The Grille — Restaurant in Carson City

I really like this restaurant, with one caveat. Let’s start there. The service was a bit iffy. They were quick, but I got more than one bad look from the staff. My waiter seemed not to like me much, but he was efficient in taking my order and bringing my food. I just had the feeling a few people were judging me, probably for the mask I still wear since the COVID lockdowns for my own health. Sure, it is uncomfortable and stifling, but not getting sick on a regular basis is a pretty good tradeoff. I also like a good wide-brimmed hat to protect me from the sun. If I die, I would rather not have it be from cancer. Anyway, enough about me, let’s get to the good part.

The food is mostly superb. I had their green chili, and I got more than I expected. That was amazing, but what really stood out was the flavor. I make chili at home and was taught by an ICS World Champion, so I know chili well. This one impressed me on the very first bite. It leans heavily on tomatillo and cilantro, like a traditional Chile Verde, and has a nice sweetness that enhances the flavor. This is the best chili I have found in Carson City. My only critique is that the meat is stewed instead of diced, which saves time and effort but takes away a bit from the presentation. Taste-wise, though, it is excellent and not a deal breaker at all.

I also had their brisket with green beans, mashed potatoes, and gravy. The brisket was very good, though the portion size was on the smaller side (check the photo I posted to see what I mean). That would be my biggest nitpick. The barbecue sauce was delicious, and the green beans were very well prepared. The plate was supposed to come with Texas Toast, but they forgot it. When I asked, the server corrected the mistake quickly, which earned back some points for service. The mashed potatoes were good, but the gravy may be hit or miss depending on your taste. It was a low-sodium, from-scratch gravy that tasted like browned flour, maybe a little garlic, and some broth. I personally prefer gravy with a bolder flavor, but I respect the chef’s skill because this was definitely homemade.

As for the decor, it was very nice. The restaurant has a large, open center filled with tables, and I bet they could host a dance there without much trouble. I would have preferred a booth, but the spot I had gave me a great angle for taking pictures of the space.

All in all, this restaurant is great. I would 💯% come back, especially...

Hostess was very polite. Servers are great. I do feel sorry for the evening bus person, Jennifer. I watched her bounce from section to section to clear and clean nearly every table. While the second busboy (John) walked passed tables needing to be cleared and cleaned. He would walk past a dirty table in the back door to the kitchen, out the front towards the gaming area and walk back to the back corner (past the same dirty table), then repeat this four times. While Jennifer was cleaning tables. He did "help" with one table (took 2 glasses to the kitchen) when our server, Rhonda, was clearing the table, then disappeared. He was asked once to clear a table, he took two items to the back corner and again disappeared. Jennifer had to finish. This was not the first time this was noted by us. At first, it was "he's new, let him learn the ropes". But every time we have come in and he is working, the other bus-person is doing twice the work, while he (John) wanders around twirling straws, or finding something interesting out in the gaming area. He doesn't leave The Grille, but he checks it out. I understand hiring the disabled population, but when this is how they work, it is either time to find another job for them or let them go. Others working with them are the ones that suffer. Doing their job and his. And he...

Our waitress Debra's smile brightened the room when she asked what we'd like to order, and she was a lovely ray of joy bringing us our meals after helping us refine our selections. The manager, Sevando, quickly came to our table to politely respond to our request to order takeout and explained the new corporate policy forbiding take-out orders. We had a wonderful chat about corporate cultet & families. They were both so kind & generous, being a genuine joy to speak with & be meticulously served by. My husband had the Special Pork Chili Verde and was in heaven. I should add he knows his tacos as he's from Mexico. We shared the Banana Foster's French Toast and I had the Prime Rib omelet with the 3 cheese potato cassarole. The omelet was superb, the pototo cassarole yummy, and the french toast was tastey. It was a touch tough to chew versus crispy, and would have benefited from more slices of fresh banana, but the bananas that were there had a nice crisp to one side and added a wonderful dimension to our meal. We ordered the Chicken Fried Steak & Fried Seafood Combo platter (clams, shrimp, cod, fries...) and found them most excellent! We plan to see them again after enjoying Yosemite & King's Canyon National Parks, amd San Fansisco on our way back to Denver, Co. We hope you...