Kensington Grill

Reviews & Tips

• 0

  Pulled Pork AMAZING! Michigan cherry salad, huge and delicious, bread and butter pudding FAB!

  Review Source:

  Posted on 05.12.13 Tracey H.

  • Report
• 0

  This place is set up nicely, with a bar on one side with a few bench seatings in case you want it more loud, and then more casual on the other side.  
  The food was on the above-average side, but the prices were as well, leading to about average quality compared to cost.  What blew us away was the manager's commitment to customer satisfaction.  We ordered the brownie for dessert and added a scoop of ice cream..turns out they were out of ice cream, so they ran out to get some to complete the order, and then made us the most amazing hot fudge sundae to make up for our wait.  I will happily come back here again, and will do so if they continue testing their customers this well.
  Only real complaint is the cost of their side dishes is expensive, making a la carte cost prohibitive.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 03.16.13 Matthew K.

  • Report
• 0

  There aren't a ton of non-coney sit-down restaurant options available if you live out my way in South Lyon, so when one opens up folks tend to take notice (especially when it occupies a building that has been vacant for a while).  Such was the case when we discovered the Kensington Grill had set up shop at the Lyon Towne Center shopping complex at Milford Road and I-96 - suddenly there was an option at that intersection that WASN'T Applebee's!
  
  The place looked nice from the outside, but so do a lot of new restaurants - big whoop.  Then I read an article about this restaurant on the Detroit Free Press website and it mentioned St. Louis-style BBQ.  Well NOW you're talking!   I had to visit Kensington Grill and I had to visit it soon.
  
  When we walked up to the doors and noticed a Michigan Brewers Guild sticker prominently displayed in the window, I immediately got the feeling we were in good hands.  Once inside, our beer options included the Pale Ale from Founders, the Two Hearted Ale from Bell's Brewery, the Huma Lupa Licious from Short's, and then the local favorite Train Hopper from Witch's Hat Brewing.  Things were off to a good start.
  
  As we browsed the list of appetizers, we immediately noticed the fried pickle chips.  I'm not going to lie, I have a bit of a fried pickle addiction and feel compelled to order them anytime I see them on a menu.  The KG does an amazing job with theirs, and the very generous portion comes with a side of chipotle ranch (which I would lobby for including on the side of every single menu item - it's that good.).
  
  For the main course, we opted for the "Pick Three" BBQ combo (you can also "Pick Four", however the pickle chips put a solid dent in our appetites).  We selected the Texas beef brisket, pulled pork, and spare ribs - which were incredibly delicious but would've been even better had the brisket not been too dry.  For our sides, we opted for the cheesy mac, BBQ baked beans, and cornbread muffin - which we all agreed were pretty good.
  
  The highlight of the Kensington Grill's BBQ experience has to be the sauces, which are amazing.  Your options are a "house" sauce, a "bold" version, a chipotle version, and then a mustard sauce - and every one of them was fantastic.  I never was able to determine which was my favorite...
  
  I guess that means I need to go back sometime and try again.  Michigan craft beer, pickle chips, and BBQ - needless to say, you won't have to twist my arm.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 02.28.13 Great Lakes L.

  • Report
• 0

  I would love to give this place 5 stars because when the food and service is good, it's the best in the area, but when it's bad, it's like a hollow ghost shell of what it should be.
  
  I've eaten at this place numerous times because the food is stupid good for they money, so I've seen the varying levels of quality this place has to offer.  
  
  I've been warmly welcomed and served many times where other times it's obvious they simply just don't care at all but still trudge through the motions.  I've had servers that were fantastic and servers who forgot to bill things and were definitely there just for the paycheck or to boost their tips by this form of 'forgetfulness.'
  
  I've eaten here when the food was fresh, juicy, and seemingly conjured by the gods (I've literally had the best au jus of my life here, but on a night it was obvious the owner or manager was there).  
  
  I've also eaten here when the brisket was too dry and obviously not fresh, or the bread on my toasted sandwich is obviously burnt on the tips and should never have been served that way.
  
  The biggest problem with this place is CONSISTENCY, though I still go back because, even when it's bad, it's still better than most (I know, still no excuse).  Failing to fix this problem can make or break a restaurant.  
  
  This is the best food near where I live and when I get family from out of state, this is the first place that comes to mind when I want to take them somewhere.  I have a brother who was in the restaurant business for a LONG time as a manager for some high-end restaurants, and my greatest fear is to take him to KG and the consistency be on a low swing.
  
