Illusions at The Grand Ballroom — Restaurant in Ferndale

I came to Illusions yesterday for my birthday and made a reservation for 3pm. First we didn't get seated until 3:20pm which was very confusing because the two tables she brought me to were empty and it was not busy at all when we arrived at 3pm. The hostess was very sweet and had great customer service but the first booth she was attempting to sit us down in (the one closet booth to the kitchen/bathroom area) was dirty so the hostess stated this table has not been wiped down and sat us in the booth behind it which was fine things happen. I am a 10year bartender and I defiantly understand that some days are overwhelming but there is no reason that we were ignored the first 15-20 mins of being seated and honestly our whole time there. Our server Von/Vonna D greeted us after sitting for almost 15-20 mins and spoke so fast while walking away that all I heard was she was going to get us water and if we wanted to do the buffet we could go whenever. She then brought the water and stated the same thing but I explained I wanted to order the crab dip as she put it in and walked away again. She didn't explain the endless mimosas at all and I actually had to ask another server to place my mimosa order. Vonna came to the table with the crab dip, still no mimosas and at this point it was almost an hour in and as I was trying to ask for the mimosa because I was not aware she put it in she cut me off and said your mimosa's are coming and left the table. We had no silverware and another server noticed and asked if we needed some silverware and gave us some thankfully. I also had 2 friends arrive at 3:18pm and she had them waiting for about 15 mins as well and another server had to find her to get their orders. She was very rude to them especially my female friend. My male friend asked for another menu or if there was anything else he could order outside of the buffet due to dietary restrictions and she told him no. When clearly on the menu he could have ordered crab dip or wings as those were options outside of the buffet but he didn’t see it because she didn’t give him a menu so I had to d her job and remember what was on the menu but he didn’t o9rder anything because she was so rude. I also noticed her go outside or would see her after another server has helped us just sitting around on her phone ignoring us when we needed things. Our bill was 300 dollars and we did not receive the service we deserved from our server especially because it was my birthday which she ruined with her nasty attitude. She didn’t explain anything at all and I left her a tip when she didn’t deserve it because I try to give people grace. I just really want to express that the food and other servers were decent but as for our server she gets a 0. She is the reason my birthday was ruined. And the fact that this is still boiling my mind the next day is crazy. She needs to do better period we are not there to spend 300 dollars to be...

My SO and I do not drink alcohol and have a number of food allergies. We were very excited to see Illusions open near us. We went on a Friday evening (530ish)and there was only one other couple in the restaurant with 10 employees in the front of house. The atmosphere was pleasant, music was a mix of 90/2000 R&B hits, the decor was IG inspired with perfect little coves for taking selfies. Service is very slow, considering it was only one other table of two that’s bad, many staff were on phones,and looked bored as hell. Our Server seem a little inexperienced and we repeated our order several times as they had to re-enter our order.They also carded us even though we were ordering off the Mocktail menu and had to repeat that also. The first round of drinks took about 15 minutes to come, which is not very long, but within that time 5 different staff walked by and asked if we were ok or needed anything, the food was even slower to come out. We were sat right next to the hostess stand/entryway and didn’t not see any To Go orders being brought out or picked up, so no excuse for the slow service there. The drinks were fabulous, blackberry bleeze was light , bubly and sweet with just a pinch of tart. The campfire was Smokey and sweet with a bit of a burn the charred cinnamon stick was a nice touch. I got a second one and it was more fig and syrupy sweet lacking the cinnamon burn. The food was a 0.00 star. Got the Thai chili wings no flavor and wings taste like frozen unseasoned Walmart wings. Watch an employee walk in with two bottles of food lion bbq sauce and go to the kitchen so I wouldn’t expect any of the wings to taste like much. Got the Stawberry salad and it was missing half the ingredients no cheese or candied pecans. And the burger was bland and overcooked, also missing the extra avocado that I ordered. Once the food was dropped at the table we were never checked on again. 20 minutes after we finished eating, and still hadn’t seen our server Someone, not a server, came to clear our table. We asked about the missing ingredients, if they were out or just forgotten, another server offered to have them make another salad but 1. S.O. had eaten the salad and didn’t want another 2. They were out of the ingredients anyways. No one offer to discount the salad and was charged for the extra avocado we never got. They also included the gratuity (18%) in the check , I usually tip 20-25% depending on the service. But I think that auto-gratuity is why there was no offer of a discount and no management on the floor to help with these types of issues. We were curious of their brunch but I don’t think we’ll be returning. Also a better list of ingredients on the menu, after getting home I had a reaction to my drink but none of my allergens were listed on the menu, so if honey is in any of the drinks they may want to...

Illusions, huh? The name fits—because it’s giving “upscale-ish,” but not quite.

Look, I’m not new to this but I’m true to this. So to fair…Yet… real—this was a true illusion. It looks like luxury from a distance, but up close it’s more like your cousin trying real hard to impress with a rental Benz. Been around for a while, and clearly has a loyal following, but it’s definitely not for everybody. More for the extremely laid-back and “I just came to vibe” type folks. Fellas—ladies were in the building, so if you’re on the prowl, you’ll feel right at home.

Now let’s get to the main event—the food. RSVP. That line is not worth standing in if you’re hangry. Luckily, I rolled up with an NFL Eagles player and we slid right to the bar (blessings). Went for the all-you-can-eat buffet with unlimited Bellini. I respect that it’s served to you—folks get real reckless at buffets—but not y’all trying to hand me one piece of everything like I ain’t hit the gym six days a week. It’s cheat day, let me live!

Food was…meh. Like that auntie who just learned how to season properly. It’ll do the job, but nobody’s dreaming about it later. The Bellinis? Basic. Wycliff champagne, nothing memorable. But the price point? Solid—for the folks who either care about the cost or pretend not to. Some dishes were greasy, some were dry, and some just didn’t make it to the plate—but I was full after one round so no love lost.

Now the vibe? That’s where Illusions shines. DJ spinning 90s and early 2000s—just the right throwbacks without blowing your eardrums out. It was grown, chill, and cool enough for me to lean back and enjoy.

Big salute to our beautiful bartender “Cash” from NYC—healthcare worker by day, weekend MVP by night. I’d honestly come back just for her energy (and drinks). Not my worst experience, just not aligned with where I’m at in life—comfort, quality, and standout moments. Still, always love for the DMV locals.

Final take? Illusions is for a very specific crowd: upscale-semi-ghetto, bad hotties, and people just trying to have a good time. If that’s your lane,...