Red Horse by David Burke – White Plains — Restaurant in City of White Plains

My wife and I wanted to go out of town to a nice restaurant to celebrate our wedding anniversary and we had heard good things about this place so we chose the Red Horse by David Burke.

When I went to make a reservation their online system kept giving me an error message over and over again so I gave them a call. The person on the phone was able to take our reservation but then asked me to screenshot the error message and text it to them so they could see what the problem was. I appreciated the effort to fix it, but I didn't really see why that should be my responsibility. I did it anyway to help out.

He asked if there was a reason we were coming in and I mentioned it was our 2nd wedding anniversary.

When we got there we were seated right away but then made to wait awhile without even being given water. When our waitress finally made it over we were greeted with complaints about how busy they were, how long she had been there, and how about half their menu was now unavailable for the rest of the evening.

We probably should have walked out at that point.

The original dish my wife wanted was not available so she switched to a DB (David Burke) marked chicken dish and I had my eye on the DB dry aged ribeye. We ordered a Rainbow Roll of Sushi as an appetizer and a cocktail each.

Now for the food: My old fashioned was a little on the sweet side. And my wife was suspicious that her cocktail had any alcohol at all. The sushi, the Rainbow roll, was very good. It's a sushi roll we've had elsewhere before and this was as good as any. The chicken my wife order was dry. And my steak had some flavor I liked in the crust but other than that was pretty bland. The sauce tasted like a very simple and basic barbecue sauce and to be honest I've had a much better ribeye for less than $85 before. Not only that but nothing comes with sides so that's something you have to order separately. We got the French Onion potatoes au gratin. That felt like it had the most flavor on the table. It was good.

Our waitress barely checked on us and when she did she echoed her complaints about the night and work that day. She asked if we wanted more drinks, which we did, we were still trying to enjoy the night. The second round took so long that we had finished our meals and the plates had been cleared before they got there.

Onto dessert. Most of the desserts were unavailable but being that we were celebrating we wanted to try something and the waitress recommended the Banana Split.

It was much like everything else, boring. There were waffle slices in there but they were hard, not crunchy, hard and so were the bananas.

On top of everything, while we were eating, the fire alarms went off and we got to enjoy our food with a symphony of annoying sirens. Our waitress told us it was nothing to worry about, something with the circuit breaker. Then the manager came over and half heartedly apologized and reminded us that it was nothing to worry about it. The alarm continued for almost ten minutes.

At the end of it all we were given a bill that, with tip (which of course is always expected) was over $300.00. It's not that I don't want to spend that money on a meal, but I want it to be nice. Obviously, it was a rough night but in a way that shouldn't be my problem. The food wasn't great, the service left a lot to be desired, and if that's the way the restaurant operates then the price tag, to me, seems entitled.

Not once did anyone mention our anniversary even though they asked when I booked. And I'm not saying this because I was expecting too much. We have been to plenty of places, this price point and lower that make it worth it with awesome food, amazing service, and they make you feel special. This place didn't do it. If you're looking for a nice date night or maybe just a good meal I'd look...

This restaurant is participating in the 3-course prix fixe dinner offered at many downtown White Plains, NY during January’s restaurant month.

I started out with a very dry martini straight. Our waitress Jennifer, who was very friendly and welcoming asked if I wanted regular olives or blue cheese stuffed olives to which I happily responded, “yes, please I'll take the stuffed olives”. My friend also wanted some even though her cocktails didn't come, and Jennifer was kind enough to bring a glass with two skewers of three olives each. She expertly made my cocktail.

Although we were set on the three-course prix fixe meal, Jennifer persuaded us to try one of their signature appetizers. we couldn't resist the clothespin thick-cut bacon. Who doesn't love a little bit of flair with their food? The bacon was torched right at our table, the first cut was made by the waiter using scissors before he placed it on our plates for us to enjoy. Not only was it a fun presentation, but it was also incredibly delicious.

This was my first time dining at this restaurant, and it certainly won't be my last. The ambiance is lovely on its own, but with the charming downtown White Plains holiday lights twinkling in the background, the atmosphere was just magical. We had a table with a perfect view of the lights, which added an extra layer of warmth to our dining experience.

From the warm greeting at the door to the attentive service from our server, everything was seamless and professional. It's clear they prioritize customer satisfaction.

For the three-course meal, we both opted for the Ginger Salmon with chili glaze, served alongside sweet grilled tri-colored carrots and crispy Brussels sprouts. The salmon was perfectly cooked, with the flavors of the glaze giving it just the right amount of kick. The portion size was generous, and everything on the plate was well-balanced. For my first course, I chose the lobster dumplings. Two dumplings served in a thicker wrapper than I would've liked but the sauce had a kick, and the flavor of the dumpling was good so I enjoyed that. My friend got the beet salad with feta cheese and a mix of greens a very hefty salad, which she enjoyed.

To top off the meal, we upgraded to the cake pop tree for dessert. I don't recall what the up charge was for this dessert but I had heard it was good and also that the presentation was captivating . Blue cotton candy rests in the middle of a metal tier where cake pops are placed. There was a variety of flavors and coatings, and there were quite a few cake pops so even while the two of us had several each, my friend took 4 home to her grandchildren. There was also a flavored whip cream for the pops...

It's difficult to adequately express how disappointing our experience at this restaurant was, and I find myself wishing for a refund. I'm truly baffled by how this establishment managed to earn the title of "best of Westchester," as my impression is that it's actually the opposite – the worst in Westchester.

From the moment we arrived, the service was painfully slow. Even simple tasks like receiving drinks and water took an agonizingly long 20-30 minutes. At one point, I had to resort to sipping my guest's water to prevent choking on the dry food. The drinks, while reasonably priced, arrived late and were diluted due to the melted ice, despite the restaurant not being busy. Although we intended to order three bottles of white wine, all were unavailable, leaving us with only one option. Our server didn't offer to let us taste it before pouring, nor did they bother chilling it properly, giving us an ice bucket filled with completely melted ice water.

Our attempt to start with the "for the table" pre-appetizers ended in frustration. Not only did they take half an hour to arrive, but they were also mistakenly delivered to the wrong table. Our server didn't check on us, even when the pre-appetizers were nowhere to be seen, and we ended up receiving only our regular appetizers. When I pointed out that another table had received our pre-appetizers, our server acknowledged the mistake but had no intention of rectifying it. A manager eventually brought a replacement batch after we had finished our appetizers, only to exhibit annoyance when we declined them, repeatedly making passive-aggressive comments about the situation. They even managed to forget half of our appetizer order and only remembered after a reminder.

The quality of the seafood was abysmal, tasting as though it had been left out for a week and possessing an unusual aftertaste. The steak, ordered medium, arrived medium-well with no hint of pink or red in the center. The fries were both cold and soggy, and even the supposedly famous lobster – a point of pride for the restaurant – resembled the taste of dirty socks and was exceptionally dry. The fried rice was undoubtedly reheated in a microwave or prepared using instant methods, resulting in a lackluster, soggy, and flavorless dish.

The disappointment was so profound that we skipped dessert out of fear for what that experience might entail. I implore you not to squander your hard-earned money at this establishment; the overall quality is...