  If you're the owner and reading this review, please invest in some surveillance ala Restaurant Undercover or whatever that show is to weed out your inconsistencies.  It's obvious you have a minor HR problem and if you want to keep ours and others' business, you need all of your staff to be 5 stars so that it will match your cuisine.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 02.08.13 Jiggity J.

  • Report
• 0

  Great food, great service.  Nacho's were wonderful.  Will go back.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 01.22.13 Catherine N.

  • Report
• 0

  This place is a great change from all of the chain restaurants in the area.  Cool bar with a great beer selection.
  Food was fantastic.  I consider myself a tough critic on burgers and this burger was great.  Finally a place that uses a REAL brioche bun.  It truly gives the burger more flavor.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 11.07.12 Ed R.

  • Report
• 0

  Very good BBQ.  Very friendly staff.  Great local non-chain restaurant.  Highly recommend.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 10.29.12 Christopher N.

  • Report
• 0

  Good beer can chicken. Really like the atmosphere.  Very attentive waitstaff.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 10.17.12 J M.

  • Report
• 0

  This place is a great addition to the area! I was a little nervous at first because I knew it took over the location from a not-so-stellar national chain restaurant, but my experience couldn't have been better.
  
  1. Great drink selection. Great beer on tap for both my father and I, and good cold milk for my much younger little brother.
  2. Our waitress went well out of her way to help us out and made sure we had a good experience. She made great recommendation from the menu and helped us when we had a little spill... The manager checked in mid-meal and I felt compelled to tell him how great our waitress was. He said he's been trying to clone her for months, but it hasn't worked yet.
  3. The food was high quality. The BBQ was delicious. I had a little bit of everyone's and the sides were surprisingly good too compared with what you get at a lot of other bbq places.
  4. The place was relaxing and we were able to have a great conversation and not feel out of place when we accidentally laughed a little louder than normal.
  
  I recommend the pulled pork sandwich!

  Review Source:

  Posted on 10.11.12 Eric H.

  • Report
• 0

  I was surprised this place was as good as it was.  It just looks like something thrown outside of Walmart but the pulled pork, baked beams and sweet potato fried were BBQ house worthy.
  I had a wonderful salad, beautifully presented with fruit, nuts, feta, etc.
  Usually a place like this has throw away salads.
  We were very impressed.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 10.01.12 dawn v.

  • Report
• 0

  I recommend that you try the pulled pork sandwich. It is outstanding!
  Kensington Grill is a BBQ restaurant. The BBQ chicken and ribs is very good.
  This restaurant has some TVs but is not a sports bar. It has a very nice relaxing atmosphere.
  I highly recommend that you try Kensington Grill.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 09.29.12 Chuck B.

  • Report
• 0

  We went here with some friends, for an early dinner after a trip to Kensington Park. The food was very nice. We shared a Bruschetta and a French Onion Soup. The Soup was excellent.
  
  For our main courses, my husband ordered the Brisket Sandwich with a side of Onion Rings and I ordered the Pulled Pork Sammy with a side of Sweet Potato Fries. We ended up sharing both sandwiches because we couldn't decide which one we liked better. Both had bold flavors that were very well complimented by the bread and meat and both sides were fresh and crisp. The onion rings were straight out of the fryer, they were too hot to eat. We would definitely go back to The Kensington Grill.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 09.07.12 Natasha P.

  • Report
• 0

  Four visits and site remains 2-3 stars. Food is served warm. Staff is friendly which keeps it up at 3 stars.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 08.20.12 Vince S.

  • Report
• 0

  I'm particular about my BBQ and my beer, and Kensington gets high marks on both ends.
  
  Lots of Michigan brews on tap, and tender tasty pulled pork.  I also enjoyed the beer can chicken for the spiciness, and wished their BBQ sauce had more of its zest. Great service and all around experience I would call 'solid.'
  
  I liked the local sourced ideal behind the place and was surprised to find such a restaurant  where you can see Wal-Mart across the parking lot.  Don't let it dissuade you though, it's well worth seeking out.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 07.25.12 Tyler B.

  • Report
• 0

  I've been wanting to try this place for a while now especially since I live within walking distance. Finally made it in tonight and have been dreaming of my next visit ever since.
  
  Let me start by saying that, because we live so close, we frequented Chili's when it was in this same building and it was weird going in. It looks virtually the same inside....weird.
  
