We went to The Grill Room to celebrate our son's birthday last night. it was the worst service I have had in a long time. And the food was only average..
To recap the service:
*We ordered sparkling water, brought still
*Ordered salads, the waitress never brought them, and acted like she had no idea what we were talking about
*Our server was spacey and not available throughout the entire meal
*Brought steaks with no steak knives - had to ask a staff member for steak knives
*Did not even acknowledge when we told her the creme brule was burnt
To Recap the food:
*The creme brule was burnt to a crisp on the top - tasted burnt
*Have had better food at many restaturants
With all the great choices of restaurants in Portland - I will bot be back.
Our experience started out a little rough but was pleased by the final outcome.
Called earlier in the day to get a reservation for (4) that evening at 7. Pretty much prime time in this neck of the woods but figured it was a Wednesday so we should be good to go. Â I was greeted on the phone by an answering machine that wanted me to leave my info and time I wanted to reserve and then they would call back to confirm. Â Several hours went by and I got caught up with work and didn't realize it was close to 5. Â Called in and was greeted by a hostess who couldn't explain why I never got a call back. Â Explained what I would like and as you can imagine the open times were not even close, 5:15 or 8:45. I pushed a little harder and she was able to work 7:45 in. Â Pretty great full at this point but disappointed wondering if I could have received better if I would have had a return call.
Anyways, got in and seated. Â We had two vouchers and our friends had a voucher as well. Â Waitress kindly indicated we can only use one per table even if we have two checks going. Â I wasn't so happy as the main reason we were here and bought the vouchers was to be able to treat our friends. Â
Manager arrives and gives me the low down on the owners take and offers a free round of drinks to make up for it. Â Pleased with the results, the rest of the night went very well. Â Great food as always, and the atmosphere is top notch. Â Applause to the waitress and manager making things right. We will return.
With so many other great restaurant choices in Portland, why choose Grill Room? Â
We chose Grill Room for a celebratory meal with my family based on their high ratings-- many of which they surely deserve. Â But unfortunately our evening was marred by our mistreatment by restaurant ownership/management which deserves the lowest of ratings and why we will never return.
And apparently we're not alone as just read this article about the ownership of this restaurant and seems many others, customers and staff alike, have had to endure the same: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebollard.com%2F2013%2F07%2F01%2Fsatans-sous-chef%2F&s=f5f1988f6f55da3d25dc4994145c23437a43ba76f2a7247ef84c2167115421f6" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://thebollard.com/20…</a>  A must read if you're considering dining here.
My entree was the source of contention as the kitchen had botched my order-- no two ways about it as everyone around me and even the server (who was great!) agreed. Â I sent it back as anyone would. Â Around 20-25 minutes later, my new entree came out and it was great. Â By the point, of course the whole evening was thrown off as everyone else had finished their food by the time my order came back out. Â To compensate, one would surely expect SOMETHING would be done to compensate: complimentary dessert, removing the entree charge, a round of drinks-- heck, even a drink. Â Alas, nothing. Â Even the waiter was surprised. Â I asked if there was something that could be done-- the waiter asked and returned and I was told there was nothing.
Here's where it got interesting: I seldom escalate something like this, but felt it was necessary here especially when you're paying for such a pricey meal at an esteemed restaurant. Â I asked to speak the manager, which took a number of people to get to her (apparently she's well-guarded). Â I ended up getting the owners' wife, who was running point for the evening. Â And she came out steaming in an expletive-ridden tirade directed at me. "I'm not going to f---ing comp anything!" were her first words. Â Keep in mind, I had not met her or had any interaction with her at this point and this was her greeting. I tried to introduce myself and greet her, but she wanted none of that. Â After some back and forth, I continued to keep my cool but neither of us were budging, she eventually walked off on me as I was mid-sentence. Â Never had that happen to me, let alone at a restaurant like this. Â Eventually I was offered $5 off-- felt like a slap in the face.
As I was walking away, at least three different servers, including our own, came up to me and thanked me for standing up to her-- or at least at my failed attempt. Â They apologized and seemed to have experienced this behavior before. Â So hard for me to understand how and why they would want to work for someone like that-- though I give them all the credit in the world for their fortitude.
Again, I ask: with so many other great choices in Portland, why support Grill Room and their ownership?
