Old Gilman Grill — Restaurant in Chattanooga

My husband and I went here for Valentines Day this year. When you walk in the atmosphere is nice, beautifully decorated, cozy lighting and they even have a glass wall where you can see your food being prepared. It definitely felt like we were in for a real treat at a fine dining restaurant. Unfortunately, that's where the sparkle stops with this place. We ordered drinks and an appetizer while we looked over the menu and honestly that first round was the best part of the night. It took a good 30 minutes for us to receive our appetizer (we got the special of gruyere cheese, jam, baked with puff pastry on top and bread) and it was okay until we found a piece of paper baked into our $16 puff pastry and when my husband ate some, he got an overwhelming chemical taste. I knew something was wrong because his eyes were watering, and we immediately told our server. She apologized a lot, took it away, told us it would be taken off the bill and dessert would be on the house. Coming from a serving background what really surprised me was after this problem was discovered the manager never came over to our table to ask us questions or see if there was anything he could do. I have never seen a manager not address a customer when there has been a problem with the food brought to the table and at this price point you would think that would be the first thing that would happen. For our entrees he got the filet mignon, and I couldn't decide between two meals, so I had the gnocchi, added on steak for a protein which was a $17 upcharge (we had no problem doing that because I got the best of both, and it was a special night out). Our food took forever to come out (people who sat after us got their food before we did) and when it was brought out it was less than impressive. The broccolini had no flavor and neither did our protein. The only thing really worth eating was the gnocchi but even that all you could taste was garlic. It was supposed to have a truffle sauce and gremolata on top, but neither was present. We got the flourless chocolate cake for dessert and that was awful. It was dry, clumpy and the strawberry sauce that was on the plate tasted like something out of a bottle that they tried to make "expensive", and it was inedible. When we finally got our bill, the appetizer was not taken off, but the dessert was. Our waitress grabbed the card so quick we didn't get the chance to talk to her about it. Look we have no problem going out and spending a good bit of money on a nice meal together because we don't get to do it often, but this place is all smoke and mirrors. Our total for the night was almost $200 and it was absolutely not worth that price. We can get a better steak at Texas Roadhouse for a fraction of what we paid. It feels like someone is trying to play restaurant and has no idea what they are doing. Maybe next time instead of using your money for decor you should spend it on the food that you are giving people and the training of your kitchen staff. I have no idea how this place is still open or why it has so many good reviews. The only enjoyable part of the evening was spending time with my husband and the chocolate martini. I wouldn't suggest dining here unless you like to waste your money, there are more upscale restaurants in Chattanooga that actually deliver on the quality of their food, and you won't...

We visited this restaurant for three consecutive days. On two of those days, we even visited twice. The Bartenders are great but the management needs replacement or to be better trained. We always tip at least 50% for poor service and sometimes more than 100% for great service, which we did on ALL occasions here. The employees even approached us on the visits to say hi and thank us. One of the nights we watched one couple sit at the bar and make out - nothing done. Second night, we watched at least six people make drunken fools of themselves and nothing was done. We were rudely and inappropriately refused service on our final night in town. The manager, Blake, never approached us - never walked up to have a conversation with us to determine if we should be cut off. Nothing. We asked the bartender what was going on and he told us that he could no longer serve us. We cleared our tab and went back to the Westin to call management on the phone as we did not want to cause a scene at the restaurant. Once Blake was on the phone, he started off by saying he had spoken to us - which was a complete lie. Secondly, if he was a half-decent manager, he would have actually spoken to us to thank us for our continued patronage, multiple visits, and in the case of possible refusal of service, had a conversation with us first. But, nope, nothing. After wasting my time talking with him, we went back downstairs to the Westin bar and asked the bartenders there if we appeared intoxicated or if we should have been refused service and they couldn't believe how we were treated. Maybe this manager has a problem with two guys sitting at a bar or maybe he was just having a bad night but he made a bad call and he handled unprofessionally. Using your employees to vicariously deliver his bad decisions is the largest sign of a bad manager. We spent over $1,000 at this restaurant during a pandemic when at best, we saw the place 40% occupied. We deserved better and you not only lost a great customer but also great people that treated your employees extremely well.

Update: Management reached out to me and handled the situation in an extremely professional manner and worked diligently to rectify the experience. At the end of the day, they exceeded my expectations and I would visit the...

We arrived at the restaurant, and it only took about five minutes to be seated in a booth. The atmosphere and the restaurant itself were beautiful, but the menu was a bit complicated to understand. After we were seated, two couples came in after us and were seated next to us. Our server came by, served us water, and said she would be back. The other two couples were served their appetizers and drinks before us, while we only had water. We waited around 20 minutes until the server realized she had forgotten about us. She came over, apologized, and explained that it had been a long day for her. She then explained the drinks and food, and we ordered our appetizers. The appetizers arrived about 10 minutes later. The bacon-wrapped dates were fantastic, and my son and I loved them. The ciabatta bread was also good. When it was time to order the main course, my son already knew what he wanted, and I decided to try something different. I ordered salmon, asparagus, and rice. The restaurant has an open patio, and mosquitoes everywhere inside, which was quite annoying. The server came back, apologized, and finally brought our food. However, my salmon came out alone, and the rice was served separately. The asparagus was missing. I tried to make eye contact with the server without overreacting, as I didn’t want to embarrass my son, who is a teenager. When the server realized the mistake, I mentioned the missing asparagus. She apologized and said they forgot about it. It took another 5 to 7 minutes for the asparagus to arrive. By that time, I had already eaten half of my salmon, which lacked sauce and was served plain. The rice was good, and I appreciate good rice being from Puerto Rico. By the time the asparagus arrived, I was already full. We were there for almost two hours. The restaurant offered us a free appetizer and drink, but it didn’t make up for the numerous mistakes. Given the high-end nature of the restaurant, I expected much better service. The total bill came to $120 with the discount, not including tips. My son wanted to tip the server 15% , but the options were 20%, 23%, or 25%, which felt unfair given the service we received. We paid the bill, but this has been one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had at a...