1618 West Seafood Grille — Restaurant in Greensboro

Full disclosure: I vacillate between 3 & 4 stars - if I could give 1/2 it would be 3.5....and here's why: READ ALL THE WAY THROUGH. UPDATES AT THE END

A group of 11 of us went to 1618 for a celebratory supper. Our waiter, while very personable, was a bit too chatty in that he went on and on about certain dishes, starters, their flavors and how much we should order. So long that he actually had to leave our table twice without a food or drink order only to come back and start over. On the 3rd round, we finally got to put in a drink order and get some appetizers. The push for the highest priced items on the menu was noticed along with a pen mark next to a "mid-priced" bottle of wine. ($135/bottle).

In all fairness, the scallops were AMAZING and simply scrumptious. Please know that one order = 2 scallops (atop a single sushi roll - nice presentation). We were told "you need 3 plates of 4", so that's what we got. What were weren't told was that 4 scallops = 2 orders and were subsequently charged for 6 orders. The calamari is what you would find in a bag frozen from Costco - fried rubbery, and not impressive.

Our entrees came out and not all together. This was explained away by referring to other restaurants that "leave things under the warming lamp but we don't do that. Ours is hot off the grill"....mine was tepid at best. I ordered the grouper that comes with shrimp enchiladas because the waiter told us that being from San Antonio, TX, we would enjoy that flavor and it was like his mom made. (we lived in Austin, TX, so that was an exciting thought to get that southwestern flavor) epic fail. It was dry and the enchilada sauce tasted like it was straight from a can. With all the other dishes (friends shared bites of their entrees) having such deep and delicious flavors, this one disappointed. Mine wasn't the only dry grouper, the other gentleman at our table that ordered one was dry as well. The manager brought another small portion of fish at an attempt to reconcile along with some wasabi mashed potatoes (tasty) and took the meal off our bill, so that was a very nice gesture and much appreciated - I hate being that customer that complains about food, but if my other friend hadn't, I wouldn't have, but since there were two entrees of the same item that were sub-par, we did.

They also brought out 2 full plates of their desserts, which are simply scrumptious, as a "I'm sorry about this".

All in all, the service was good - more the managers than the waiter (he was a little "used car salesman-y") but overall generally 'ok'. Most of the food was outstanding - but it was the entire experience that was lacking.

With one entree and a 4 drinks, our bill was still almost $100 (including mandatory gratuity) so there's that. The atmosphere is loud, so it's hard to hear, and it is expensive, so be prepared.

12/12/17 edit: We were billed an additional $464.36 on top of our bill. Currently trying to work out getting that refunded as expeditiously as possible. Manager on duty was super apologetic; however, "human error" isn't really a good excuse given our entire experience. Will update as information becomes available.

UPDATE: The owner reached out to me and sent a nice note apologizing for all the of challenges we faced. Our account was credited and he mailed us a gift certificate inviting us to come back on him to try the...

Me and my brother were visiting our grandmother, from out of state, and we were craving some seafood since it's difficult to find back in Colorado. Scrolling through Yelp, I saw 1618 W and decided to give it a shot. We're glad we did because it was one of the best dining experiences we've ever had.

We showed up on a relatively slow Thursday evening and were immediately seated. My brother ordered a Whiskey Sour while I got an Old Fashioned. My brother is a former bartender and said that his Sour was phenomenal and my Old Fashioned was excellent as well, so major respect to the bartender, Jeremy, because the drinks were on point.

Our server was Damien, and he was great to work with. He was there for conversation and food/wine recommendations all night, even talking us through a small wine tasting to hone in on what wine would match with our meal perfectly. We started with the Muscles then I ordered the Potato Encrusted Seabass while my brother got the Seared Tuna, and every aspect of every dish was incredibly good. The Braised Pork Shoulder Lettuce Wrap that topped the seabass was one of those dishes that causes you to close your eyes and let out a sigh of happiness. We finished with an excellent Key Lime Pie and a couple glasses of bourbon from a respectable selection as Damien insisted on changing the music to our taste as the staff closed the restaurant for the evening.

I'm not financially well off by any means, but I don't mind paying a higher price tag for a meal; I've paid hundreds of dollars for a meal before and not regretted it... the stipulation is that the dining experience needs to match the price tag, otherwise it puts a serious damper on my night because I feel taken advantage of. Most of the seafood meals here were between $35 and $45 and knowing now the flavors and service expertise that I'm getting, I would gladly pay more. Me and my brother both tipped 40% and regret not tipping more.

Damien was on point with the service, Jeremy was on point with the mixed drinks, and the kitchen staff were on point with the food preparation. It's no exaggeration to say that this was the best dining experience I've had in years. I would unconditionally recommend 1618 West to anyone looking for the...

We visited 1618 Seafood Grille in Greensboro for Father’s Day and had a genuinely pleasant experience. The staff went out of their way to accommodate our 9-month-old daughter for the night before Father’s Day. They offered to bring her mashed potatoes, brought her straws for water, and every hostess took a moment to play and interact with her. It made the night feel especially welcoming and warm.

The food had a few surprises in the best way. The calamari appetizer was served over red beans, which caught me off guard at first. But the chipotle aioli tied the dish together nicely and helped bridge the boldness of the beans with the crispness of the calamari.

I had the sea bass, which was fantastic. Cooked perfectly. My wife ordered the salmon, and I was especially impressed with the plating (picture attached.) It was served on Israeli couscous that closely resembled salmon roe. Whether that was intentional or not, it was a fun and clever visual detail that I appreciated.

The drinks were also enjoyable. They were unique and well-made. My old fashioned was a touch on the sweet side for my preferences, but it was still solid.

My only real critique was the Caesar salad. It lacked flavor and overall structure. It felt underwhelming compared to the rest of the menu. I would also suggest a slight update to the ambiance. While it was perfectly fine, a small refresh could help elevate the overall dining experience. Particularly in the back room as it did feel a bit sparse/minimalistic.

Despite a few minor notes, the experience was clearly curated with care. The menu, although limited, felt purposeful and focused. Every dish had thought behind it and that effort showed throughout the meal. We would absolutely return.

I will add that I am grateful that Greensboro has a restaurant that aspires to be a cut above what would, on paper, qualify as “excellent”...