UPDATE!
So sad to report their waitstaff has dropped off terribly. Â We went last night and there were 3 tables occupied outside and 4 inside. Â We saw 4 waiters, one "manager" a bartender and a busgirl. Â After sitting for over 15minutes we gave up and left. We sat for 10 minutes waiting to get someone to wait on us, then he didn't know what wine to get us -HELLO- this is a WINE, yes WINE bar! Â So he walked away and mumbled something while we waited another 6-7 minutes. So we got up and left. Went to PaneVino on Stacy in Allen. It's our favorite, and we always get Mike to wait on us. He more than made up for the fiasco at Cru. So my rating of Cru has dropped to the bottom star. Cru, get it together. Your manager was on his cell phone talking away behind the bar, 3 waiters stood at the end of the bar huddled together looking frightened. So sad, because I like their food. But I am not spending our money to be ignored. The staff at Cru needs to know that their customers are what keeps them open and should never be kept waiting the way we were.
Really enjoyed my dinner and wine here on a Saturday night out with my wife. Great atmosphere to be sitting at the patio overlooking the river area that is central to the Watters Creek shopping area.
They had a delicious Lamb special and the waiter was happy and able to recommend a couple of good wine pairings after we each started with a wine flight.
For anybody that likes to break the habit of eating at chain restaurants, this is a perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine or sit down for a relaxed dinner. We'll definitely be back again when the concerts start in the middle of April. Because if you add a bit of live music to this terrace setting, the atmosphere can't be beat.
So I am back in the Dallas area after an 8 year hiatus. During said 8 year hiatus I lived in San Diego and became a wino. Working at a winery, living in California..go figure. Anywho My husband and I needed to get out of the house after the insaneness of moving and I yelped wine bars. Unfortunately there seems to be a lack of wine bars in the McKinney area, as in one, which I do not understand because how are all the full time moms/housewives living without them?! I digress we are pretty far north and if I wasn't so against drinking and driving I might actually go down town to try more places but we are where we are. Back to the point. We made a reservation at Cru for 7:15 on a Saturday night. It's located in the middle of a little shopping area (can't remember the name sorry), like right in the middle because it took us a while to find it. It was a little wierd because it seems like the front door is facing the back of the building but, after a quick turnaround, we figured out and got inside. The manager greeted and sat us right away, he was very personable and told us to leave room for dessert because he was going to send one over (score!). I love the ambiance in there. It was exactly what I was looking for. Warm and fun. Not to quiet and not to loud. Very comfortable temperature (I am always cold). It was nice to be able to take off my jacket and show off my dress instead of leaving it on a shivering, as I have done at restaurants in the past. Our waiter was attentive but I had to take a star off because I felt he was a little rushed and talked down to me about my wine choices and another star off because the flight pours were very small  in comparison to some I have had. I ordered the Chef's pick cheese flight which I loved. It came with a housemade fig jam (delicious!) and apples and pears. My husband started with the tomato soup with came with a small panini. He was unimpressed by the soup and I didn't even try it because it looked like a chunky marinara. We then ordered the Ahi Tuna plate which was nice but I was a little disappointed as there was not much tuna in it. It seemed to be mostly tomato's, which tasted nice but definitely seemed like a filler for having less tuna. We sat around for little bit after that waiting for aforementioned dessert but sadly it never came and we were running late for a movie. If I had known it wasn't going to be sent I would have went ahead and ordered the Creme Brulee because, well, its Creme Brulee....Overall we had a good time and would return
Review Source:The Cru in Allen has Happy Hour! Â Yes it does! Â The location in Plano does not have Happy Hour. Â They do have an array of appetizers to pair with your wine selection. Â I love the mussels, dumplings, and margarita pizza! Â You can't go wrong with your choices though. Â The HH appetizer size is small so ask them how many pieces comes to the order if you are expecting more then just order the regular sized item and that may be a better deal. Â They do have my favorite Riesling Dr. Pauly there so that is a bonus for me. Â The environment is dim lightings not too loud so you can hear each other speak. Â You can sit outside on the patio on a nice day which makes it perfect for a HH get together! Â Cheers!
