La Griglia — Restaurant in Houston

I have been here on 3 separate occasions. The first time the service was incredibly slow and the server was not the friendliest. The broccolini soup of the day was amazing The truffle risotto was bland. Short rib cappelletti was good but I would probably not order it again. Bolognese was great.

The 2nd time I placed a pick up order for pizzas. The menu online did not match the menu the girl had over the phone - it was very confusing and you could tell she did not know the menu very well in general. She agreed to accommodate my order from the online menu and told me it would be ready in 15 minutes. I came 30 min later and I waited another 10 inside the restaurant. She came back out and told me they just started working on it because there was a "mix up." I understand human error and I wasn't upset at all - but I also had to be somewhere so I cancelled.

The third time was today - a Monday during lunch (about 3pm). We walked in and we were asked if we wanted to sit inside or outside. I said outside and we ordered our food but after about ten minutes - I realized it was way too hot (It was a sunny summer day and it was over 100F) and decided to move inside. My husband and I were running errands during the day. I had jeans and a tank top on and he had a Nike shirt and shorts set on. We were the only people there aside from two gentlemen sitting at the bar outside who were drenched in sweat.

When I walked inside, Jay was on his phone by the bar looked up at me and then back at his phone - no greeting. When I went to sit at the bar, I greeted him and instead of greeting me back - he said "there are no shorts allowed inside." I told him we already ordered our food and that it was just way too hot to keep sitting out there. He repeated again that "there is a strict dress code policy." I told him we were not told that at the door and also pointed out that the restaurant was literally empty. I then sat down and tried to explain how we were trying to give the spot another chance after various mishaps and he just shrugged and said "there are rules." He didn't seem to care about hearing or making up for the previous experience. Because I was so hungry - I told my husband to just go home and change (we live across the street). After my husband walks away, another employee (Sam) walks up behind me and loudly asks Jay if he needs to call security. I found this incredibly rude, uncalled for and offensive - especially because my husband was already leaving the dining room. When my husband returned (changed), Jay never came back around to apologize for the inconvenience or to thank him for changing. If he was a decent manager, he would've at least tried to recuperate or lighten the situation and ease our discomfort. Again, we live across the street and could easily become lunch regulars - which they clearly need since we were the only people there.

I understand rules. What I don't understand is the delivery and the dismissive, rude way Jay spoke to us. He did not even bother to greet us as we walked in and again, he did not bother to interact at all with us again. The situation could have easily been repaired - maybe a cold beer for the man who walked back home to change to still eat at your restaurant. I also think that for a restaurant that has no customers during lunch - maybe they can be a little more lenient on hot summer Houston days. Night time dress codes are one thing - but a slow lunch? Another couple walked in after us - in an Astros polo and shorts and were told they would need to sit outside so they left.

The servers were so sweet and they were trying to make me feel better because they could tell I felt awkward after Sam loudly threatened to call security on me. The food was actually great and we would've ordered more but we chose to leave after our appetizers since we seemed to be a burden to Jay and Sam. I encourage ownership to rethink their dress code during lunch and summer. But I especially encourage ownership to retrain Jay and Sam on hospitality and how to deescalate situations rather than drive...

We have enjoyed La Griglia for so many years and had high expectations when we ventured to the new location last weekend. It was my wife’s birthday and every year she looked forward to dining at La Griglia. Things went south in a hurry and we may have had our last meal at our favorite restaurant.