Had dinner two nights in a row at the Grill Room on a recent visit to Portland.
The space has an urban feel...high ceilings, brick walls, open kitchen, very busy and great music.
Had steak the first night, but returned for swordfish the second night and were seated at the chef's bar, directly overlooking the kitchen, which was a really fun experience.
The food is excellent and our server, Kristine (with a K) was super sweet and made the evening very enjoyable.
Highly recommended.....reservations a must!
Based on the food alone, The Grill Room & Bar is a high 4-star restaurant. However, our experience was only 3 stars. The staff was very friendly and allowed us to bring our large dog to the outside seating area where he was promptly greeted with a bowl of water. The fried oyster appetizer was amazing, both of our entrees were great (swordfish with pork risotto and scallops with mushroom risotto) and the lobster mashed potatoes were excellent. Our server was very knowledgable about beer and gave me a great recommendation.
The only reason that is review is not higher is because of the wait between the appetizer and receiving our entrees which was close to an hour. The waiter apologized after a very long wait, but it still took an additional 20 minutes after that to get our food. While the food was amazing, the wait soured the experience somewhat. I would have no reservation going back as I assume that this is not the norm.
Came here with a group of friends. Â Split the porterhouse with a buddy and everyone else had duck breast or steak.
Food was fine. Â It was prepared well. Â I liked the horseradish sauce with the steak. Â Lobster mashed potatoes were very good. Â Cottage fries and spinach were fine. Service was friendly.
It took an hour to get the food. Â It was later on a Saturday night and even though it was full when we got there, the tables were empty when we left. Â I guess it's just we were so hungry and it took almost an hour after we ordered to get the food that I wasn't impressed. Â
If you're not in a hurry or if you're not starving, you'll probably like it better.
My husband and I stopped in to the Grill Room last night for dinner but without a reservation. Â We were able to get seats at the bar (barely) and eat there rather than wait for a table. Â We had a great time and will definitely go back.
For starters, we had the steak tartare and escargot. Â Often I find steak tartare served too cold and under-seasoned. Â This one was great, served at a good temperature with an olive tapenade providing the necessary saltiness. Â The escargot was okay. Â The grilled bread and garlic butter were delicious. Â We followed this up with a wood-grilled romaine salad with shrimp, bacon lardons and a creamy jalapeno dressing. Â It was one of my favorite dishes on the night. Â The shrimp were cooked perfectly and were flavorful; the combination of the smoky charred lettuce, bacon and dressing were perfectly balanced and outstanding.
For the entree, we split the hangar steak accompanied by the truffled creamed spinach and potatoes au gratin. Â The hangar steak was perfectly cooked (so great to be able to get meat cooked to the correct temp) and tender. Â The potatoes were very tasty. Â But the creamed spinach was the star of the night for me. Â I am immediately addicted and want to know how it was made. Â The dish was served with cheese on top that, when broiled, crisped some of the spinach on top adding an earthy, nutty note that I loved. Â The spinach was not swimming in a creamy sauce, instead it was this cohesive mesh of flavors. Â Just wonderful!
My only criticism would be perhaps with the service. Â The bartender was great in that she really hustled and was friendly. Â However, I really felt she could have used more help in order to provide more attentive, timely service. Â She did a great job and I don't blame her for the waits we experienced. Â Just felt that more help was needed.
Overall, a really good experience that I hope to repeat someday soon.
Epic fail....first time we went two months ago it was ok. Last night it was horrible. First we came early and I walked past the dining room on my way to the men's room. Wow all the prep food was out on tables, not bad but, hamburgers cooked hours before.....really! Bread and oil dip have to owners tried it? Pizza crust was that dough? My duck liver app was undercooked and a mouthful of greasy taste. To bad that's why we bought the living social coupon to come back. Wife's flank steak or whatever it was called raw, little and plate covered with 3/4 fries and salted to hell to make you buy more booze. Oh yes SALT I guess since your near the ocean everything get really over salted. All I can say if you want liquor have fun. Owners have to may places they can't manage.
Review Source:On Thursday evening 3 of us dropped in on the Grill Room and were seated with a great view of the kitchen and the wood-fired oven. The chef/owner, Harding Lee Smith, was at the counter checking every dish coming out of the kitchen.