Review Source:I was really feeling Cru when I last went. Â It was during the end of the summer concert series on a Thursday. Â My friend and I sat outside and enjoyed the live music as the sun set. Â Thursday, incidentally, are half off bottles of champagne...oh pardon me - "sparkling wine!" So we definitely enjoyed our evening. Â I had the pear and gorgonzola pizza, which was light and delicious - just my size too. Â My friend had the fruit and cheese sampler, which was adorable and delectable!
The service we had here was a lot better than the location at the Shops at Legacy - our waiter was very attentive and quite professional. Â We didn't have a chance to try any wine, but the ambiance was great and I would love to take advantage of their happy hours on a future visit!
If loving Cru is wrong - then I don't want to be right. Â
Yep, I'm talking about "Cru` a Wine Bar" at Watter's Creek.
Cru in general is a great place if you're into wine, but Watter's Creek Cru is simply the best.
I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this place. If you are into wine, even to the slightest, you gotta check this place out. Cru` is the Disney World of the wine world - seriously!
Offering a menu of flights that encompasses whites, reds, desserts, bubbles - with food to match, I might add - this place is my home-away-from-home. It's very cozy and perfect for a night of wine exploration.
I have never had a bad glass of wine there. The flight menus are changed out every week, switching it up and allowing you to try (for instance) the bubbly flight three weeks in a row and rarely have a repeat of a wine from the flight before.
And, talk about obscure varietals by the glass... If that floats your boat you will definitely dig this place, I mean, who doesn't want a little Agiorgitiko now and then just to keep your palate fresh?
The food is amazing - always. Period. Further comment is not necessary.
The service is solicitous - yet not hovering, helpful - yet not know-it-all. Friendly and welcoming would be the catch-phrase for Cru`at Watter's Creek. Mostly, IMHO, due to the general manager - Steve Orozco.
Steve is a Master Sommelier and has been in the wine business all of his life - literally. Steve's father, Victor, Â is also a MS and is well-known in various wine-producing regions of Europe. The apple didn't fall far from the tree - or in this case, the grape didn't fall far from the vine. If Steve is on-premise at Cru` Watter's Creek, you're in for a spectacular wine experience. Trust me.
So, if you have a free afternoon, or evening, stop by and prepare to be dazzled. I was.
Before I start this review I must point out a few things. First, if you look at my other reviews you will see mostly 4's and 5's. This is partially due to the fact that I don't like writing negative reviews. If I'm not excited about the place I just don't feel like writing about it. I know that I should change this and I am working on it ;). Also since I do research many of the places that I go to, I usually know what to expect. Therefore i don't go to many places that have poor reviews.
On to Cru'... Went there today for an early dinner with my girlfriend. We are always driving by or walking by the Cru' downtown and the one in Allen so we decided to give the one in Allen a try. The chef's pick cheese platter was great. Loved the assortment of cheeses! Along with the cheese we ordered two flights. I had the sexy reds and my girlfriend ordered one of the white flights. I have to admit that my wine palate is not the most sophisticated but only one of the 'sexy' reds appealed to me. The San Simeon Petite Sirah '05 from Paso Robles wasn't bad. I did note a hint of cow pasture in the nose but the finish was nice ;).
On to the food. We ordered the Lamb chop lolly pops and the petite fillet. The Lamb Chops were good. They were about what was expected but the fillet was a bit tougher than I expected. It was cooked medium rare as I asked and it was prepared wonderfully. I do think, however , that the issue was with the cut of meat. My girlfriend is a notorious carnivore. I gave her a couple of slices of the fillet, she took a bite and promptly returned them to their former position on my plate! At that moment I could have sworn that I saw a pig jump out of a silver BMW, sprout wings and fly away!
All of this being said, the atmosphere was quite nice. Also the service was very good as well. Our waiter was very attentive and prompt. It pains me a bit to do this but I have to give Cru' "A Wine Bar" in Allen 2 stars. I started to give it 3 but that would mean some sort of virtual thumbs up. Due to the amount of money we spent and the lack of pleasure we received from our flights and the meal, 2 stars is it!
If you know your wines and love cheese then by all means give Cru' a shot. I may give the one in the West Village a try in the future but it will be a wine and cheese only trip.
