Stepping into this place is like stepping into an old road-side inn from long-ago. Â 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. Â
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. Â My dad had the homemade beef brisket ravioli and I had the homemade pesto ravioli. Â Mom had the roasted cornish hen, too. Â
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. Â
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. Â 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. Â
Don't expect yessir, black-tie service. Â Don't expect a quick, grab-and-go meal. Â
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. Â I'm a father of 3 kids and I work a lot, probably many people can relate to me. Â I do use Yelp a lot to find good restaurants, or get an idea of a specialty associated with a particular restaurant. Â You do have to sort through a lot of the rants from people who are, frankly, probably never satisfied anywhere they go. Â
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. Â The restaurant I am referring to is Cedar Grill, located in downtown Long Grove. Â The restaurant is owned by Ken and his family, who work together every night. Â 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. Â They had a very nice jazz play-list going that suited the aficionado style drink and food menu. Â 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!) Â As I sat down for my evening meal, I simply asked Ken what he recommends off the menu for food and drink. Â Ken called back to the kitchen and brought the chef out to meet with me personally and put together a recommendation. Â 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. Â 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. Â The Ravioli exceeded my expectations on every level. Â The chef slow cooks the short ribs overnight in a special oven to make sure the tenderness and flavor were perfect. Â On top of the homemade ravioli pasta were caramelized onions, that I learned take 6 hours to prepare correctly. Â 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. Â 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. Â
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. Â
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. Â They have done the hard work for you and found new and exciting whiskeys and beers (among other available drinks - wine, spirits) Â to bring their customers a delightful and broadening experience that is truly enjoyable. Â
Keep in mind this is small family owned restaurant, not a large chain with a staff of 30+ people. Â You'll feel like part of the family when you eat here. Â 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. Â 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. Â 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".
Review Source:Had a <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FRestrauant.com&s=d427ded3b72467cc2d8a1052855a35ac2f5b6fbd7c593a424ebcd11f9266dd11" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://Restrauant.com</a> coupon and decided to check this place out. I travel continuously and I always try to find the "LOCAL" favorite. This small place is right downtown Long Grove. (Behind the Popcorn Shop). When we walked in we were told we could sit anywhere. We sat at the bar, waiter got us drinks and menus right away.we asked about the draft beers they had & he described each one. We ordered New York strip steaks. Mine was medium my friend asked for his somewhere between medium & medium well" both steaks came perfectly. They were tender and seasoned extremely well. As far as price is concerned if you want an $11.00 steak go to Golden Coral. the chief came out of kitchen and spent a lot of time just chatting with us. His first question was how we liked our food. All in all I would go back next time I'm in town.
Review Source:Our visit was May 17, 2013, 6:30 party of four.
From the get go Cedar Grill is amateurish at best.  Even with a reservation and the restaurant not being busy it was almost impossible to be greeted or seated.  Once we were seated on the second  floor (well once we were to told walk upstairs and find a table).   The first table we sat at was broken.  The table top was loose and not safe to use.  We pointed it out and were told to move to another table.  10 mins went by before we were even given water.
Eventually we were given a basket of bread that was basically plopped down on our table with not one word spoken. Â The bread, water were never replenished. Â We each ordered steak and none of our steaks were cooked as ordered and the was delivered luke warm to our table. Â The sides were all luke warm. Â The Mashed garlic potatoes were unsalted, the sauteed button mushrooms were not seasoned. Â The entire meal was bland and the pricey were high.
This place will not be around long and it's ripe for a Ramsey intervention.
With so many choice out there this would be the last place I would recommend.
Poor service, poorly cooked food, cleanliness issues, priced too high.
My wife and I went there for the first time last night, Sat, April 27 2013 because we had purchased a <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FRestaurant.com&s=0aab4cbd731f3d3b0d1453050d3abc56a8c80bd214e25469c7555b750dca8a51" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://Restaurant.com</a> coupon for $10 that gave us a $25 discount. It wasn't worth it even with the discount.
