The Grille on Congress — Restaurant in Boca Raton

Dinner at the Grill did not advertise its excellence. It’s an ordinary, if nice, establishment. Looks can be deceiving. I arrived before my companions so I had a cocktail at the bar. As a single woman over 30 I don’t get much attention from bartenders of either gender. The male bartender quickly took my order, assured me a Negroni was not a problem order then quickly produced said cocktail expertly. It was glorious. I laid my credit card on the bar to indicate my desire to pay when he asked if I was leaving so soon. I was stunned. I explained that my party would be arriving soon for dinner. I may have tipped a bit higher than I normally would in the face of such courtesy. When a larger party came to the bar I stood to give them my seat as I would leave soon anyway. My party arrived and we were seated quickly choosing a high top in the bar to waiting even a few minutes. We all ordered then waited about 20 minutes. I just wondering if there was time for a second pre-dinner cocktail when we were served. I had the swordfish piccata. When I say it was meticulously fresh, luscious and sinfully delicate I do not exaggerate one iota. This gorgeous swordfish will go down in my history as the gold standard. Every other chef will have to live up to this magnificent dish. My companions ordered steak, soup, sweet potato and another swordfish - all were excellent. Their cocktails were excellent, even one that was made sweeter than usual by request. We didn’t order desert.

It was after 9 on a weeknight by the time we finished talking so we broke up the party to find our beds. The Grill on Congress is an excellent establishment that is doing everything right. I...

This was one of our favorite Steak restaurants until recently. We have visited 3 times in the past couple of months and the quality has sadly been effected, we suspect, by the pandemic. The first time the steak seemed ok, or at least we told ourselves that. We did wonder if it had been frozen though. The next time we had to admit it was at best ‘adequate’. Again it didn’t taste as fresh and succulent as it used to, and was a little grizzly. On the last visit the steak was again below the old quality, but to add insult to injury my girlfriends was over seasoned and very salty. The onion straws were cold as well. We told the waiter that the steak was too salty and we just got an ‘ok, I’ll tell the chef’. That was the last time we saw him until he took my payment. My girlfriend took most of her steak home for her dogs. It had been our favorite steak house for at least 3 years. We did, just once, have a bad steak there a couple of years ago, but the owner addressed the issue, apologized in person, and explained that she had recently switched vendors and had received several complaints. The next time it was back to its high Standard.

We sadly decided we had given it our last chance when we last visited about 2 weeks ago. We have since had steaks at both Brio in PGA, and Capital Grille in Boca Raton, both were significantly better, fresher, not over seasoned, and really tasty.

It may be another victim of Covid, but that said, the other two places I mentioned have maintained...

Stopped in for a quick bite at happy hour before a film and it was rough.

First of, walking in, bartender and hostess (maybe owner?) are having a conversation they continued for another 45 seconds before I just interrupted to ask to sit at the bar- fine, whatever.

Next we sit down and the happy hour prices were changed from the website by a few dollars, whatever, inflation is real, moving on.

Then we order $7 appletinis with so much sour mix instead of sour apple, it wasn’t the right color.

My companion has a shellfish allergy, turns out they use one fryer they send everything in so no calamari, no egg rolls or fries. I end up ordering the egg rolls for myself. Asking about the quesadilla, they include onions that cannot be removed which just doesn’t help. We end up communicating we don’t want them, but not clearly enough so they brought both things out. Whatever.

TV has early 2000s bay watch and Fox News on; cringe.

Today is a heat advisory- we were never offered waters.

Eggs rolls are cut at a diagonal for the hope I don’t realize I spent $9 for two pork egg rolls covered in ground pepper and full of grizzle. Plates are hot to the touch but inexplicably covered in bagged salad mix.

You can have either terrible service or terrible food, but not both.

Go anywhere else if you...