The Bistro At The Grand Oaks Resort

Two of us chose the beef medallions priced between $26 and $31, which turned out to be far from what we anticipated. Rather than the thin, round slices of filet mignon typically associated with medallions, we received chunky pieces of steak that were tough and stringy, with a noticeable amount of hard fat. They lacked flavor and were slightly undercooked. Despite the menu stating they were medallions, they were anything but. Additionally, my mother, the birthday celebrant, specifically requested no mushrooms. The chef seemed to have strained the gravy to accommodate her request, but in doing so, he left her with almost no sauce on her meat and absolutely none for her mashed potatoes. It's bewildering that a restaurant of this caliber cannot manage a simple special request, especially since many people have dietary preferences. The "glazed" carrots were another disappointment—they were just pre-cut, bleached baby carrots that appeared to be bought in bulk, lacking any actual glaze. It was shocking to see such a lack of effort in something so simple; it makes me wonder about the pride chefs take in their work these days. On a positive note, the prime rib dish was enjoyable. The waitress was friendly but did forget to bring horseradish with the prime rib special. Is that something we should request with a $28 dish? It seemed odd. Moreover, despite informing the staff twice about my mother’s birthday, they failed to acknowledge the occasion. While they managed to place cloth table linens on the tables, the overall experience felt more akin to a low-end chain restaurant, and the prices were anything but low-end. We expressed our concerns to the waitress, who promised to relay them to the manager, but no one from management ever came to address the situation before we received the bill. It's apparent that the new management, which took over last year, may not be maintaining the same standards as before. Perhaps the positive reviews were a reflection of the previous management. Overall, I cannot recommend this restaurant. It’s not worth your time or money.

When we arrived, the hostess greeted us but only pointed to our table instead of walking us there after I mentioned my reservation name. Initially, we thought our young female server might be inexperienced, but it became clear she was simply not well-qualified. She didn’t introduce herself, and in our party of four, three of us ordered Manhattans. To our surprise, she asked if brown sugar was an ingredient! She then stated she was unable to make the cocktails. I ordered a glass of Pembrook Cabernet instead, which seemed manageable for her. After serving the Manhattans, she returned to ask which wine I had ordered. Despite reminding her twice, my wine was delayed by about 10 minutes. When she finally brought my wine, we placed our food orders, already sensing that our server was inattentive and scattered. I ordered the Mahi Piccata, selecting a salad and mashed potatoes as my sides. The entire table joked about my dislike of vegetables, so I would have thought our server would catch on. Another server brought my salad, and when I inquired about bread, I received a curt “no” in response. However, I must say the salad was excellent. When our main courses arrived, my plate included Mahi with unwanted vegetables. Upon pointing this out, the server seemed taken aback, but when I asked her to bring me an order of mashed potatoes, she appeared relieved and agreed. All our food was lukewarm, with the exception of the mashed potatoes. Everyone was disappointed, but we ate it anyway. Throughout the meal, our server rarely checked in; when she did, I mentioned that the food wasn’t hot enough, and she offered no response. After finishing our meals, we waited a full 25 minutes for our check. Finally, one of our party members approached the manager/hostess/bartender to inquire about it. Although she went to speak with our server, nothing changed, prompting all of us to approach the manager ourselves. She reviewed our bills, finding that they were incorrectly split between the two couples, and had to re-run them. She remarked, “she doesn’t usually work nights” and encouraged us not to let this experience deter us. Neither our server nor the manager offered an apology. We felt disrespected and unappreciated, and this was, without a doubt, the lowest point in customer service we have ever encountered.

Exceptional food, affordable prices, excellent service, and an incredibly entertaining murder mystery show.

Absolutely amazing place for a great meal! The burger melts in your mouth. Excellent service.

What an enjoyable meal here tonight. Megan, our server, was so friendly. It’s 100° outside but comfortable and friendly. The Ranch Water cocktail is refreshing and delicious. Our appetizer of stuffed mushrooms was very nice. The entree pork ribeye Thursday special was delicious. Win! Sorry I didn’t get a picture but DELICIOUS!