We sat down on the first floor which has a bar that seats maybe 16 and has 2 tables for parties of 4 and three tables for parties of two. We sat for 10 minutes before being approached by staff who brought silverware, menus and the only glass of water you're likely to get.
My wife ordered the Beef Brisket Entrée which comes with 2 sides ($16) and I ordered the Rib-Eye for $35, also with 2 sides included. Neither soup or salad is included at these prices.  After ordering, our server brought 2 dinner rolls which we ate right away as the food order took a long time to get. Then we sat... and sat... and sat. They should have brought more bread in the meantime.
The server brought our food and left. Â I had to get up and walk to the bar to ask for A1 steak sauce. If someone orders a steak, you'd think they'd bring the steak sauce or at least ask if you wanted it. While we ate, I overheard the people at 2 different tables talk to each other about the lack of service, slow service and so-so food.
The server never brought water refills so I had to pour half of my water into my wife's glass and then ration my water during the dinner course like I was in the middle of the Sahara Desert.
The server never came by to refill my soft drink either, but apparently, the young staff didn't have any thirst problem, as we saw them drinking what appeared to be beer behind the bar.
In fairness, my wife enjoyed the brisket which I did taste as well and it was good. The $35 steak had no seasoning whatsoever; the chef apparently just threw it on the char broiler. It was not worthy of a $35 price tag.
When we were given the check, the server didn't ask if we enjoyed our dinner... I guess he's heard enough of that.
The menu is strange and doesn't offer a lot of options. We had trouble picking something we thought we would like.
I would not recommend this place. If you have the discount coupon toss it away.
Maybe the most disgusting restaurant I have ever eaten at...and that is not an exaggeration. Â The food was incredibly over priced for the lack of quality, the glasses and silverware were all dirty, they served well water that smelled funky, they had bread but no butter and the service was just ok, but the final icing on the cake was when we went downstairs to the bar to have an after dinner drink...the owners were wasted and acting belligerent. Â One of them was dressed so sloppy that you could see the crack in his BEHIND! Â GROSS all around. Â I wouldn't send my worst enemy to eat here.
Review Source:Don't do it.
Read the negative reviews about this place, because they are not exaggerating. We read them before we went there and hoped for the best anyhow.
About the service:
We went here for a group party of 15 people. The waitress couldn't even remember the menu. There were 4 options for side dishes that she couldn't recite. I had to tell our other friend the side dishes because she couldn't remember. She couldn't remember the wine list either.
We waited about an hour for our food! They were really stingy about bringing us extra rolls while we waited and waited and waited for our entrees. Then half of us got our food. But it's rude to start eating while other's do not have their food, so most of us waited. The head of our party did not get his dish until about 20 min after everyone else (total wait = 1hr 20 min). So by the time we started eating, the food was cold. The staff should've been prepared since my friend made reservations days in advance!
When they were taking the plates away after we finished, the busboy almost spilled my boyfriend's plate on him! Also at the end of the meal, the waitress was nowhere to be found when we needed water refills. I ended up going around the table to fill up everyone's water!
About the food:
Sloppy presentation and lackluster taste. It looked like someone just haphazardly dropped the food on the plate, said "good enough..." and served it. I had the brisket and it was mostly fat. The price was way too steep for the quality/quantity of food. They did have some nice soft rolls and beer though. I had a beer called St. Feuillien that was pretty good. But the rolls and beer shouldn't have been the best part of the meal.
Actually the best part of the meal was: leaving.
We should have read the previous reviews before coming to this place. Â It has so much potential and I wish it had been a better experience. Â For the amount we paid (nearly $60/person with drinks), I'd expect a lot more. Â It seemed like an amateur operation: items on the menu did not match the online menu, our entrees took FOREVER, the bartender appeared to be the owner's disinterested son, etc. Â This place seriously needs help.
Review Source:Every year the women of my family meet in Long Grove for a day of shopping and lunch. Last year we lunch at this establishment and had a nice lunch. Â The owner actually encountered us on the street and invited us to try his place. Â
Since our experience was good last December we decided to eat here again. After all they accommodated our large group last year so why not go again? Ugh, huge mistake sadly.