Here is the bullet point version: -- We entered into a comfortable bar atmosphere but were seated in a room colored in white, gray and silver. Cold and uninviting compared to the warm colors of the original restaurant. Also, much louder than the old place. I walked around and ventured into the garden dining room and I highly recommend insisting on eating in that area. Much nicer and quieter. -- Wait staff was not nearly as congenial, which was probably attributable to the fact that they seemed hurried. Some had panicked looks on their faces. No idea why considering how slow the service was. -- My wife always enjoyed having a frozen Bellini as a cocktail. Do they still serve them? Nope. She was not pleased. -- We always enjoyed the calamari appetiser, but they no longer serve it. Instead we had the ARCIOFI ALLA GIUDIA, which is simply two artichokes that have been baked or fried and slathered in lemon and butter. Not terrbily exciting. -- Despite the chaotic behavior of the wait staff, the food service was very slow. The kitchen may be understaffed. -- Speaking of the kitchen, we sat near it. One older couple was seated at the table closest to the kitchen, which was loud and bathed them in florescent light. Understandably, they were upset and were reseated somewhere else. The layout of the original location shielded all patrons from the activity of the kitchen. -- If you’ve ever eaten at this restaurant you know about the bread baskets. They still provide them but not nearly as generously. -- Wine list by the glass was somewhat lacking. We had the pinot noir which was extremely sour for a pinot. -- I always order the frutti di mare for dinner. I’ve always enjoyed it but it was bland and lacked in the usual spice. -- In the past, they always brought by a complimentary basket of cookies for dessert. It was a simple and lovely touch. Not anymore! You want it? You gotta pay for it. Bush league. -- The restrooms: there are two restrooms each for the men and women. Unfortunately, each restroom has only one toilet in it. Be prepared to wait in line outside the restroom. -- Parking. More than likely you’ll have to valet park ($7) because, even though the parking lot is fairly large, they’ve reserved most spots for valet. So much for the convenience of the parking garage at the old location. -- Overall it felt like they were attempting to wow us with atmosphere and forgot about the food and service. Big fail.

So, this was a very disappointing evening, especially considering it was my wife’s birthday. Whoever managed the restructuring of this place...

It truly pains me to write this review. But here it goes…

I have been a frequent diner of La Griglia for over 28 years. The original location was a mainstay in River Oaks—and for good reason. When Tillman acquired it from the Vallone portfolio, he preserved what everyone liked about it: the menu, service, approachability, etc. The new concept, however, reflects a complete reversal. While I absolutely love the chic, suave interior aesthetic and intimate dining room, I couldn’t believe that the true La Griglia brand has been forever buried six feet under.

They no longer offer a happy hour. (Those delicious short rib sliders and nice selection of non-pretentious wines are gone.) The menu has been entirely gutted. You will be hard pressed to find familiar starters, soups, salads, and entrees because management has instead opted for an à la carte-centric offering with increased prices, smaller portions, and … caviar. They even shed their celebrated frozen bellini, replacing it with a “Harry’s Bellini” (inspired by the original recipe from Harry’s Bar in Venice).

For lunch, one of my favorite menu items was their chicken pesto panini. I was told that it is no longer available and that the lunch menu has been completely reimagined.

In our present-day culture, we have so few concepts that remain untouched. Don’t get me wrong. I understand the desire to “refresh” a concept, especially when you change locations after decades. My expectations were something more refined, some additions and subtractions to the menu, and an overall more forward-looking experience. Instead, I witnessed a total gut renovation.

It’s truly jarring when you walk in to find veteran servers that you live wearing black bow ties. And waiter captains are now in white tuxedo jackets. It creates an environment that simply doesn’t square with what Tony Vallone created—and what was a successful formula.

Fans of the complimentary tri-colored biscotti and cookie assortment will now have to pay for it. While the pizza bread remains part of the bread service, they no longer offer other breads to accompany.

La Griglia always had a weekday appeal. You could pull up a chair at the bar, banter with the bartender, enjoy a cup of soup and salad, meet friends or colleagues for happy hour or dinner, and feel at home. I can’t imagine people wanting this fine dining experience on a frequent basis… especially during our oppressive summers when restaurants across the city are inherently more casual.

I’ve accrued many points on my Landry’s card—all of which have been exclusively through La Griglia. Unfortunately, I can’t continue to patronize with the same frequency or enthusiasm.

The management team, led by Rich, and including Jay, Roger, and Sam are all fantastic. It’s just a shame that they are all collectively trying to sell this new location as La Griglia when their core clientele...