The wood-fired oven cooked Duck Pizza was outstanding. I'd go back for this pizza & a beer and be happy, happy.
The focaccia, served with olive oil, was the best I've had in years. It was tender with a beautiful open crumb and oh so flavorful.
The dining kept getting better with the entrees. The Chef designed a menu with paired combinations that reall work together. The menu also has a unique a la carte feature that let's you design your own meal.
The skirt steak was perfectly seasoned and on the money at medium-rare. The petite sirloin was the same - perfect. I had the Cornish Game Hen and was blown away! It was so tender, moist and flavorful and the skin - perfect!
Our server, Marilyn, was so smooth and helpful in making our first visit to the Grill Room. It's so nice to see a staff that's well trained and enjoys their work.
We'll be back and will try other menu items. Thank you Chef and your staff.
Yes, it's painful to pay a hefty price for an inferior meal, even if it's partly your own fault. Â I gave the Grill Room one of those two stars because we were dopes.
Yearning for steak in a meat-challenged town, my friend and I entered the cozy  Grill Room to the smell of roasted protein and a welcoming hostess.
Confident, we attacked the menu. Although our charming waitress watched us vacillating over the choice of steaks, she offered no guidance. Â Seasoned travelers and restaurant-wise in our own eyes, we didn't know what we didn't know. And we sure didn't know what a "petite sirloin" was. Our smiling server just stood there smiling, while we made several obviously ignorant statements. Any of them were sufficiently confused for a professional waiter to have intervened. (No, we didn't ask her help directly, hence my second star).
We discussed sharing a large sirloin which would have been the proper choice, but we ended up ordering two 9oz "petite sirloins" .... my friend having called it aloud, a "petite filet". Â I, too, was confused. Â I thought a "petite sirloin" was a smaller 9 oz. sirloin cut from a large sirloin. It made sense to me, since ordering it rare as I did, Â necessitates a thickness of more than 1/3 of an inch ( the thickness of the two arriving cuts of meat that appeared on our plates). In addition to the confusion about the cut itself (WHAT WAS THAT?) the plate was filled with a pancake thin piece of gristled, flavorless, overcooked, and cold meat accompanied by a Bearnaise sauce that tasted like it had never met an herb. Â
My friend protested bitterly and multiple times. She's good at that. I backed her up in a more docile manner, but neither of us demanded a new steak and nothing was offered... nor our check adjusted. I even left 17 pieces of gristle prominently displayed on the plate, waiting for some form of recognition of the misery of our experience.  We had watched the charming young waiter talking animatedly to the chef, who glared at her  furiously. Twice !  Could this cut of meat be an issue the management doesn't want to deal with?
Finally, after more plaintive whining, came the answer to the question we didn't think to ask: : What IS this mysterious and tough, unsavory piece of meat on our plates anyway?  It's a steak we never even knew existed . The waitress finally informed us that a "petite sirloin" is a thick sirloin that the prep cooks have actually CUT HORIZONTALLY into two thin pieces. WHAT?  Yeah, we have never even gazed at such a thin-cut in the grocery stores so we didn't know of this inventive way to massacre a decent piece of meat (and almost double your profit). What  restaurant would create an inferior piece of meat that none of the real steak houses have on their menu (yes, I researched it). The Grill Room did ! Â
Was there redemption for this meal? Great Cesar salad ! The fries were highly seasoned and tasty, but they were dried out and seriously over-the-top in serving size.  I'm all for generosity, but this was just plain wasteful. Two people don't need enough fries to feed a party of six.  And the crème Brule  was fantastic, although it wasn't crème Brule. I don't know what it was, but it was a delicious custard. I guess many combinations of eggs, vanilla, sugar and milk (it was too watery to have been made with cream) can work.
Too many restaurants for me to go back to the Grill Room unless there's some uber reason for it. Like a party where someone else is paying. Â The Corner Room and the Front Room, however, are still on my list for now.
Finally tried the Grill Room. Â I had been looking forward to it, a friend of mine told me it's the best burger in Portland. Â That was definitely not true. Â The ambiance was lovely, we sat at the bar. Â We started with the BBG scallops which were delicious. Â Then we wanted to split the burger and were quite disappointed. Â The burger was small with little taste and way too much bread per burger ratio. Â The fries were also delicious but they were way over the top in the amount. Â We wanted more burger with more flavor. Â Won't go back but wish the restaurant the best!
