The Grill on the Alley - San Jose

Review summary

1. S

   Steve

   Central Coast

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined today

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

   It has been a couple of years since our last visit. It has changed but not for the better.
   

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2. N

   Nicholas

   San Diego

   4 reviews

   1.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

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

   We used to go to the Grille on the Alley when the hotel was the Fairmont. We loved it. The ambiance was special with the little lights and the service was impeccable. Drinks were affordable and excellent. Our experience today was sad. The lighting was too bright and was not enjoyable. It took 45 minutes to get our cocktails, which were wildly expensive and not to par. They had a drink that was $89, ludicrous for the area. We ordered bread, which they said was not ready. They offered an appetizer for free while we waited for our bread. Bread never came and we were charged for the appetizer. The menu is overpriced for the quality and again, the service was extremely slow and there were maybe 6 other tables occupied in the entire restaurant. It took an hour and 15 minutes for our food to arrive. It was cold and small in portion. $70+ for an 8oz filet which looked like 6oz at best. We ordered wine, waited another 25 minutes, just to learn they were out of the selection again. No service comp was offered except a more expensive selection for a glass of wine. The server was awkward and leaned on the table, over us. It was disappointing as this was a staple for quality food, excellent cocktails for a reasonable Bay Area cost. Will not return. Several other patrons were upset and complaining to management as we left. The valet and the bussing staff was the only enjoyable aspect. $300 for 2 people with simple dinners is ludicrous, especially for the portion and quality.
   

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3. C

   CJ

   VIP

   San Francisco

   30 reviews

   3.0

   30 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

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

   For context, my family and I always have dinner at the 'Grill On the Alley' every year sometime before Christman, and from time to time; every restaurant has it's good and bad days. This was a bad day for the Grill. Not sure what happened but, the wheels fell off. They were out of bread by 5:30 PM, but the table next to us, seated after us, had 2 baskets and we did not have any. How does that work? Dinners came out, but I had never had a cold risotto before. I didn't want to say anything because everyone else was just about done by the time my plate came out. I didn't want to hold up our night. Let me be clear: JOEL, our server, did an AWESOME JOB!! He graciously removed some items from the check to ease our pain; we are grateful for that. This review is not meant to discredit The Grill, but this review is to celebrate Joel. If it wasn't for Joel and his kindness, generosity, and willingness to cover for the establishment's shortcomings, I am sure this would have been a different story altogether. Thank you, Joel. We appreciate you more than you know. Merry Christmas!
   

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4. R

   Richard

   VIP

   San Francisco

   77 reviews

   1.0

   77 reviews

   Dined on December 12, 2024

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

   Don't waste your time at the Grill on the Alley. Years ago it was a first class operation, a little expensive, but good food and great service. Today I would only have a drink at the bar where Justin does a first class job serving customers. At dinner I ordered the shrimp cocktail and was very disappointed. The shrimp were not fresh or firm. The warm rolls were doughy. The Caesar salad is only a Caesar in name only with inexpensive boxed croutons and a desultory bottled salad dressing. On the other hand the "Flower" pinot noir is excellent but grossly overpriced at $34 a glass and not worth it. San Jose has a any number of decent restaurants but unfortunately the Grill on the Alley is among them, RichardAlexander stands by this evaluation.
   

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5. M

   Mary Beth

   VIP

   San Francisco

   53 reviews

   3.0

   53 reviews

   Dined on November 29, 2024

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

   We routinely go to the Grille on rhe Alley for Thanksgiving, and before that we would go on Christmas Eve so we’ve been doing this for years. Yesterday was a huge disappointment. Evidently there is new ownership and head chef and we noted a bit of a Japanese flair to the menu this year. That’s all well and good….my husband LOVES that style of food….but when you remove a classic Thanksgiving meal of turkey and fixings that was working to this year’s offering, well it was not a hit. The turkey dinner in previous years came with a full plate of the moistest turkey, stuffing, potatoes, veggies, cranberry sauce…..it was very good in my opinion. This year the plate consisted of dry and tough turkey, good stuffing, a cornbread muffin and some cranberry relish. You had an option of 4 veggies so if you wanted mashed potatoes you selected them from there leaving no veggie option other than ordering an additional side. No pumpkin dessert option….what?!!! On Thanksgiving?! We decided on a lemon meringue tart which appeared to have had no lemon added in the making. Bland is an understatement. My husband’s steak took up the whole plate so he was happy but had to order potatoes as a side as well as a veggie. Our waiter was great, listened to my comments and kindly removed my meal and the dessert from the bill. He was the best part of the meal to be truthful….friendly, personable, listened to my concerns and disappointment and tried to solve it. So will we be back for Thanksgiving next year? If this is the offering probably not, and that makes me sad.
   

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6. R

   Renae

   San Francisco

   5 reviews

   5.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on November 29, 2024

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

   We had a delicious dinner for Thanksgiving, food was amazing!
   

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7. L

   Lawrence

   San Francisco

   4 reviews

   2.0

   4 reviews

   Dined on November 28, 2024

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

   One of our steaks was very undercooked and had to return it twice. Our waiter was helpful, Joel, he gave us a new steak, but it took forever, all of us were done eating when it came out. They at least comped our dessert and the steak.
   

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8. J

   James

   Los Angeles

   39 reviews

   5.0

   39 reviews

   Dined on November 23, 2024

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

   For a steak house, their Sea Bass was delicious! The Hamachi Crudo was just OK - but not bad.
   

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9. J

   Jonathan

   San Francisco

   9 reviews

   5.0

   9 reviews

   Dined on November 20, 2024

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

   Lucas and other staff were awesome. We had a very early dinner, food was prepared perfectly. It may sound odd, but the bread was spectacular. We cannot wait to return. Cheers
   

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10. A

    Alyx

    VIP

    Seattle

    6 reviews

    1.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on September 22, 2024

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

    So this place used to be our go to steak house. The time we went before this time I’m writing about, they were talking about how they’re struggling to stay afloat. Well my dad and stepmom were in town and like steak so we took them here. The second we opened the menu my boyfriend and I both looked at each other and said “uh oh”. They hike the prices up way higher than Morton’s (which was across the street and packed) whereas the grill had maybe two or three other parties tops? Anyway, selection decreased, prices increased, no bread service anymore. The waiter wasn’t as attentive as he could’ve been especially cuz basically no one was there. When it came time for dessert, he told us they don’t have a printout dessert menu so he verbally ran us through the options and forgot to mention canolis initially but we decided on the chocolate lava cake with espresso ice cream. He comes back and says sorry that was actually yesterday’s menu and gave us the options for today. None of which sounded good. We got coffee. It was $6 per cup of coffee (which of course we didn’t know til after since no printed out menu. I suppose we could’ve asked but still) and the coffee tasted like….idk I’m sorry but basically dirty dishwater. Incredibly disappointing. Everything about this experience. We will never be going here again. Will try Morton’s next time.
    

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