 tables being served. More evidence???!! Hmmmm!!!!!??? This was our first time in long grove, seems nice..... "SEEMS".