Review Source:Went to the Grill Room last night and had a wonderful dinner. The special salad was delicious as was the fried squid. My husband had the rib eye steak and I had the filet --both we're cooked perfectly. We went early (6:00) and the place was pretty empty but by the time we left at about 8:00 the place was packed. Not bad for a cold Monday night after the Blizzard of 2013. Can't wait to return.
Review Source:I'd give the service and the atmosphere a '10' but the food was just so-so -- presentation was really lacking and everything my guest and I had was boring from the onion soup to the salad, sides and grilled salmon. Â Very disappointed in the food. Â For the price and the other reviews, I expected something far better. Â The fries were greasy, the carrots were awash in butter (and nothing else), the wedge was a big ugly piece of iceberg lettuce drenched in nothing but dressing with some bacon thrown on top -- the cheese itself was tasty but, again, presentation was very poor. Â The small slab of grilled salmon was mediocre at best and plated as if the chef had no interest in presentation whatsoever. Â I love the Front Room and have had some of the best food ever at the Corner Room....won't be back here anytime soon.
Review Source:My fiance and I live in Boston, but we needed to find a restaurant in Maine where we could host a dinner at which both sets of our parents would meet for the 1st time. Â The Grill Room came highly recommended to us by many of our close friends who live in Portland. Â Given the rave reviews on Yelp, it seemed like a wonderful choice for this special dinner. Â We made a reservation weeks in advance and looked forward to the date.
I can't even comment on our meal because the utterly rude treatment we received from a number of employees placed a wet blanket over our entire experience. Â From the moment we walked in we were openly dismissed by the hostess who was too busy chatting with a regular patron that she failed to acknowledge our party of 6 was waiting for our table. Â When the patron suggested she seat us, she responded quite audibly, "Right now I'm taking to you." Â Since this was just the beginning of the evening, I tried my best to ignore this blatant rudeness from a clearly self-important, unaware girl and move on with the night.
Four courses, rounds of celebratory drinks and nearly $500 dollars later, our group was enjoying their desserts and coffee when we started receiving glaring looks from a woman standing by our table. Â Her position at the restaurant is unclear - it seems she was coordinating orders between the kitchen and servers - but she glared and rolled her eyes at our table with such regularity that even our parents began to feel uncomfortable. Â I understand that Saturday is a busy night in the restaurant business, but we were ordering food and spending a good amount of money. Â We had a right to finish our meals in peace and stay until closing time if we had wanted to!
I called a few days later and spoke with one of the floor managers about our experience. Â She sounded lovely on the phone - I received profuse apologies and promises that I would receive a personal call from the General Manager as well as a gift certificate in hopes we'd give the Grill Room another chance. Â I never received a follow up call, nor a gift certificate.
This was supposed to be a really happy dinner for us to celebrate our new engagement with our parents and of course special since this was the 1st time that our parents were meeting. Â I could not have been more disappointed with the events of the evening and the failure of Management to honestly show their concern.
I've never had a bad meal at The Grill Room and my wife and I eat here at least once a month!
I usually start with the Maine Lobster Bisque and/or the Local Greens salad followed by the NY Sirloin or the Scallops...depending on my mood! While my wife is a sucker for the French Onion Soup and the Arugula & Goat Cheese salad followed by the Filet Mignon (or occasionally the Tuna Steak).
We absolutely love The Grill Room and I don't see us leaving this great spot out of our monthly restaurant rotation any time soon!
Ode to my porkchop:
Oh porkchop, my porkshop!
You were incredibly delish!
Oh porkchop, my porkshop!
Your thickness was outta control!
Oh porkchop, my porkshop!
You were perfect with the wonderful carafe of Sauvignon Blanc!
Oh porkchop, my porkshop!
You were in such a cute restaurant!
Oh porkchop, my porkshop!
You were wonderful with the amazing service!
Oh porkchop, my porkshop!
My woman has nothing on you tonight!
Oh porkchop, my porkshop!
I can't wait to come back!
Their lobster pizza may be the worst thing I've eaten in a very long time. The idea was interesting enough, but the execution was really poor. Who uses strong flavors like garlic, caramelized onions, and pecorino cheese to compliment lobster? It was a disaster. Their Caesar salad was edible and the server was nice enough, so that's why the two stars instead of one.
