The Grilled Cheese Bistro — Restaurant in Norfolk

After visiting the mall I decided it was time to take a walk over to Granby St and find somewhere new to eat. It was a great day to have the day off yesterday, the sun was out and the temperature was perfect. I haven't had a chance to go downtown at lunch time for quite a while, in fact it's been about a year. I walked over by TCC and saw The Grilled Cheese Bistro and my decision was instantly made.

The place was full when I arrived at about 12:30'ish however I was able to secure a seat at the counter in less than 5 minutes due to several people that had just finished up. I sat down next to some hipsters and was greeted by the man taking orders behind the bar and started to review the menu. The menu while small had an interesting variety of sandwiches and I selected the 'Smoke House' which is Carolina BBQ and slaw with Cheddar and an order of Sea Salt Fresh Cut Fries.

I took a look around and admired the modern design of the restaurant. The space actually quite small however there's a really nice mixture of woodwork and modern appliances through out. There's also a specials board at back end of the counter which I had not seen before I made my order. If I had I would have certainly ordered from there as the sandwich listed was not a menu item and looked delicious.

About 10 minutes in my fries actually arrived first which I thought was odd for a side dish. The portion was huge and I mean huge. Easily enough for two or three people depending on appetites. I started munching on them, slowly, as I waited for my sandwich. About 10 minutes later the sandwich arrived and I must say it was one of the largest grilled cheese sandwiches I've every laid my eye's on. Thick, full of BBQ and cheese melting out the sides. This was going to be a good lunch!

Eventually I managed to eat the entire sandwich and about half of the fries. I couldn't eat anything else as I was rapidly approaching 'Food Coma' levels. We wrapped things up and paid the bill which came in at under $20 even with a generous tip. I'm really looking forward to come coming back and trying...

First time trying GCB. I have known about the establishment for years, but it has always either been super busy, or closed during the times I was in the area. This past weekend, planned to arrive as they opened. We were able to be seated at the bar top quickly. This is a small location inside, if you plan to dine in, consider this along with the weather as they also offer outdoor seating. No issues with the seating, they definitely have maximized the use of space between the kitchen and guest area.

The food, amazing! Everything that we had was delicious. We tried the chimmichuri fries, Loaded Baked Potato, Tis the Season, and The Orchard grilled cheese sandwiches. All were absolutely perfect and a nice twist on a staple type of meal. The portions were large, plan to either take home leftovers or not eat for the rest of the day. My wife and I said when we go back, we would share a sandwich and get some soup to try next time. It was a heavy meal for sure, but it was oh so worth it.

The staff coordinated the arrival of each item perfectly with when the last was over. Because we're were at the bar top, I was able to observe the entire kitchen staff coordinate each order. It was commendable. It was super busy, hut everyone was calm and efficient preparing the food.

I also noticed a lot of take out orders being processed. Needless to say, the hours they are open, they are busy. I would say to have some patience to dine in or carry out.

To the staff: Keep up the great work and consistent food. It was refreshing to watch you all communicate and remain level headed while handling many...

I got a grilled cheese and fries from the Grilled Cheese Bistro for lunch yesterday, and found myself having to run to the bathroom every 30 mins for the remainder of the day after eating there. I am now throwing up and have been since waking up this morning. My boyfriend has also had an upset stomach since eating the food.

Aside from the food making me sick, I was not a fan of how little space there was inside of the restaurant. I was also quite offended by one of the servers there... She was attempting to sit two guests beside us at our table, but I had a plate of fries that were in the way. She asked me if I was finished with the fries (it was a full plate of fries), and I said no. Without even asking me, she then grabbed the plate and jammed it between mine and my boyfriend’s other plates. Not only was it seriously rude, but it left my boyfriend and I with no room to eat. Our plates were literally overlapping. I also really disliked how large the portion sizes were, and the fact that it wasn’t disclosed by our server or anywhere in the restaurant that one order of fries is literally enough to feed 4 people.

The only reason I’m giving this place 2 stars instead of 1 star is because my boyfriend did really enjoy his sandwich. My sandwich was OKAY, but I also had mine without the meat that normally comes on it. I did enjoy the atmosphere as well despite how crowded it was. It’s unfortunate that it made me so sick, because I likely would have gone back to give it another...