Gibbet Hill Grill — Restaurant in Groton

UPDATE: I originally gave Gibbet Hill 3 stars because we did not have a great experience for an event. The GM Martha reached out to me this week and we had a great conversation. I know that a business cannot be perfect and Marthas obvious concern for my experience was genuine and much appreciated. I am convinced that they are committed to fixing these issues internally.

I will start but saying our food was excellent as were our two servers. The servers really made the day for us. If it weren’t for them we would honestly probably give it less stars, but it doesn’t even seem like anyone in management cares anyways🤷🏼‍♀️ The view outside was absolutely beautiful. We planned a surprise anniversary party for 22 people. The communication with the restaurant manager was pretty poor all along. She was, I will, say extremely accommodating with the menu we wanted. They were also great the day of with our celiac guest. Our only complaints on the food were one of the kids ordered buttered noodles and they were absolutely covered in garlic and inedible and the veggie that came with the steaks was odd, just charred whole peppers. The rest of food we thought was excellent for a party of 22. My issues were mostly with logistics and communication. From our initial conversation we were told the room was available 11-3. I asked to book the room at 11:30, and set up before then for the guests of honor to arrive at 11:30. When we got the order confirmation two weeks ago it was all changed to us arriving at 12. I did ask the manager to change this and only heard back a week later. When we got there at 11:00 the restaurant was still locked and the manager on duty seemed a bit put out and told us she “hadn’t even read the order for the day so wasn’t really sure about anything.” We finally started asking the servers for drinks around 11:30 with no explanation of what was going on, and they kindly told us yes but they hadn’t seen the instructions for the day either. The guests of honor came at 11:35 and I think it’s fair to say the apps were not brought out until after 12. It was odd to have an event and have our guests sitting there for some time with no food especially with the sit down portion starting at 12:30. My biggest issue is the contract now says apps were to start at 12, but it was a live document always changing via a link and there was little to no communication with the restaurant manager before even though I emailed several times. My assumption would be that we would even get a call to go over the final plans before but there was none. If you don’t want things to start until after 12, then don’t say the room is available at 11. If you have an event here I would just emphasize to be aware of the lack of organization and communication before hand as well as when we arrived. We paid a premium price for Gibbet and only because of the cooks and servers did we finally get that level of service. The managements customer service was...

If you haven't been to Gibbet Hill Grill yet, go. Seriously.

This place exemplifies the perfect template for how a proper dining experience should be. Everything from the atmosphere, professional and friendly staff to the perfectly prepared food make this a very memorable experience like I have never found elsewhere.

I sat at the bar for dinner and a drink. The bar seats are very comfortable, and while busy, the bar staff were quick to greet with a smile. In other places that are equally busy, conversation is difficult at best, but not here. The accoustics are such that you can talk at normal levels and easily be understood. I placed my dinner order and was asked if there are any allergy considerations that they should be aware of. As I have nut allergies, I am extremely grateful of the unprompted thoughtful request. This won major points with me! Within 15-20 minutes, my meal arrived perfectly cooked and hot.

I opted for the 10oz Filet Mignon (medium temperature), smashed Yukon gold potatoes, and maple glazed carrots. And I can easily say hands down, each was the best that I've ever had. The flavors are very complimentary and nothing overpowered the others. The artfully garnished Filet was perfectly cooked to a medium temperature on the char grill, and seasoned just the right amount of salt to favorably showcase the delicate flavor of the meat. The smashed Yukon gold potatoes are equally flavored to perfection. Such a wonderful treat to have delicious potatoes that melt in your mouth compared to dry, overcooked spuds I've had at other restaurants. And the carrots... oh those lovely sweet carrots that are cut on the bias, perfectly compliment the savory meat. The overall portion is just right and you leave comfortably full. Honestly, the flavors are so good, you treasure each bite and wish that it will never end!

The prices are fair, and you definitely get what you pay for. Each aspect of my time here is positive, and despite there being a high volume of patrons, I was never rushed or felt like things were taking too long. There is a clear appearance that the staff enjoy what they do, do their job well and are respectful to their teammates.

It's not often that I can't find at least one area of improvement. This is one of those times where everything was... well... flawless. I will gladly make the trip from the Hartford area to relive this excellent culinary experience again! Thank you Gibbet Hill Grill for easily taking the top podium position in my culinary appreciation! I...

This was our 2nd time here. The Christmas decor was lovely! We had a fabulous appetizer - Duck Confit - I think. A leg that was perfectly seasoned and cooked and SO delicious! The crispy brussel sprouts and hot honey mustard were also delicious. We couldn't have picked a better way to start the meal. My hubby ordered a chicken pot pie that he thoroughly enjoyed. I ordered a duck breast that came with roasted onions sweat potato something (I forget) and usually risotto. Here's where I start to explain only 4 stars. I asked the waitress if the risotto was pasta. She said no, that it was a rice side dish. So when my plate came there was no risotto. It was mashed potatoes. The kitchen knew I have celiac. So they substituted out the risotto with the potatoes. I can't eat potatoes because the exacerbate arthritis, which I have. It's very unpleasant pain. I believe the waitress should have checked to see if that was an acceptable substitute. Other than that, she was a very good server. Now the chicken breast was another story! The fat was lightly browned. The meat was VERY chewy, like it really hadn't been cooked. It was just a little warm. I'm completely surprised that the dish left the kitchen like that. The green beans (new sub for risotto) we're good. When the waitress came to check on us I told her the issue. She offered to have a new one prepared or something different. I opted for scallops. These were very good but sparse, especially for the price! I think I got 7 which were spread out - to make it look like more?! There were 2 pieces of bacon and a small amount of turnip. And the scallops were small for sea scallops. DEFINITELY NOT worth $38! Our desserts were very good. I had Chocolate Pot de Creme. My hubby had Pumpkin Cheesecake and the Millionaire 's coffee. I do recommend this restaurant. But if the duck breast is on the menu,...