  The food is phenomenal. I ordered a pulled pork sandwich. I gotta be honest, I am very picky with my barbecue. I was a little afraid to go all in and spring for the ribs or brisket until I had a taste of something safer. My sandwich was so super good! Especially after I added a bit of their bold sauce. The onion rings I got with them were super yummy and crispy. I will definitely get braver next time!
  
  My husband got chicken strips and sweet potato fries. He said they were really good. I tried his sweet potato fries and they were tasty, and I'm not even a fan of sweet potatoes if that tells you anything.
  
  My daughter got Mac and cheese with fruit which I also sampled. She loved it and so did I! I think they must make the Mac and cheese from scratch and the fruit salad was much prettier and better than she has ever gotten with a kids meal anywhere else!
  
  I gotta say, I love this place! You must try it at least once! We fed our little family of three (plus my husband had 2 tall beers) for around $35. That's amazing! The service was top notch and super friendly!  I really hope these guys are successful at this location, they deserve it! My only disappointment was that I didn't have room for one of their yummy looking desserts!

  Review Source:

  Posted on 07.21.12 Liz M.

  • Report
• 0

  I so wanted to like this place.  It is convenient and I have missed the Chili's--not Chili's-- but having a restaurant located here.  We tried it last night, and although they said they had been open a month, it didn't show!
  
  We were greeted promptly, but the hostess had no idea how to manage the seating.  She slammed our waitress with several tables, while other zones had empty tables.  This really negatively affected our experience--but it was not the only negative.  
  
  We were not acknowledged for over ten minutes once seated.  Finally a perky waitress greeted us, and introduced her trainee.  They took our drink orders-- and disappeared for another 10 minutes-- for 2 ice. Teas and a coke!  
  
  We ordered the fried pickles, and they were quite good ( and I don't like pickles).  We were hopeful...
  
  My husband ordered the buffalo chicken salad, and although the presentation was not appealing, he said it was very tasty, enjoyed it, and would order it again.
  
  I ordered the Angus burger.  Although the menu touted hand partied -- this seemed right out of the box.  The burger was dry, and bland.  There was a pskimpy sliver of onion, a nice tomato slice, and some tough dark green lettuce like garnish .  The roll looked nice, but was too much bread in relation to the meat.  There was a generous amount of cheese.  Overall it was OK, but not something I would return for ( and I love burgers)!  The fries were greasy, overlooked, and tasted like they shared the fryer fat with meat?  Again, not something I would return for.
  
  My daughter ordered the brisket.  It was tough, dry, and the presentation was not appealing.  she said it was not hot.
  
  The worst part of our experience was the service--- lack of it!  The waitress was busy flirting with some guy at one of her tables, the trainer was clueless, and service lacking.  We had to ask for drink refills, and waited for too long for our food.
  
  We had not even gotten our food when a wait staff person brought us someone else's bill and credit card, propped it on our table, and rushed away.  Good thing we did not need a credit card that wasn't ours!
  
  I did want to like this place.  We will wait awhile and give them one more chance.  But visited on a Thursday.  Wonder how they will handle busy weekends?  Hopefully they will figure it out.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 06.05.12 N T.

  • Report
• 0

  After reading all the reviews I was looking forward to trying this place.   We went for an early dinner (4:15pm) so there was no wait for a table and the service was great.  My husband ordered the brisket dinner (brisket on one piece of Texas Toast), which came with two sides and I ordered the brisket sandwich (brisket on two pieces of Texas toast),  which came with one side.  There was absolutely no difference in the two sandwiches and for the extra $4 all my husband got was an extra small side, but the meat was very, very tender and tasty.  We both ordered the sweet potato fries which had a touch on cinnamon and appeared homemade.  My daughter ordered a salad and said it was good but too much dressing, so you may want to order that on the side, and her boyfriend got a burger and really enjoyed it.  During our dinner there was a poof of smoke and the two fire departments were called, so we watched firemen take turns climbing the ladder to determine if the wall felt hot.  We exited out the side door as to not disturb the firefighters, and all in all enjoyed the experience and would highly recommend this restaurant.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 06.02.12 Lynn T.

  • Report
• 0

  Great new restaurant.  Very good BBQ RIbs!  Highly recommend.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 05.29.12 John M.

  • Report
• 0

  I was a bit apprehensive about going around 7:00 on a Saturday night, because the lot seemed full, and I'm just too pretentious to wait in line at a restaurant.
  
