Walker's Grille

The food was very good, but the service was very bad, so 3 stars it is.

I walked in and was promptly ignored by just about everyone in the place. Servers walked by, kitchen staff, etc. I was waiting for about 5 minutes before someone came out and asked me if I wanted to be seated -- because people that don't want to be seated normally hang around the hostess stand.

I had the steak salad, it was very good -- well cooked hangar steak atop fresh greens. I also had the apple beignet for dessert -- that was AWESOME.  Perfectly fried with whole apples rings in the dough and a great vanilla dipping sauce.

My water was empty most of the time, and the server seemed immensely unconcerned even though there was only a couple of other tables. The rest of the menu looked great, and what I did have was delicious, I think they just need a better front of the house.

My teenage daughter and I checked out Walker's Grille last Friday night.  It was "restaurant week" so they had a special three course menu in addition to the regular one.  The ambiance was what I expected from the web site (check that out.)  Too cold for the outside dining area, but the outside space looks promising when warmer weather arrives.

The hostess was charming and we were seated quickly although we didn't have reservations and it was pretty crowded.  The wait staff was attentive and professional, but not very warm.  As a small business trying to establish rapport with the local community, I'd advise training them to be a little more friendly and engaging.

We shared a hummus appetizer which was nicely presented and tasty.  We both had beef main courses and enjoyed them. We had an ice cream dessert that was very nice.  Good wine list.  Friends of ours who had been here described the food as too salty.  In general, we didn't find that, but I'm passing this tidbit on for readers (and for the chef!)  My daughter thought the frites were over-spiced, but I liked them.  Nice presentation throughout.  

After the meal we met Jason the manager, a super nice guy, and talked to him about plans for the future.  Wine pairings?  Entertainment?  They are doing some of both and seem to be working hard to make this a great place to dine.  If you live in the area, I'd definitely try this place, and keep an eye on it as it matures.  Lots of potential.

Service was slow, considering the place wasn't very busy. I got a chicken sandwich, which was OK; the entrees were pretty pricey, so I avoided them. The steak on the salad one of my friends ordered wasn't cooked correctly, and she sent it back to be re-cooked. A bottle of wine my friends wanted was locked up (?) and they had to wait a while for it. The location of the restaurant is a little weird, too. I suspect Gordon Ramsay would have a thing or two to say about this place.

On the plus side, the desserts were really good.