They seated us on the second floor again which was great as we were the only ones up there. The owner was our server and proceeds to tell us that due to a large party the night before they are just about out of everything. This perplexed me. they have been in business for A few years. Long Grove is popular this time of year, their lack of planning and food for the next day in unacceptable. Â
I must give her some credit for her running up and down the stairs for about a half an hour trying to figure out what they did have to serve us but almost an hour after arriving we were finally able to order.
Finally lunch arrived. Â Of course most of our meals were not correct or missing an ingredient. I split a cheese burger with my daughter as well as an order of fries which were an extra cost by the way. I also has a side salad, a beer and my daughter had a soda. The burger was cooked so well, it was crispy. The fries were cold and the grilled onions I ordered on the side came when I took my last bite after asking for then two times. Â We were honestly too afraid to ask for corrections or anything additional because the lunch had cut into a great deal of our shopping time! Â
The last straw came when my bill arrived. Again, I will give this women credit for keeping our orders separate for billing purposes but I was shocked to see a cheese burger, fries, side salad, soda and beer cost almost $30. More shocking was the extra charge of $4.50 for the slice of American cheese. Â I paid my bill in disgust and left the lady a tip I guess out of The Christmas spirit in me.
My tip for you, the Cedar Grill may not me the place for you. But if you do decide to go, stop at the Jewel and pick up a 12 pack of American Cheese for $3 and stick it in your purse. You can slap it on your burger and save yourself a few bucks.
Go for beer and onion rings...stay away if you're looking to dine and be served quickly. Â We were very pleased with the beer selections, descriptions and available sampling. Â The onion rings tasted homemade and were crunchy and not overly greasy. However, the food and service is were this place needs help. Â This is mainly due to the husband and wife duo that was running the place when we visited. Â The passive aggressive banter between the two of them would fit right into a Kitchen Nightmares or Restaurant Impossible episode. Â How can a kitchen screw up a burger well the Cedar Grill can. Â Mine came out well done instead of medium rare, the bun was stale/hard and the garnishment of three sliced onions were the size of quarters. Too bad so sad because this small place has potential and charm if ran properly. Â Ramsey...Irvine...please help this couple out!
Review Source:My friends and I visited Long Grove for Octoberfest; the weather did not cooperate that week-end. Â However, we looked around for someplace to have a leisurely lunch and one of the shops recommended that we try Cedar Grill. Â What a pleasant surprise! Â Warm and cozy, the owner and her family treated us to great food, beer (of course), and conversation. Â We ordered brats, which were fresh, not frozen. Â They were to die for. Â I ordered fried calamari for an appetizer, and they were cooked just right. Â The beer was from a local brewery, and quite flavorful. Â It was a just a great way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon.
Review Source:My wife was there last night with friends and had a very poor experience. It began with stale white bread with no butter placed on the table. Â When she tried to order a burger they were out of ground beef. Â Same result when she asked for the pulled pork sandwich. Finally got some tired beef dish where the butternut squash (which she loves) was horrible and the beef was tough and overcooked.
To top it off, they were asked to leave the reserved table they had in the bar and go upstairs because "we're expecting another larger party down here".
Don't waste your money at this place.
My wife and I dined at Cedar Grill last night. The atmosphere was very relaxed and friendly. Contrary to some of the other Yelps on this page, we found the restaurant to be spotless. We thought that the appetizer, salads and main courses were delicious, with generous food portions.The owner engaged in an excellent service technique that you rarely see these days- she actually took time to chat with us personally! We requested a few minor changes to the "standard' offerings on the menu, and the owner accommodated them without a blink. If I owned the restaurant, I would re-consider the classic rock Muzak at dinnertime and offer more dessert selections, but neither of these minor details affect my overall rating.
Review Source:Well... Waiter was unprofessional , food was overpriced, undercooked , very bland. We came around 5.30 pm for dinner. Waitress had to update the menu ( we do not have this and that and so on) . Owner was in the kitchen pouring fat from trays - cleaning something and cooking at the same time . He did not wash his hands at all. Grabbed dirty trays, turned around, grabbed our food, put his dirty fingers on our plates .... After he had done cleaning and cooking he decided to have a  break with a beer while he was on duty. After the first glass of beer he told the waiter-bartender to refill it. Plus there was a dirty and smelly  cleaning RAG  in front of us all the time while we had dinner. Bartender-waitress did not bother to remove it. Place needs to be shut down. Dangerous for public health!!!!!!!!!!
