The Federal Grill - Downtown

Review summary

1. s

   stacey

   Houston

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Always great! Had a quick business lunch and loved it
   

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2. P

   Phillip

   Detroit

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Nice ambiance, good food, good recommendations by the staff. Servers worked as teams and did a very nice job. Spoke to two of the managers which made it feel like an old school dean martin type place. Which makes sense as there were a fair amount of dean and frank pictures lining the walls. Will definitely eat here again.
   

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3. b

   ben

   VIP

   Manitoba

   134 reviews

   4.0

   134 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 5

   I had brunch today and loved my Eggs Benedict with crab cake. The potatoes were too salty and spicy and could not eat them. Great coffee. Service was adequate but slow at times.
   

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4. C

   Catherine

   VIP

   Houston

   9 reviews

   5.0

   9 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Met friends for lunch & had a fantastic overall experience! Food & service was excellent. Could have conversation at the table without excessive noise. Great atmosphere!
   

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5. S

   Selina

   Houston

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 2

   We were excited to spend Valentine’s Day at Federal. They had a three-course meal for $75 per person, and we thought that was a decent price since it was Valentine’s Day. We arrived a little earlier for our reservation but were seated anyway. However, our waitress, who was handling the entire bar area herself, wasn’t as attentive as we had hoped. We waited for our drinks for a good 8-10 minutes, then another 10 minutes for a sugar caddy, and an additional 5 minutes for her to return to take our order. The first course came out, and the portion size was comical. We had three shrimp and a crab cake the size of a Hostess donut. It took us all but 2 minutes to eat the first course, and we still hadn’t received our bread. We waited again, and when the waiter brought the bread, he mentioned that it took so long because it was “in the oven.” The bread was cold, so that didn’t make sense. The next course’s portion was somewhat okay, but they added the extra $12 crab meat we had asked to go on our steak to the crusted fish instead. When the dessert came out, it was even more comical that the portion size of the butter cake was also the size of a Hostess donut. All in all, we felt ripped off. Our bill was a total of $234 for subpar service and tiny portions. Although we will be back, we will never go on a special occasion again. need!
   

   The Federal Grill - DowntownResponded today

   Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, Selina. We’re truly sorry to hear that your Valentine’s Day experience didn’t meet your expectations. We apologize for the delays in service and for the portion sizes not being up to par. We understand how important special occasions are and will work to improve both the service and meal quality to make sure this doesn’t happen again. We appreciate your honesty and hope you’ll give us another chance in the future.
   

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6. B

   Becky

   Cincinnati

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   Went for valentine's day, special 3 course menu was way overpriced and the food was mediocre. No lava in the lava cake. Cocktail tasted like water.
   

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7. J

   Jack

   Houston

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   Was not thrilled with the overall experience, especially for Valentine’s Day. Took at least 10-minutes from sitting down before our waiter greeted us (had to ask for a drink menu). Drinks were good. The table cloth had stains on it. $75 per person (Valentines menu) but was an additional $15 for both steak options. 16oz Ribeye was probably half fat. A $300 bill that felt like a $100 experience.
   

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8. C

   Charles

   Houston

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   My wife and I loved our experience at the Federal American Grill Downtown for Valentines 2025. We heard about the restaurant from Michael Berry Radio show. The Fresno pepper Jelly was my favorite! We will be returning t that establishment more often. Capt Charles Coursey
   

   • 

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9. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Houston

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   My wife and I attended Valentine's Day dinner. Everything was wonderful. To begin, we had such an amazing Waitress, Reina! Thank you for your hospitality! So, if you're a bourbon or whiskey drinker, this is definitely the place for you! With over 200 selections, you're sure to discover a new favorite bourbon or whiskey. Make it a memorable evening, with the Smoking Gun Old Fashoined and the Flaming Oldie. I had both, and they're amazing! My wife loved the Pecan Crusted Snapper, and I had an amazing 16oz Black Angus Ribeye (Medium). Both, superb! It was a memorable evening. We definitely plan to return. Especially to attend their happy hour specials.
   

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10. J

    Julie

    New York City

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    We were a large group. Abby was our waitress and she was fantastic.
    

    The Federal Grill - DowntownResponded 3 days ago

    Thank you for the great review, Julie! We’re so happy to hear that Abby took such great care of your group. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon for another wonderful dining experience!
    

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