Review Source:We were there for a special dinner with friends. Â Staff was knowledgable and helpful. Â The menu is "what you see is what you get" not only good but flavorful and satisfying. Preparation nicely done, service polite. Â
The wine list had good selections at very reasonable price.
I highly recommend the restaurant. Â you know where you are. Â A high end stake house with fish options. Â Sides all support the entrees in quality and taste. Â Service top notch.
Good meal all round.
Just left about a half hour ago. Simply one of the best meals ever, and I'm. No kid (sadly :). Excellent service. Grilled options and side - so good. We shared the roasted olives & I had the simple green salad. My his and had the cesar with anchovies - he was happy not to have to ask, they were offered. We both had the 22/basil drink -excellent! Not sweet - I cannot tolerate a sweet drink :) I had grilled scallops - 3 large with the sides were enough. My husband had grilled salmon. We shared roasted mushrooms, spinach, roasted beets and mushroom risotto. All was exceptional. Just the right-sized portions, too. Highly recommend. Just go and enjoy. Only negative - and I hate this but it's not enough to detract from the culinary experience - acoustics are bad - its loud. I have a soft voice and my husband frequently can't hear me - Â we still loved this place! Just go, really :)
Review Source:My third trip here this year. First time had salmon and beets (my choice of veggie). So good! Friend had steak of course, also great. Second time was simply happy hour, wine and we had a blast. Third time was tonight. Was tired and just wanted to chill, were given a spot on the patio. Was really motivated me to write was our service was lovely. I had tapas at a different place before coming here, so wasn't super hungry. I had a salad and prosecco, partner had onion soup and a beer. Nothing fancy, not our typical order-but we have stellar service regardless of how much $ we spent. That's class.
Review Source:I have been here about four times. Â Compared to steak houses it doesn't come close. Â It is a step below most of them. Â As far as restaurants in the general Portland area that serve steaks they do rank very high. Â So what I am saying if you are looking for a typical steak house atmosphere you might want to stay clear. Â If you are looking for a different twist on beef dinners then give it a shot. Â It's not cheap. Â
Some general recommendations for improvements is the service. Â It is okay, but below the standards for the prices they charge. Â The other is consistency amongst all products on the menu. Â You need to know what to order, or speak to a knowledgeable server as there is a huge variation amongst entrees and their caliber.
I had the Trout with a Beurre Blanc sauce, carrots and spicy brocolli.  My dish was really good.  My Duckhorn Pinot was also good, but I knew what to expect. The other wines by the glass were not what I would expect from a restaurant of this caliber.  They were just meh.  My friend had the swordfish, mashed potatoes and  risotto.  Way to double starch it, but okay - he's not a big food sharer, but I got a taste of the risotto which was so good.
We skipped dessert due to an early morning but were both full and satisfied.
After blowing off my friend and his crazy girlfriend, I just wanted to find a great steak before calling it a night and boy did Google not let me down. Â Since I came in alone, the friendly hostesses suggested I might try the "Chef's bar" where I could watch them cook, that was a pleasant addition to what was about to be a meal fit for a king. Â So, as usual, to spare the reader long wordy paragraphs, here is my list:
1. Apps - Fried Brie w/buttery bread chips. Â Presentation was beautiful and it tasted even better;
2. Three Oysters w salsa - unexpected freebie from one of the chefs. Very sweet, fresh oysters;
3. Lettuce Wedge w Bleu Cheese - the bacon was really well cooked and hand chopped w nice fresh chunks of bleu cheese;
4. NY Sirloin - cooked to perfection, melted in the mouth. Â Worth every penny. Â Flanked by spicy broccoli and garlic spinach.
The waitress was super friendly and the hostess even came over and chatted for a quick minute to see if I was enjoying myself.  The chefs were all friendly and, in a nutshell, this  restaurant is a real top notch, first class outfit.  I'm still thinking about it several days later. ;)
We had dinner at The Grill Room and if I could have eaten the next days breakfast, lunch and dinner there I would have. Â We ate at the bar because the joint was very busy. Â Our bartender was extremely friendly, handed out a few samples off their extensive cocktail menu and otherwise kept us entertained. Â Â This was an Amazing Meal. Â Perfectly cooked 37 ounce (you read that correctly, 37 ounces) porterhouse steak. Â Grilled asparagus, mushroom risotto and roasted beets as well as poached sweetbreads for a starter. Â I would have licked the plates if I hadn't been in polite company. Â We ended the night with a slice of carrot cake damn near the size of the plate it came on. Â I am already looking forward to our next visit. Â
Check out my blog on my yelp profile page for all my reviews.
