Harvest at the Masonic — Restaurant in McKinney

Wow, what a truly memorable evening we had at Harvest at the Masonic in McKinney, Texas! From the moment we walked in, the ambiance was welcoming, sophisticated, and perfectly charming. However, the highlight of our visit was the incredibly delightful service provided by our waitress, Cat. She embodied excellence and personalized attentiveness in every interaction, creating an experience that went above and beyond mere dining. Cat was an absolute gem—a rare and valuable find in the heart of downtown McKinney. Her balance of attentiveness was flawless; she was always there when needed but never intrusive, allowing us to enjoy our meal and conversation without any hurry or interruption. We felt cherished and cared for, thanks to Cat's warm and inviting demeanor. Her ability to make us feel special, understand our needs, and predict our preferences showed her true mastery of customer service. Our dining experience was elevated by Cat's in-depth knowledge of the menu and genuine enthusiasm in sharing her recommendations. Her guidance led us to a delightful choice of dishes. We started with the homemade bread assortment, perfectly accompanied by creamy butter, soothing both the heart and soul. Of course, my TEXAS mom requested an additional basket to go😜The Don Julio shot was just the refreshing mark we needed to begin our evening. It took a minute to go to the third floor bar to fill the shot, but it was well worth it🥳🥳🥳 Everything from the harvest salad to the beet salad burst with freshness and flavor, a testament to the farm-to-table commitment of Harvest. My Texas mom adored her hamburger, exquisitely cooked and bursting with flavor, complemented by indulgent sour cream mashed potatoes. She also loved the balsamic flavor of her harvest salad with pecans and gobbled it up hungrily and was mysteriously quiet during the consumption phase of that salad... Kinda like my two chickens in the backyard, Mary and Martha, who go into a feeding frenzy when you provide super worms from PetSmart in the 25 count😂😂🤣🤣🤣😝😝😝The crispy chicken breast I ordered was tender and moist, an absolute treat that felt like a feast in every bite. I hope they weren't relatives of Mary and Martha🫣🥲 As our meal concluded, Cat guided us through the dessert choices, leading us to a fulfilling end with the luscious apple Betty and the rich chocolate mousse. In the bustling and vibrant setting of Harvest at the Masonic, Cat shone as a brilliant star amidst the wonders of fine dining, making our experience truly spectacular. Whether you're local or visiting, Harvest is a must-go destination, supported by cheerful service throughout its uniquely designed three floors, bars, and live music, bringing the McKinney community together in harmony. The owners also own Rick's on the Square and some other place that I can't remember at the moment as I'm still in a food coma ...Thanks to Cat and the incredible team at Harvest, we left not just with satisfied appetites but with hearts full of...

Edited Review (see original for posterity below)

**Edited: *Third Edit We had reservations for the second floor but upon arrival were informed there was a wedding reception happening and would be moved to the first floor. It would have been nice to be informed of that when I received a courtesy call the day before to confirm our reservation but I'm not dinging the experience for this as 1. I'm a fan of weddings and definitely not angry that Harvest was hosting a reception and 2. I'm giving the benefit of the doubt that the one calling did not have that information. So we had dinner on the first floor and never made it to the second floor. *Third Edit comes here - turns out I WAS called but missed the call AND the voicemail they left. This was all my fault.

The first floor reminded me of the old building and experience minus the open-kitchen views sadly. If you plan to have a date where you care to actually hear what your date is saying, the first floor is definitely where you want to be compared to the third floor (see Original review 👇.) Again, I can't comment about the second floor atmosphere. 4 stars for Atmosphere.

Our waiter, Joey, was truly one of the best waiters I have had at any restaurant in a long time. He was attentive and quick to respond. He was knowledgeable and very service-minded. He truly seemed to care about his job and it showed. 5 star service!

Finally, 4 stars for food. My wife got the beet hummus plate and thoroughly enjoyed it. My observation - seemed like a lot of sweet potato chips and not much hummus but it was her dish and she enjoyed it :). Then she got the brisket tacos and I got the filet for main course. Brisket tacos (3) were yummy. Joey had me cut into my filet to ensure it was cooked properly (medium rare.) I would say it was a bit more rare but I didn't mind. All-in-all a much better food experience than my original post below.

Thank you, Harvest staff and ownership for the date night!

**Original: I really wanted to like this place. First time at the new location. Made reservations then saw the 3rd floor had live music but had to call to request. I did that but when we showed up for our reservation, the receptionist had no note for our 3rd floor request. We did thankfully get a table right away but that laid the foundation for the rest of the evening.

Slow service. Not a single water refill our whole meal. Ordered a drink and when it came out and I said it was the wrong one, the server said it was what I ordered. I told them to please check as coffee liquor does NOT taste like pineapples...Got the correct one to come out but it was terrible.

Ordered a medium-rare burger. It was overcooked and dry.

I put a 3-star for the atmosphere as the 3rd floor "lounge" has got some good vibes but you get off the elevator and the band is literally right there. The acoustics are awful so it is very hard to hear the...

Well I've read many of the reviews and ok. My wife and I decided to give Harvest a try. Now before I start, I have made many reviews and given my honest opinion each and every time. I have given praise where it warrants and I have slammed establishments. This will be no different. We had 730 reservations this evening. We were early and had to wait which was no problem. My issue is if I'm going to an establishment where I have to make reservations, there is a certain level of expectancy in presentation when walking in the door that goes along with it. Even tho the host team was nice, I don't like seeing one with an eyebrow pierced or one wearing sneakers. It's not professional. All around it seemed like the whole establishment was trying too hard at the whole Artisan fad, which I thought had finally went out but I guess not. From the decor to the menu it was over the top, not our cup of tea.

Now let's get onto the food.... We had the deviled eggs which were great, along with the pimento and cheese dip which was another good choice of you can get pass the layer of oil and/or grease it's floating in.

The complimentary bread reminded me of yester years of elementary school rolls that had been sitting in a fridge for weeks.

We both ordered the New Bison New York Strip. I'm still trying to wrap my head around as to why my wife's cut off meat was literally twice the size of mine. I'm not exaggerating on that.

My rule of thumb is, if you are going to serve a $45 steak, I believe I should not need steak sauce. You do not need steak sauce here cuz they cover it in their house sauce to mask the bland flavor of the unseasoned steak. I purposely scraped the sauce off the meat to try it plain and yes bland. The mashed potatoes that came with it was way over salted to the point my stomach is still turning over an hour later and I could not finish them. The carrots were good and I'll leave that at that.

We did wait just shy of 45 minutes for our main course, and yes I time this stuff for accuracy for my reviews.

Now onto the positive: Our server David, super nice and attentive to us the whole time. He was the only positive part of our experience.

I believe if your top meat product is bad the rest of the menu is going to be downhill.

Overall verdict on Harvest is hard pass if you're looking for...