J. Gilbert's Wood-Fired Steaks & Seafood Glastonbury — Restaurant in Glastonbury

This has managed to be my worst service experience anywhere. The occasion was my friends birthday and she had never experienced a true steak house or fine dining experience. I was more than excited to introduce her to what was, to me the best steakhouse in CT. When we arrived for our 7:45 at 7:47, we were not actually seated until 8:00-8:05. We sat without a greeting or water for another 5 minutes. When our server came to greet the table we had already been given waters but were more than ready to give our drink order. We asked for a glass of wine and an espresso martini. As we could see by our location in the lounge the bar was busy and they were truly swamped with orders. But as we watched others drink orders come out we figured it would be any moment. It would end up taking us 25 minutes to get our drinks from the bar to our table. During this wait time our server asked us if we would like to place our food order. I saw this advantageous as we could perhaps get our food when our drinks would finally come. This would prove to not be the case. The server apologizes for the drinks and says they’ve been taken off the bill for which I am appreciative and understand the duress the restaurant may be under at this moment.

The entrees came (ordered medium and medium rare) over 58 minutes after the time we ordered them. The medium was medium rare and the medium rare was rare. My friend at this point had to either rush to eat in order to get home at a reasonable time or box her food. At this point I’ve asked for a manager who is no where to be seen. I ask another employee now to find the manager, still no resolve. The server at this point has caught wind of my displeasure and comes to us with a scoop of ice cream with one candle in it as the manager approaches me. As the manager steps away to “investigate” the cause of these shortcomings in service, the server quite literally drops down the one scoop of ice cream with no Happy Birthday nor positive affirmation. As she chases the manager to the POS computer system where he is looking further into how this all came into play. My friend is now crying as this has easily for both of us became the worst dining experience I’ve had in all forms of dining. When the manager returns I explain the lack of professionalism and respect we had seen in our experience and that I had never complained nor asked to speak with someone at this capacity. I explained that I’ve worked fine dining for over 10 years and that between the hospitality and the overall timing that there were serious flaws that I thought needed to be addressed if not questions in an attempt to recognize who fell short in this instance. His response was that of a typical FOH manager, “we appreciate your feedback” “thank you for your service” but only after he begrudgingly interrupts me by asking “Well, where do YOU work?” I did respond and explained the CT magazine best rated restaurant in southern CT to which he wrote it off as something pompous and continued to his managerial script. I never thought I would actually put a full play by play for how this overall evening would go. Because I never truly thought every piece of the experience would actually become tainted all the way down to the disingenuous apology from the young “well versed” FOH manager. And a quick slice of cake (which my friend cannot eat due to allergy/dietary restrictions) to appease me and keep my frustration if not anger at bay handed to us silently in a brown paper bag.

With regard to the restaurant as they read this. You underwrote who sat in your restaurant, I have a long standing record of coming in and tipping more than 30% each experience, I planned to order 2-3 more rounds of drinks that would’ve in turn upped sales over all. And I did indeed plan to do a dessert and aperitif. But instead I left with 1 glass of wine, a $60 meal in a plastic box, a piece of chocolate cake we threw out, and an unwarranted and unwelcoming melting scoop of ice cream and for the first time ever. A tip of $15 on $110 after drinks...

We had a 630pm reservation for a birthday celebration that was NOT ready. They sat us 20+ minutes late in a corner table by the booths as if they just threw something together. It took another 15-20 minutes later for our server, Stefan, to acknowledge us and serve us water. It was a Friday and they’re busy; they’re always busy for the times we’ve been here. However, this visit was chaotic and the WORSE visit.

We ordered our drinks and those took forever to come out. A Diet Coke and Coke should be the quickest drinks to come out. Giving him the benefit of the doubt that he wanted all drinks to come out at once but at the rate we were going, I would’ve brought things out as they were done.

We put in two appetizers of fried calamari. Unfortunately, the calamari was overcooked. The batter barely stayed on the calamari as the overcooked calamari was so shriveled and burnt. It’s too bad because their calamari is usually delicious but not this time.