[3 visits, 2010-2012]
Dinner:
Everything was en point - the steak, the veggies. Good glassware and wine selection, and super-hospitable service! It was a bit confusing that the meat temperatures didn't seem to line up with convention. E.g. Well Done at the Grill Room is a little pink at the center... which is medium well elsewhere. But I'm splitting hairs, the meal was delicious.
---
Lunch:
Full disclosure: the lunch chef is a friend of mine. That said, lunch here is certainly a treat! They do a foccacia bread burger, which is tasty and supportive, but a bit messy/awkward to eat. The deep-fried octopus with deep-fried olives is deliciously salty and crunchy, and the steak salad just... works. Very good food, executed by top-notch chefs.
Ohmygod, OHMYGOD. I have been wanting to try this place for months now and I finally got to eat here last weekend when my parents visited and took my boyfriend and me out for dinner. They seated us immediately at 5:30 on a Saturday, without a reservation.
I started off with a refreshing French 75 which, although not as strong as I like my cocktails to be, still very good. For my main I ordered the filet mignon, medium-well, with the horseradish cream sauce. Holy.. Beef. I used to be a vegetarian, but for the past 2 years I've been re-acquainting myself with my good old friend, beef. This filet mignon was GLORIOUS. The best beef I've had since renouncing vegetarianism, definitely! My mom had the hanger steak, which I had a few bites of and was equally as scrumptious. My boyfriend and dad both got grilled fish dishes which they said were very good but not the best they'd eaten. My tip: go for the meat here. It's clearly what they do best.
I ended with the flourless chocolate cake which was amazing. It was almost more of a souffle-type dessert - warm chocolate deliciousness in
a bowl, with some homemade vanilla gelato on top.
TLDR; Do yourself a favor. Go here. Empty your wallets. Eat their scrumptious beef and chocolate cake and go home bloated and happy.
I was thoroughly impressed with this place. It has everything you need in a steak house: dark wood, bricks, bad ass grill within view of almost every table, and great staff. We came here as a bachelor party and they treated us like kings.
The steak selection is fantastic, and the staff will walk you through any questions you might have. Did I mention that they have a great wine and beer menu as well? Local products are showcased, and this just makes my heart swell with joy. And cholesterol.
The restaurant had a nice atmosphere, but is a bit dark and our table was small on a corner with lots of traffic. Â Great wood fire grill burning and there is a chef's bar that we did not realize. Â Would like to try that. Â The pork belly app is great. Â Try it. Â
Waiter Jack was awesome, he made the dining experience memorable. Â Pizza is small, but great flavor. Â If you are hungry they are personal pizzas. Â We had the pesto with mushroom, but disappointed chef would not add some chicken when I asked. Â If we had eaten earlier, would have tried a steak. Â Place was packed so getting a reservation was key.
I had dinner with a friend the other night at the Grill Room and what a pleasant surprise! First, the atmosphere is dark and modern, encouraging you to chat and take your time. The waitstaff was friendly and attentive without being too present.
I literally can say I had the best burger of my life there. And I love burgers. I ordered their burger with peppers and spices on a ciabatta style roll medium well. First, they give you a huge pile of fries (more than most can eat), and the burger was delicious. The meat was tender and flavorful and fresh. It truly is the best burger in Portland. For $12, the flavor and the portions were great.
I am taking friends here again, and I highly recommend it!
Labor Day weekend, out and about in Portland with our dog, oh so hungry, searching for a place to have dinner outside. When we saw the patio at The Grill Room, we knew that was where we wanted to go. It is enclosed with a wooden fence, lit by candles on each table and tall torches in the corners. We loved that it was set off from the street and we wouldn't be bothered by foot traffic.
It was a Saturday night and the place was packed, but somehow our server kept all that chaos inside and was cool as a cucumber every time she came over to our table. I actually had no idea how crowded the inside was until i heard the chatter flood out the door whenever it opened. Our server amazed me with her grace under fire.
