Sawmill Prime Rib & Steak House — Restaurant in Edmonton

We organized for a group for 12 to 14 people in a room. The room was great. The chair provided for me was about to fall apart and I had to ask for a replacement. I ordered a 12 oz. Ribeye (my favorite cut) When I received it it was considerably smaller that the 12 oz. steaks that I prepare at home (yes I weigh them for portioning). The side of gravy was a solid blob that would bounce when you tried to dip your mashed potatoes. I requested a replacement and received it some time later. My steak was cooked as I had requested it however it was almost completely fat with very little meat and dripping with grease. I ate my potatoes and carrots but could only eat a few bites of steak. After some time the waitress returned and I pointed out the poor quality of the steak she agreed with me and took my plate and offered a bottle of steak sauce as an apology. She did not offer to replace or correct it or even have the manager come and have a chat. That was the end of the discussion. (I was at a birthday party and did not want to make a scene about it and ruin everyone's time with a response) All I got was a response agreeing with me about the steak. The bill arrived and we got billed for the $52 steak with a standard 20% gratuity added for a party greater than 6 people. Once we left I called the manager who was apparently familiar with my complaint about the steak from the waitress but did not bother to do anything to assist with customer service. I told him that the fault lies with the person who put it on the grill, the person who served it and the manager himself. That poor quality of steak should not only have been served but it should not have been cooked in the first place. We used to go to this restaurant 2 to 3 times a week for lunch with our clients and it was always great that's why I chose it for the group. Also the manager said he wanted to discuss this further with the staff and call me back Monday Morning. I never received his phone call. Just a note everyone else in the party had good meals only mine was of poor quality(I saw other steaks like mine that were very good) If I could I would give "0" for customer service and quality of food. A restaurant of this caliber and price should have some sort of quality control in place other that here a bottle of our $7 sauce for your troubles and our lack of quality of our overpriced food( I am not complaining about the price only the fact that the price in this case did not meet the expectations of quality and service). We went there expecting to pay accordingly(aware that its not a breakfast or burger bar but a "nice" restaurant. I do not think that I had unrealistic expectations. If I had of known that I could have added a photo to the review I would have taken one for all to see.

I do not think we will be returning...

Came in for a dinner reservation for two and was greeted by the host who failed to check IDs and matching with the Covid proof of vaccination. A slight health issue, nonetheless. However, our server was proficient and prompt with her service as I noticed that she was also serving tables adjacent to us and possibly more outside our range of vision. We had arrived before said table but our entree came in after theirs.

Now, let’s talk about decor and ambiance. The decor is very dated and it looks like the curtains have never been washed. Three massive chandeliers brought attention to our eyes in a distracting manner. The background music was very bland which somehow suited the atmosphere.

For our appetizers, we had two bowls of French onion soup. As a starter, this should be somewhat hearty and primes you for the main entree. In this case, the soup was extremely salty due to the broth and it seemed like it was microwaved because there was a cheese rim on the bowl. Also, the plate and soup was piping hot. In some cases, this would be ideal, but in this case it was almost inedible. This could be one of many reasons, either the plate is kept in a warmer before serving, the soup is microwaved with the serving bowl or it was left in the heated pass-through before service for too long. We had to wait a little while until we could have a few sips of the soup because it was scalding hot.

The main entree now, I myself ordered the ribeye medium rare. My girlfriend ordered the 6oz filet mignon medium. The food came out in decent time, but to our surprise, it seemed like our doneness preferences were switched up. My ribeye was more cooked than I would’ve liked. The filet mignon was definitely not a medium. I can understand that this can be a normal human error, but for a steak house that supposedly takes pride in their work (this is an assumption as they charge, at the minimum, 27+ dollars for their steaks) these errors should not occur.

The positives were Our server seemed like she cared about our guest experience and we gratified her for that. She made sure that our waters were always topped up and checked in on us if we are liking the food and drinks. The service was the reason for the amount of added stars.

The food was very tasty and quite filling. We enjoyed the side of mashed potatoes.

All in all, the breakdown is as follows Atmosphere: 2 stars Food: 3 stars Service: 4 stars

EDIT: The owner has replied to this review on February 8th, stating that I call their store and ask to speak to them. I called and was greeted by a host, which led me to a manager saying that the owner is currently busy with a meeting. I left my name and number and I have yet to receive a call from them. It has approximately been a month. The review...

This used to be one of our favorite places to go. Unfortunately we will not return after our last experience. When we made reservations they asked if it was a special occasion. I said yes. It is our 18th wedding anniversary. We wanted a relaxing evening. We always were treated in the past like it was a special occasion even when it wasn't. When we got there, there was no one to greet us at the door. Several wait staff just walked past and did not even acknowledge us. Next we were sat at a nice booth. No complaints about that. Waitress took our order. Our cocktails didn't arrive at the table until after we had finished our appetizers. Waitress blamed it on the bar staff. We had ceaser salad to start and it came with cucumbers in it. Our main course came out 2 seconds after and was brought by someone else who didn't know who had ordered what. It felt like we were being hurried along and rushed. The main course was good but not the standard we were used to when we ate here previously. Waitress came past once we were halfway through the main course. Asked if we wanted a drink refill and horseradish for the prime rib. We said yes to both. She brought out a big bowl and slapped a big spoonful of horseradish onto the plate. Very sloppy. The drink refill never did show up. When she came to clear our dishes she apologized for forgetting the drinks. It happens sometimes and I get that but it was just one more thing in a series of issues. She asked if we wanted dessert. We politely declined 3 times. She insisted and brought it in a to go container. The wait staff used to be so professional and friendly and was one of the reasons we returned to the restaurant multiple times. Now they seem frazzled and unsure how to do their job. This restaurant used to be in the upper dining category but now fits in somewhere between Boston Pizza and Olive Garden. Just don't be shocked when the bill comes and the price is close to double what it would be at the 2 other places mentioned. I have no problem spending money as long as the food and service lives up to the price. They have drastically reduced the menu and taken away the classic tableside cooking. Overall it was a huge disappointment and we...