The Grog Grill — Restaurant in Lower Merion Township

As many other reviewers have said, this place has less than the best service staff.

Aside from being completely inattentive, they have the audacity to lie to your face about stealing from you.

I paid cash for my first couple drinks as they came, then ordered one last beer and wings. When I got the check for the beer and wings, they added $5 gratuity without saying anything! The male bartender didn't bring me any change, even though I was owed almost $3 and he did not bring me a copy of my receipt. It all seemed fishy. When it sunk in that my beer didn't go from $5 to $10 over 5 minutes and they were obviously never going to bring change or my receipt, I asked for a copy of it. The balding male waiter said he wouldn't be able to give me one, but I insisted. He pulled it up a few times and exited a few times, oblivious to the fact I could see him, and he was obviously knowledgable of something he did that wasn't right, and finally brought me the receipt before running away without giving me a chance to talk to him.

In addition to adding a $5 tip and simply taking the ~$4 in change I was owed, he refused to be flagged down for explanation. When I finally stood up and confronted him, he told me that "the computer adds that past a certain time."

To a bill for one person? For a bill hardly over $10? Doubtful. A waitress came up to me and said it was because I hadn't tipped. Excuse me? I was still sitting there. I was still ordering. I am accustomed to tipping at the end of my dining experience, and I don't think the wait staff should assume I am not going to tip while I am still there ordering more drinks and food. Especially when they take it to the point of robbery by adding it to the bill and hiding it, lying to your face, and avoiding you when you try and ask about it.

I had to get up and hunt down the balding male bartender to ask for my change and my included tip back. He made some snarky comments, and then began talking about me behind my back to a waitress loud enough for me and other patrons to hear.

So sure. This place is fun. It's a nice dive, has a laid back feel, seems to be a place to go often for a sense of familiarity. But really? Keep an eye on your bill and your order. The fact that my order of a lb of wings only came up suspiciously short takes a back seat to the blatant theft they attempted. And now they will likely assume I don't tip because they didn't give me the chance to and tried stealing from me instead. Sadly, I will be back because that is where my friends go. Sadly, I am sure I can expect terrible service from now on. Worst part is, I was going to leave the change they stole as my tip--so long as it was my choice and not forced upon me by the bartender. Without their added tip and taking my change, it would...

I’ve been going to The Grog for several years, but there has been a drastic decline in both service and quality. The prices have become OUTRAGEOUS, especially the drinks. I used to like The Grog because it was casual pub fare and reasonably priced, for Main Line standards. That is not the case these days. Their liquor is far more expensive than nearby bars of similar casual scale, and I’m pretty sure their “pints” of beer are still 12 ounces, unlike the standard 16 ounces. Additionally, while I acknowledge that there is a national staff shortage, most of their staff act like they’re being held there against their will. You’d think that if you work for tips, you’d at least attempt to give friendly service. I keep giving this place chance after chance, hoping that they regain the quality and value that they’ve lost in recent years, to no avail. One of the more recent times I stopped in, the manager’s rudeness was enough to push me out the door. Tonight was the icing on the cake, though. We stopped in for a drink at the bar, and when we got our check (for 2 drinks), the bartender had added 20% gratuity, without telling us before she swiped our card. Now, I always tip 20-25%, even if the service is lackluster (which it was tonight). But the fact that the bartender added gratuity for a party of TWO, was offensive and unprofessional. I’m sure she had been adding gratuity for all of her bar patrons’ checks, many of which appeared intoxicated when I was there, so I doubt they noticed, and I can only assume that they likely tipped ON TOP of the gratuity that the bartender already added for herself. I almost made that mistake after having just one drink, so I imagine the others would not have noticed that she had already tipped herself on their checks. That was the last straw for me. Needless to say, I won’t be back. If you want tasty bar food and good service, the Main Line has plenty of...

I had high hopes for The Grog, drawn in by the mouthwatering photos on their website. Unfortunately, the reality fell painfully short.

To start, their reservation system seems to be for show—my girlfriend tried booking online, but no one ever responded. We decided to take our chances and walk in, only to find a much smaller and less inviting atmosphere than expected.

I ordered their house cocktail, the G Manhattan, and was immediately concerned. A Manhattan with a sugared rim? That’s a first—and hopefully a last. It was clear the bartender had no idea how to make a proper Manhattan.

For appetizers, we ordered the candied bacon and poutine. The bacon was a fun spectacle and genuinely tasty, but the so-called poutine? It was cheese fries with gravy, a complete insult to the dish. Anyone who has actually eaten poutine would be horrified.

The entrées were just as disappointing. My girlfriend’s mushroom and goat cheese flatbread was a disaster—a rock-hard crust paired with raw mushrooms. Her son’s Grog burger and sweet potato fries seemed to be the only safe choice of the night. I ordered the Reuben with a side salad, which was another letdown. The house salad was just iceberg lettuce with a few shavings of cucumber and carrot, plus some crouton dust. When I asked for the ranch dressing I had ordered, I received what seemed to be straight mayonnaise instead.

Bottom line: Do not be fooled by the pretty pictures online. The execution here is amateur at best, from the bar to the kitchen. If you’re looking for a place that serves proper cocktails, knows the basics of cooking, and values customer reservations, The Grog isn’t it. We...