Pictures posted and was removed by YELP:
"We're writing to let you know about our decision to remove your photos of Cedar Grill. Our Support team has determined that they fall outside our Content Guidelines (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/guid">http://www.yelp.com/guid</a>...) because they are not broadly representative of the business."
Ask Yelp,why?? Â They do not like us to show that the owner of the restaurant drinking while on duty or dirty RAG in front of us.. Pictures perfectly and broadly represented CEDAR GRILL.
Long Grove is a nice place to visit , probabaly not what it was years ago and in general a place to take your older parents or as a ladies outing...
My wife and I stopped at the Cedar Grill for lunch frankly because it was next to the parking lot
unless there's an upstairs? its basically a bar with some very small table seating
I would like to say something about the food ... but we didnt get that far
We sat at a table (few tables) that apparently the bathroom was on the other side.
It smelled like well a bathroom at our table and quickly left
Not sure how many restaurants are in Long Grove but it's lacking
Although the food was good, the portions are small for the price. Â We stopped by during Chocolate Fest and were attracted based on the prices. Â $7 for brisket? Â We thought it was worth a try. Â The restaurant upstairs wasn't open when we got there around 4 so we opted for a table in the bar area. Â Well laid out considering the room isn't that large. Â About 5 tables and a good size bar area. Â A couple of us chose the brisket sandwich and the others ordered the pulled pork. Â Both come with cole slaw. I asked about fries and the server suggested a 'bowl' for the table. Â Drinks were good and the server bragged about his chocolate martini. Â It was very good. Â I was a little disappointed in the brisket portion as it didn't even cover the bottom bun of the sandwich. Â It was good but given the lack of meat, it was more bun than brisket. Â BBQ sauce was a good compliment. Â The pulled pork got good reviews although everyone avoided the lingonberry BBQ Sauce. Â Fortunately the server offered to include some of the regular sauce. Â We all laughed at the cole slaw cup as it literally contained three forkfuls at most. Â And the fries hardly were enough for a table of four not to mention they were standard frozen steak fries. Â My suggestion would be to double the meat, double the slaw, include some handcut fries and charge $10.95.
Review Source:this restaurant had three tables when we came in, and we didn't get our meal for an hour and 15 minutes, the appetizer of  grilled calamari was a joke 5 little pieces for 10.00.  The chicken is 1 tiny breast for 18.00 and not good at all.  We talked to the manager and he could care less about satisfying anyone.  Don't go and waste your money .  The average entree is $25.00.  They won't last long.  If you bought a coupon ask for a refund and save your money.
Review Source:One great truth that every restaurant patron knows is that a chef can make or break a restaurant's success. Don't know what happened to Chef Phil who used to be in charge of the menu and the kitchen, but his absence is sorely missed.
Chef Phil's signature homemade soups were an outstanding feature of Cedar Grill, but the soups being served now taste terrible. Loaded with salt and insipid flavors.
Steaks and burgers are rarely cooked to order properly, and the wait time for your entrees to arrive has also been adversely affected.
Until they hire a professional chef again, I would stay away from this place.
All around a bizarre experience. I regretted that I brought a client & friend with their children here. Nutshell: food not as described, cook yelling at the host regarding food (at one point, the cook was yelling and running up the stairs to the 2nd floor dining room),the waiter was not professional or authentically personable- it didn't fit the place. Â I take responsibility for falling for the passionate man about town who ran up to us with flyers talking up the establishment. I wanted him to nail it. Diver scallops on the dinner menu! Divers! I so want places with great beer and sustainable seafood to flourish. The food was ok. Soup very salty but the sandwiches solid. Not on foccaia rolls..as described but solid and in relaxed dining room.