Warm brie app to start, Ruby Red Slipper martini to drink...we took ordering advice from fellow yelpers, who didn't steer us wrong, of course! I only wish the brie came with crusty bread instead of the little toasted crackers. It would have been nice to add a soft, chewy, crusty texture to the brie.
I'm not sure why the chef at The Grill Room decided to redefine rare, medium, and well done for steak, but at least they tell you in advance that their system is different from...oh, pretty much EVERYwhere else. It came out perfectly cooked and utterly delicious. The half roasted chicken was equally tasty and, in all honesty, was probably much more than half.
Our pup was the star of the show (as usual) and a bowl was placed in front of her within a minute of sitting down. Not only did it have ice cubes bobbing around in it, keeping Lulu entertained while she drank, but it was also a real bowl, not plastic. This was easily the finest dining experience of Lulu's life. (And let's not think about who got to be the lucky person to eat out of that bowl afterwards.)
Great food, drinks, and server in a space that kept us tucked away from the hustle and bustle. Mission accomplished.
I went here last weekend with my family and we had a very enjoyable meal. Â Here is the rundown:
Drinks:  They definitely card.  My brother boldly attempted to order alcohol (he's twenty), but they carded him (wah wah).  I started out with a glass of the Rhone Blend ($10, very nice).  My father ordered Scotch, as is his custom.  And my Mother was quite pleased with her Ruby Slipper cocktail.  For dinner we had a bottle of  Chateauneuf du Pape, which went well with our steaks. Â
Bread: a simple, but tasty foccacia with a nice olive oil. Â
Appetizers: To start I had the escargot, but I wasn't terribly impressed. Â I prefer my escargot to come in the shell (these were already removed). Â They were fine, just no wow factor really. Â My father ordered the Camembert with honey comb, balsamic, and pepper jelly which was quite lovely. Â My brother's Maine crab cakes were also quite tasty. But it was my mother's fried clam special that was the hit appetizer. Â Boy, were those wonderful (and I've eaten a lot of fried clams in my day, including Woodman's)! They were perfectly crispy with a bit of kick. Yum! Â
Salad: Â my parents both had the spinach salad special with a blueberry vinaigrette. Â It also had a local cheese (described as similar to brie). Â This cheese was extremely stinky, but it tasted ok.
Entree: Â I ordered off the a la carte menu. Â I paired the filet mignon with their Bearnaise sauce, the parmesan polenta special side, and spicy broccoli. Â The servers tell you to order the next done-ness up, so I ordered medium so as to have medium-rare. Â And my filet was cooked perfectly. Â It was a lovely piece of meat, though I wish the Bearnaise had had more tarragon. Â The parmesan polenta was not terribly exciting (though polenta really ever terribly exciting) and the spicy broccoli was solid. Â Other notables: mac n cheese is decent, though I prefer white cheddar to orangey-yellow. Â The potatoes aligot is amazing. Â And my mother's special entree (ribeye w/ carmelized onions and mushrooms) was pretty fabulous. Â
Dessert: By this point I was so full that I uncharacteristically skipped dessert.  Instead, we shared the creme brulee and the homemade watermelon sorbet.  The sorbet was not really sorbet, in fact it was more like gelato (creamy rather than icey), but the flavor was lovely.  The creme brulee  was decent, but I've had better. The sugar crust was lovely, but the custard was a little lacking in mouth-feel (seemed too warm/runny).  I also had a nice cappuccino to ward off a serious food coma (had a 2 hour drive back to Boston). Â
Service: Â We had Leslie as our server. Â She was very pleasant and attentive. Â No complaints. Â
Atmosphere: Â When we hurried in from the rain, the restaurant was pretty empty, but by the time we had left it had filled right up (pretty busy for a Sunday night). Â Nothing really notable to report on the decor. Â We rather liked the prints of the animals adorning the wall (the one of Ferninand the bull was quite nice). Â It would probably be a good date place (only if your date is a serious carnivore).
Conclusion: Â Ultimately, we had a very good meal. Â My mother raved that it probably ranked in ther 10 ten meals ever. Â If I return, I certainly would tweak my choices a bit, but I was quite satisfied. Â
If you go here, order steak. Â It's a steak house and that's what they do best. Â This place is most definitely a carnivore's delight.