  To my surprise though, we were seated at a nice booth immediately, drink orders were taken (and served) as quickly as I've ever seen, and the ambiance was understated without being spartan. All good signs, in my book.
  
  The menu reminded me a bit of Red Hot & Blue (and I've been mourning its closure in Novi for some time now), and the server's knowledge of the menu was excellent.
  
  Our food came out in under ten minutes, which absolutely shocked me. Yeah, I know most of it is BBQ that's been cooking for most of the day, but it was still pretty quick. I went for the pulled pork and beef brisket combo, which was interestingly served on a metal tray. My wife's BBQ chicken salad and daughter's chicken fingers were served a bit more traditionally.
  
  The food was excellent across the board. I seemed to detect some spices reminiscent of the BBQ rubs from Milford Spice Company, and whatever sweet blend they use on their sweet potato fries is brilliant.
  
  Really, the only negative here is the extra BBQ sauce they drizzled on. Maybe I'm wrong, but it had an aftertaste that left me thinking "store brand / GFS generic" but it wasn't off-putting. It just seemed a stark contrast to the effort put in to everything else. You might ask for it on the side, and decide for yourself.
  
  Rounding out the experience, the server came back at appropriate times, asked if we wanted dessert (we didn't), and rather than leave us hanging, came back with a check. It wasn't the rushed "get 'em in, get 'em out" feeling I've had elsewhere (I'm looking at you, Sagano), but there was a touch of efficiency, and to be honest, I was really happy about it.
  
  Finally, prices were very, very reasonable. Without alcohol, you could probably do dinner for two with a decent tip for about $30.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 05.22.12 Kevin N.

  • Report
• 0

  I went there last week Thursday, the first day they opened.  They still had a few hiccups to sort out and their draft beers weren't set up yet.  
  
  We ordered the buffalo wings to start.  They were good.  The bleu cheese dressing had actual big bleu cheese chunks in it.  the sauce was a typical buffalo wing sauce, though.  I wished they tried making their own.  Still yummy though.
  
  We both got the combo BBQ plates.  I got the ribs and chicken, my husband got the ribs and brisket.  We both loved the ribs.  The brisket was ok, but I found it a little tasteless.  The chicken was ok with a nice rub, but it just didn't seem outstanding.  The mac and cheese side I got was superb, though.  i loved it.  The grilled veggies were kind of a "meh" item.  I was seriously bummed they were out of baked beans since that's my measure of a good BBQ place.
  
  There were one or two mild service hiccups, but I didn't mind.  Everyone is new and they all handled them very well.  Managers were everywhere to oversee things and talk to customers.  The owner talked with us for about 5 minutes and seemed to take our feedback really well.  We really want this place to do well because of the lack of non-chain restaurants in the area.  The restaurant is within walking distance for us, so we hope that this place truly succeeds.  But judging by our food, I'd be shocked if they didn't!

  Review Source:

  Posted on 05.07.12 Nancy R.

  • Report
• 0

  This restaurant opened this week. We went on Saturday, before all the draught beers were online but we were impressed by the food and service. French onion soup, chicken wings and pulled pork sandwich were all delicious. Service was prompt and friendly. A far better dining option than the generic chain that formerly occupied the building (the dreadful Chilis), and a very welcome addition to eating options in the South Lyon area.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 05.05.12 James B.

  • Report
• 0

  UPDATE 11-8-12:  Food has gone from excelent on opening night to just OK.  Brisket is fatty.  Had to send the sweet potato fries back..1qst batch came cold and drenched in oil.  My partner liked her BBQ chopped salad.  Service was still very good and friendly.
  
  5-3-12Brand new restaurant.  First, the food was delicious.  Very good BBQ place.  We started with the Green Bean appetizer.  It had a very tasty sauce that did not overpower the green beans.  The green beans were nice and crunchy.  I am very picky when it comes to vegetables and these were cooked perfect.  Next we had the BBQ ribs.  If you like your ribs juicy, falling off the bone with a tasty sauce...I highly recommend these.
  The restaurant was very busy.  We had to wait to get a table, but the bar tender was very pleasant to speak to and took his time to give us a brief overview of the menu.  The hostesses did a great job of keeping us updated on how much longer they expected our wait to be..
  
  All-in-all, delicious food and friendly attentive service, I would highly recommend.  My wife and I left talking about when we could go back with some friends.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 05.03.12 Chris C.

  • Report