In conclusion, mysteriously someone added12$ to my credit card from this bill. We tipped cash and when doing so, I write cash on the tip lines.
To their credit, a call to the manager after a discrepancy was noticed during my reconcile seems to have cleared it up. The manager stated he credited my card and apologized via text. Still, it's not a blip that asks for return buisness.
Two stars because I do have a soft spot for the UK production of Kitchen Nightmares and it's the closest I have ever gotten to being on the show. We thought Gordon was set to pop out at any moment.
This is a new restaurant. Â I was also lured in by a nice gentleman handing out flyers. Â It worked out wonderfully because it was the day after Thanksgiving and the Long Grove Cafe had a 2 hour wait. Â I walked in and asked if he could handle 12 and to my delight he made it happen. Â We ate on the 2nd floor with adults and 4kids ages 6-11. Â We had a great time. Â Service was definitely slow but, it was crowded and the restaurant was very new so we were not bothered and thrilled that someone could accommodate a group of 12 immediately with no reservation. Â Having kids with us we really enjoyed the battery candles. Â To be honest I did not notice until I grabbed my kids hand thinking he was about to burn himself. Â The food was like a nice, upscale bar food. Â I loved the onion rings! Â The menu is limited (one page) which is common for upscale bar food. Â We really enjoyed all the food and were very happy with our experience. Â The restaurant is rather dark which I really liked. Â Very relaxing after all that shopping. Â Can't wait to go again. Â BTW, bathrooms are on the first floor. Â They were very clean.
Review Source:This is a rather newly opened restaurant. The host of the restaurant was out and about town drumming up business for the restaurant just before lunch. He was nice and personable so we decided to give them a try. the restaurant is a nice experience, yes the dining room is upstairs. But this is not too much of a problem if you are even in marginal shape. after all you have to walk around the town of Long Grove if you want to shop. all of the food was delivered to the upstairs via its own stair case. So I'm not sure what the one star review here was talking about. We ordered our food and it arrived in a timely manner. The appetizer we ordered was the shrimp with bread crumbs wow it was good. The shrimp was very fresh. I ordered an Angus burger and added cheese, I was given the choice of American, Swiss, Cheddar, or Blue cheese. I chose the American and I like my burgers well done. It came well done and yet still juicy, there was lettuce, tomato, onion and dill pickle on the side which allowed me to pick what I wanted on the burger. over all the experience was quite nice. The restaurant is located behind the popcorn shop but is worth the stop if you like a nice intimate place to eat while shopping in Long Grove.
Review Source:The Cedar Grill serves contemporary American cuisine in a relaxed, casual, rustic atmosphere. Â The entire restaurant, from floor to ceiling, and walls, is pure cedar wood. Â The atmosphere is cozy, casual and can be romantic (candles are battery-operated which is rather tacky). Â
The first level has a full service bar and table seating for about 12 people. Â The main dining room, however, is on the second floor. Â The single-stall restrooms are on the first floor, near the entrance/exit door, downstairs. Â If you have young children, who have to use the facilities often, you may want to consider a table on the first floor.
We live in the City, but we always go to Long Grove, IL one or two weeks before Christmas -- it's a family tradition -- one could say.  We arrived at 11:30 a.m., and had just started walking a short distance.  We were lured into the restaurant in a most unusual way.  A gentleman walked up to us and said "If you are looking for a place to have a nice lunch with great food, please try us.  We  just opened up a new restaurant two months ago."  He handed us a mini-menu right on the spot and pointed to the restaurant (which we had just walked by).  Coincidentally, we were looking for a place to grab lunch.  We decided to give it a "go" and take a chance!
My niece ordered the chicken breast sandwich which was served on a homemade foccaccia bun, crisp lettuce and organic tomatoes, plus their delectable basil mayonnaise and a choice of fries or the vegetable of the day -- she opted for the vegetable of the day which consisted of zucchini and squash -- perfectly prepared in a buttery olive oil with a nice crunch. Â She said it was very flavorful, tender and juicy. Â Her meal was very filling. Â The cost: Â Under $10 -- Â Per my niece, she gives this sandwich 4 stars.