Here’s what really upset me: I ordered a 14 oz Kansas City strip but was served a 14 oz ribeye. I was so confused and I have brain disease but my husband was as confused as I was so that spoke volumes. The server sternly told me that because I ordered a 14 oz Kansas City strip, the Kansas City strip doesn’t come in 14 oz. Okay, great. Why didn’t the server tell me this when I ordered it?! It gave him the right to automatically give me a ribeye?! One, I was so bored with the physically huge menu and waiting for him to take our order that I tried to memorize my order and put my menu away. Two, I personally don’t like ribeye but sucked it up any way because I was famished at this point of the night and I honestly didn’t want to send anything back for fear of retaliation. Not only did I get served the wrong steak but I was missing my side of wild mushrooms and all of our sides were incorrect. Those that ordered loaded baked potatoes didn’t receive it. Another issue was getting steak sauce. The steak sauce should’ve gone out with our food as it was requested when we ordered. We have to ask at least 3-4 times for steak sauce. By the time it came out, we were almost done with our meals. I just didn’t understand his lack of attention to our orders. It was like he was doing us a favor by being our server , yet, he was not doing a good job at his job. It was obnoxiously inconvenient to be at a STEAKHOUSE that is quite upscale and pricey but didn’t have their act together.

It was very loud in the corner. Drinks took a long time but were very good. Spicy margaritas were delicious. Crab cake is very good. Steak tasted great but would’ve been better if I had the right cut I ordered. Unfortunately, they missed the mark on service and it’s too bad. Our server didn’t even bring our food out. Individuals helping him did more for our table than he did. I wish I had a better experience as we frequent this establishment often but after this visit, things will come to a halt. We spent $659 without tip and still tipped generously. Honestly, I’ve had better service at Longhorns & Outback and for a fraction of the price. Very...

I recently dined at J. Gilbert’s in Glastonbury, CT on August 15, 2023, around 7 PM. As a solo diner who frequents restaurants multiple times a week, I decided to give J. Gilbert’s a try for the first time, despite being a lifelong Connecticut resident. The entrance area was surprisingly packed for a non-holiday weekday evening, and while the hour-long wait for a table was slightly off-putting, I found a comfortable bar seat within about 5 minutes.

The initial impression was positive as a bar waitress greeted me within 5 minutes of seating and took my drink order promptly. I had perused the menu earlier, so I was ready to place my order right away. I opted for the Shrimp Durango to start, followed by the center cut filet Mignon with citrus garlic broccolini and wild mushrooms, and berries & cream for dessert.

While waiting for my appetizer, I realized there was no cell reception, a common issue in the area. After some phone struggles, I managed to get the Wi-Fi password from a bartender, which helped me stay connected. The appetizer itself was a highlight, being both delicious and satisfying.

However, the main course experience had its downsides. Understandably, the restaurant was bustling, causing a slight delay in the arrival of my meal. Unfortunately, when it finally came, the steak was medium-well instead of the requested medium, and both the steak and broccolini had a slightly burnt side. This was disappointing, especially considering the price point. The lack of timely refills for my beverage added to the inconvenience.

What stood out most was the lack of attention from my waitress during the steak dinner. It's unclear if this was intentional, but as an observant diner, I couldn't help but notice.

Another peculiar observation was that every time a course was brought out, the waitress would place an updated check in front of me. I looked around the fully packed bar & noticed I was the only person with a check placed in an empty glass. This happened three times. This was unusual and left me wondering whether my appearance influenced the assumption that I might be unfamiliar with the price point. It's worth noting that I'm a black woman in my late 20s dressed in business casual attire. Feeling singled out was not a pleasant experience.

The dessert, berries & cream, was decent but took longer to arrive than promised. My bill amounted to approximately $87, and I left a $20 tip, understanding the challenges of the service industry. Unfortunately, the waitress didn't ask if I wanted change, and this oversight, along with being left to conclude the meal experience on my own after payment, added to my mixed feelings about the service.

Will I give J. Gilbert’s another chance? Perhaps. I might try again on a quieter weekday evening to see if the...