Went here on a work function. Â No idea who picked it, but it wasn't great...especially if you're not into wine. Â I understand that you're a wine bar, and that is your main focus, but the beer choices were pretty much Miller Lite or Bud Lite...and that's it. Â At least have a small stock of micro brews or something. Â I feel like this place mostly caters to middle-aged women (no offense ladies...but it's true). Â The sax/keyboard player they had for happy hour was bustin' out all the 80's soft rock hits...and more than happy to walk around the place singing to every table which can be awkward if you're not paying him any attention.
Just not my style.
I love the mood of this place, mellow, chilled and upscale.
I'm really into my wine, and it's nice to be greeted by a staff that knows their grapes. Â I've dined at Cru in the past and the food was great.
The flights have always been great tasting wines that work their way up the cost range from moderate to expensive. Â I've left a few times with a "to-buy" list of reds that just "rocked the house".
My wife and I ordered a Pizza here once along with a bottle of Obsidian Ridge Cabernet, the two together created tiny teardrops of satisfaction in my eyes.
Whether I'm stopping by for a few glasses or sitting to eat, the experience is pretty consistent.
Cru has always been a place for wine...it's a wine bar right, so dinner always came elsewhere. Â Well recently we decided to stay for dinner. Â This location is consistent with the others around Dallas; small tables, wall full of wine, flickering candles and cozy atmosphere. Â There is also a large room just off the bar for private dinners. Â
Friday night was especially busy because at Watters Creek they have live music in the park that the restaurants surround. Â However, we were seated right away. Â Since it was a nice evening the large doors were opened to let in the cool breeze and music. Â Our server, Chris, was sacked and it wasn't his fault...it was apparent the restaurant was understaffed. Â Our server was running all night long but took pretty good care of us. Â For starters the mussels were ordered and the servers opinion was that they were the best in Dallas, and they were definitely up there with its white wine tomato broth and plenty of mussels. Â It came with a small baguette to soak up all the goodness on the bottom. Â For dinner Mrs. H ordered the scallops with spinach risotto. Â The scallops were cooked perfectly and the spinach risotto was as well, with a wonderful creamy richness. Â I ordered up the pear and Gorgonzola pizza which was a very fresh tasting pizza. Â We topped off dinner with the cranberry white chocolate bread pudding...holly mother of all things that don't suck...this dessert was awesome! Â The bread pudding was moist and had a perfect balance of cranberry and white chocolate. Â A touch of creme anglaise and a small side a vanilla bean ice cream made it that much better. Â
Being at Cru of course we had our wine throughout dinner and the selection was good as always, but this night we were here for the food. Â Despite Cru being understaffed that evening we really enjoyed ourselves. Â The best part of food menu is that the prices were much less than other restaurants would charge, unlike...it truly is a great value. Â $19 for rack of lamb, $22 for jumbo scallops or a few more bucks for a sear fillet. Â
Despite the lack of service, we still had a great time, and were suprised by the value in their dinner menu. Â Wine bars can be seen as a place where you'll expect to pay a little more, and Cru does get a premium for their wine, but the reel you back in with their dinner menu. Â For those looking for a cocktail rather than wine, they only serve beer and wine.
Our friends brought us here for brunch just this pass Sunday. I was impressed :) Everything about this place made me feel cool 'n dainty. I'm not used to eating at places such as this (I enjoy typical hole-in-the-wall hamburger, taqueria places). Cru just made me feel fancy in a casual sort of way! I ordered the tomato basil soup with grilled cheese sammich. For the portions they served me, I really filled up but not to the point of explosion. And WHOA, the soup and sandwich was really fresh and nommylicious! I can't remember what everyone else had, I just know we all cleared our plates. After the awesome meal, we finished it off with an American Cheese Flight. It was new and interesting, and unfortunately, I only liked the cheddar. One cheese tasted like paint thinner, but I guess I'm just not knowledgeable enough in cheeses to know any better.
All in all, it was a great dining experience and I'm definitely heading back!
This is an amazing new wine bar in the new watters-creek in Allen. The cheese flights, wine selection and their great port wines are all top notch.
Their wait staff are all very knowledgeable on their vast wines selection. They can help you on any selection and pairing. Great ambiance here, my only grip is on the weekends their is live music going on in front of the location on the lawn.
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