I ordered the Angus burger, but had to pay an extra $1.95 for the sharp cheddar cheese. Â I decided to order the beer-battered onion rings. Â They were piled high on the plate -- tons of them -- but I only had room for four onion rings. Â The food arrived within 10-minutes of ordering -- nice and hot (not lukewarm). Â I only wish that they had a 6-oz. burger versus an 8-oz. (too much for me). Â The burger was tender and juicy, but it lacked flavor. Â Using McCormick's Steak seasoning would enhance the flavor of the meat. Â Otherwise, it was just okay. Â I give my over all meal 3 stars.
SERVICE: Â 5 stars
We had time to enjoy our hot tea while waiting for our food to arrive. Â The tea is high quality (Stash teas). Â Our Server was not over-bearing, but extremely attentive to our needs. Â She was friendly, personable, excellent, and anticipated our every need (from refilling our hot water to bringing us extra honey and refilling our tea basket to refilling our cold water glasses -- even bringing us extra napkins). Â She was very knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and happy to be there. Â We also observed that she demonstrated the same courtesy and outstanding service to all of her customers. Â She made us feel very welcomed and special. Â We were thankful to have an experienced, professional, seasoned Server.
DESSERT: Â We ordered the bread pudding, because our server said it was "the best" dessert in the house! Â It was truly the bomb -- triple props to our server for recommending the bread pudding -- it was off-the-chart delectable. Â I give the bread pudding dessert a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10! Â We would go back again for the bread pudding -- it was sinfully sensational -- excellent, outstanding, above-average. Â We are very glad that our server recommended it to us.
We were told this place was recently remodeled and under new management. Too bad because the Cedar Grill  was probably one of the worst dining experiences in memory.  Who knew that a simple stop for lunch would turn into a two hour ordeal?
Let's break it down.
- The dining room is on the second floor. Be prepared to climb a steep, crowded stair case...try not to get hit by trays of food.The dining room is dark due to subpar lighting fixtures and dark cedar plank walls. The lack of soft surfaces means sound bounces around so the room is very noisy. If you are in a wheelchair or have trouble with stairs, this is not the place for you.
- The kitchen is on the first floor so rays are carried up the front staircase past coughing patrons and sneezing kids. Plates are not covered so food arrives cold to the touch....and, I would imagine, germy.
-Wait staff appears to be completely disorganized. The restaurant was not busy yet it took 30 minutes just to get drinks (soda [flat]) and onion rings. Entrees arrived 45 minutes later. Cold. To add insult to injury, we had to hunt down the waitress to get the bill. We watched as the wait staff mess up one order after another or delivered food to the wrong table.
-Menu is heavy foods. Oddly enough, no one knew what was the soup the day.
- Onion rings arrived cold and fused into a solid, greasy mass. This order must have been sitting int he kitchen for quite a while befoer it was brought upstairs. Lackluster ranch dressing might have started in the cup but was splashed all over the plate.
- Steak sandwich at $13.95 is overpriced. Chewy meat on a plain bun with cold steak fries.
- Angus burger ($9.95) was a charred puck of meat. Again, served slightly warm.
- Mixed green salad contained spinach oddly enough. Chicken breast was rubbery.
Should I have sent the food back? Yes. After almost  90 minutes I just wanted to get some food into my elderly parents. I suggest you avoid the Cedar Grill.
Stopped in at the Cedar Grill, a new find in Long Grove. Our server was knowledgeable of the wine list & made good recommendations. The bruschetta was the BEST I have had in a very long time. Fresh tomatoes & basil. Full of wonderful flavors! I hope this business does well & would highly recommend it. Good luck to this new business in town!
Review Source:Today we visited the Cedar Grill in Long Grove for lunch, and were pleasantly surprised. Â We ordered the onion rings, chicken sandwich, and Angus burger -- and they were all GREAT! Â The upstairs was a little dark and the lighting could be improved, and it would have been nice to have a "lighter" lunch option such as a turkey club sandwich or a larger salad selection, maybe even a soup & salad combo. Â However, all in all the food was great, and we would definitely stop in again.
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