The Grill Room is a breath of fresh air for Portland! It always amazed me with the amount of restaurants in Portland, no one could get a steak quite right...well, The Grill Room turned that table! Not only are the steaks great, but there are a bunch of other options on the menu.
My boyfriend and I dine here on a regular basis (at least once a week) and always split the same meal (The Sirloin Entree) The steak is pepper crusted and it comes with potatoes aligot (to die for!!) and spicy broccoli, which we love.
My Recommendation: Sit at the back bar...the appetizer cooks are great and they will hook you up with lots of tasters while you wait for your meal, but don't worry, you don't wait long here, the food comes fast! We usually order a salad and once that comes we order our steak to have plenty of dining time. My favorite appetizer - the Tuna Tartar --delicious!
I was only visiting the Portland, ME area for a few days for work and I got word of a new restaurant named The Grill Room. Â After checking Yelp, I noticed that the reviews weren't very high, but since it was relatively new I decided to give it a shot any how.
Atmosphere - Low level lighting and candles give the place a laid back feel but also a place with potential for some fun times around happy hour or later.
Service - Since I was dining alone I sat at the bar. Â In my experience you will always get better service at the bar, and this place was no exception. Â The barkeep came over shortly after I sat down and was very good about keeping my drink filled. Â The food came out quicker than I expected and it was an overall nice service experience.
Food - I wanted to taste a little bit everything that Maine's famous seafood had to offer, so I got an appetizer and entree specialty of the day. Â I had the crab cakes as an appetizer and they were fantastic. Â The taste was not overly fishy like some can be and it was mostly made out of crab, not breading. Â The entree was the grilled trout served over a bed of garlic lobster mashed potatoes (my favorite) and topped with wilted spinach. The entire meal was fantastic and I would highly recommend this place to anyone.
We were driving to Bar Harbor from Boston. We stopped in Portland hoping to have some decent lunch. The Grill Room looked like the place I'd like.
The setting inside was nice, albeit a little cramped. The wait staff was very friendly. Since we were in Maine, I decided to have some seafood. I asked for the Maine Crab Cakes, while my friend asked for a chicken sandwich.
My friend liked his sandwich. My crab cakes were crispy and very oily. It didn't taste very fresh either. Nothing to write home about.
It's about time that Portland literally beefs up its restaurant scene by adding The Grill Room to compete with top dining establishments such as Fore Street and Five Fifty Five. Â The Grill Room is a new sister to The Front Room, popular for its welcoming, moderately priced, and delicious brunches and lunches.
ATMOSPHERE The Grill Room is two large rooms with high ceilings in one of Portland's many old brick buildings. Â The first room houses the long bar complete with liquors, wines, local beer taps, and the perfect addition: guy with long white hair and classy western style moustache. Â The second space is separated by arched brick walls and the step down brings to the main dining area, a sultry yet social surrounding great for a date. Â The kitchen sits in the back and has its own bar seating area with pots hanging from an iron hanger overhead.
FOOD Steaks (fish, beef, and rack of lamb) with sides a la carte, wood grilled personal pizzas, THE popular burger (order one step of doneness over what you'd normally get!), and an excellent selection of soups, salads, appetizers, and entrees. Â All entrees begin around $16-29.
+ My appetizer was from a selection of specials for the day. Â Chilled duck over watercress, blue cheese, and cherries. I was advised that the duck would be rare cooked and thin sliced, but when it arrived it was anything but rare. Â I later found out that "luck you, you got the last duck salad!" No wonder it wasn't rare anymore... Â This was the main disappointment.
+ Dave's minestrone came served with a dollop of fresh pesto possibly made with a little dill - yummo.
+ Mike's "steak & cheese" was beef carpaccio piled over a crisp baked goat cheese cake on a platter sized dinner plate. Â Could have served all of us. Â
+ The NOTEWORTHY DINNER of the night was Dave's duck. Â He asked for it to be cooked medium and it came out juicy and pink (he was going for medium rare). Â It had the most amazing flavor ever! Â I was ready to trade, but my shortrib was melt off the bone buttery and tasty.
+ The NOTEWORTHY WINE was a bottle of Stag's Leap Petite Syrah for $39 a pop. Â
Please try The Grill Room, the meal, the service, and atmosphere were all superb!
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