The Grill at Hacienda del Sol — Restaurant in Four Corners States

We made reservations for their Thanksgiving dinner buffet a couple of months in advance. The property is gorgeous and we had been here years prior for a lovely Easter brunch. The posted menu looked delicious, with all the favorites plus a charcuterie station and salad station. When we arrived for our 5:15PM reservation, the place was overflowing with people. They had a young lady out by valet checking folks in and the party in front of us was sent down to a banquet room which she said was for larger parties. We walked up to the The Grill dining room and were told it would be a few, and that they would text us when our table was ready. We got a drink from the bar (they were apparently adding in 22% gratuity to everything but we were not informed at the bar) which was packed and took advantage of their complimentary family photo area they had set up.

They first went to seat us 35 minutes after our reservation time at a patio high top table off in the corner that did not even have a table cloth put on it! We refused to sit there, given we were paying $90 each for this meal. They came and got us again, to seat us and the table had not been cleaned. Third time is a charm, they got us again and sat us at a normal table off the patio area. The servers were working in teams apparently and it was posted that 22% would be added for gratuity. This was fine with me for the dining, given the staff were working a holiday and the clean up of dirty dishes, etc. from trips to the buffet. The food was okay good at best. The mashed potatoes were so lumpy, like literally small lumps in every bite. Lots of options, but when we got to the dessert table none of the traditional pies they had listed were available or out. Our table had dirty plates piled up, given the server team was not very attentive (until the very end) in clearing items away. We were only charged $50 per person, so I felt a bit less disappointed given that (not sure if it was a mistake or on purpose given how long we had to wait)

We hit the gift shop and I ended up purchasing something. Boy was I surprised when I discovered they were adding in 22% gratuity there! Just for the young lady to ring us up? AND they did not even have anything posted saying that! I only discovered when I knew the item I was purchasing was a certain amount and could not figure out why the cost was so high with normal sales tax included. All and all, it felt disorganized -- or that they had overbooked tables? Grateful that I had my family together, but perhaps the management should rethink how they book next time to allow for meeting reservation times within...

My husband and I made reservations for the Christmas Day brunch at The Grill. This was my first time dining there. I must say that though the food was good and the preparation was creative, the service was not satisfactory, nor was the specific dining location where we were seated. Arrival: We arrived about a half hour early and were told that we'd be seated at our reservation time, so we walked around and took in the surroundings. We were not called at our reservation time, first of all. Ok, maybe guests are having so much fun that they are sticking around longer. No big deal, but nonetheless noted. Seating: Shortly after being seated in a corner next to a door that leads to more seating on a patio, we learned what a bad location it was. The door slammed behind every person who entered or exited through it and it was loud! Many of us jumped out of our seats and cringed when we heard the loud noise. Our waitress said she would ask if there was something that could be done. One would think that this is not the first time this door has had this problem, so there should be some sort of bumper to cushion the contact between the door and frame. Needless to say, no attempt to correct the problem took place. Most of the wait staff was very careful to slowly close the door behind him/her when going through, but the guests did not follow suit. We didn't bother to ask to be re-seated because the restaurant was rather full and we were hungry! Service: Our first server was a disappearing artist after the initial introduction. The second server was better, but he definitely didn't go out of his way to make the dining experience a pleasure. A 20% tip was automatically included in the bill. We were not happy about that. Nor were we happy that they goofed and tried to charge us for two persons when we had already put half down to secure our reservation. It was a hassle to correct the mistake. Entertainment: The first piano player we heard while dining was great. The second was just ok. Food: I was expecting a much larger buffet for the price. I've been to ones comparable in price that comprised multiple spaces and much more variety. Again, the food was good, but definitely not worth the price tag of nearly $70 per person NOT including drinks. Overall: We were in a better mood than we would have been otherwise because it was Christmas Day. You live, you learn. We will be trying another...

UPDATE No one from management has reached out to us regarding our experience. 7/10/2024

Made the mistake of booking a reservation here for our wedding anniversary. Based on pictures from their website, it looked like we would have a romantic dinner with mountain or garden views, and possibly watch the sunset. What we got was stuck in the back in the drab Murphey room. Service started ok with menus and waters, but it took two different servers to produce a drink menu. The food menu was a bit disappointing, and my wife commented that it looked more like a lunch menu. We were informed that there was no daily specials , as well. We ordered our drinks, and after quite the delay, they were brought to our table, and our order was taken. My wife ordered the black cod, and I ordered a flank steak salad. Food came out promptly, but then it went downhill from there. I was asked how I wanted my steak cooked, and I replied med rare. What I received was blood red and cold that I could not even cut with my provided "bread knife", as no steak knife was provided. Usually a server will come back and check on things, but not our server. We waited and waited for him to come back so I could ask them to re fire my steak, and order more drinks. After what must have been 15 minutes or so, I was able to flag down another server to find ours. He apologized and took the steak back to the kitchen. He then returned it a few many minutes later, with 2nd round of drinks. Steak was still red and cold. Not sure how a fine dining place can mess up something as easy as flank . My wife's cod dish was very , very good, and our only complaint was the small portion size of the fish.The server did come back, and after noticing that I had not eaten any of my steak, and only half of my salad, he offered to take my plate and bring us a dessert menu. We decided to pass on dessert and pay. When the bill was brought, no adjustment had been made on our order. After waiting again, I politely suggested that the steak be removed from the bill. The manager who never came over to speak with us took off $7 of a $24 "salad". The grounds are beautiful, and we may return for a drink at the bar sometime, but will not return or recommend the restaurant based on our visit. If you are to pay a premium price, offer premium food and service You can do way better. We ended up at one of our go to's for drinks and dessert to salvage our...