Grill 23

Not so great. Took my daughter and 4 of her friends for her 24th Birthday. My daughter arrived ahead of us and she was told that the reservation was for 5 people, although I had called and changed to 7 earlier in the week. They were quick to adapt and that worked out fine.Decor was festive with a Holiday feeling. When we were seated , we were placed next to a wait station. Since we had waited a while, I didn't request another table, however was continuosly bumped as waiters made their way through and I listened to their discussions. It was so noisy, we could hardly hear the waiter for meal and wine recommendations and visa versa. I ordered NY Strip, medium rare, came out more close to well, with a fair amount of gristle. Two of the guests ordered the risotto, which was mushy and overcooked. On the positive side, our waiter was pleasant, although his only function was to take and order and serve the meal. No extra attention. Not a place to recommend to friends.…

Perfect Dining Experience. I was taken to Grille 23 for my birthday and the dining experience truly made the night special. It started from the moment we sat down, our waiter was extremely personable and knowledgeable about the wine list and made a wonderful recommendation. We received our appetizers and were never rushed to order the main course but left to enjoy what we had infront of us. My main course was a Kobe steak that was cooked to perfection. To end the night the waiter having know it was my birthday brought out a giant slice of chocolate cake that was delicious. This wasn't my first experience at Grille 23 and was nothing less than what i have come to expect from them.…

Simply one of the best steakhouses. The steak I had was one of the best I have ever had. Cooked to perfection, it was paired with carmelized onions that complemented well with the delicious garlic mash potatos. The service was wonderful as expected. I will return!…

Unsanitary food. Appearance only goes so far.. I have always been a fan of steak, being originally from the south, so of course I had to try Grill 23. Upon hearing good reviews about Grill 23, I decided to make reservations online for my recent graduation dinner on May 1, 2009. My party’s first impressions were positive. We had no trouble waiting for our table, and the décor was ambient and beautiful with wood paneling. I felt that my waiter was prompt and his service to our table was decent enough.

When my party received our food we were initially impressed by the taste and presentation. However, our impressions abruptly went sour when one person in our party spotted something CRAWLING on her mashed potatoes. She immediately called one of the waiter’s attention. The waiter took her plate away without an explanation or apology. We waited approximately 5-10 minutes before my friend contacted ANOTHER waiter and asked, “what are the restaurant’s procedures regarding a mishap in your food?” The staff appeared to be negligent and unconcerned. When the manager finally arrived for what we thought would be a sympathetic apology, he stated that he could only replace her order. My friend stated, “I have lost my appetite and would rather not have another plate.” She then respectfully asked for a refund and the manager refused to give us any other options. He said, “I can only replace your order, but since you ate half of it, I can give you half of your order to go.” I have previously dined at a fast food joint where the manager refunded an order with no problem, regardless of the amount of the food consumed or other variables. Not only was the manager not prompt about this serious matter, but he was unprofessional and had some nerve.

Overall, Grill 23 lacks in professional management, and promptness about a serious manner. The quality of the food was subpar and unsanitary. This is an occurrence one would expect at a fast food joint or chain restaurant, but not at a restaurant that has been deemed “Best of Boston.” I would highly recommend that you dine somewhere else – perhaps try another steak house in Boston such as Abe and Louie’s.…