The Grille at Botanic — Restaurant in Opelika

Went on a date to the Grille at the Botanic over the past weekend, and made a reservation for a dinner for 2 in advance. I was excited to go because I've been to the Botanic before and its beautiful, and I thought it'd be a great date spot... but as soon as we got there, my date and I were taken to this table in the picture. The table was in a spot w/ very little decorations around. If you've ever seen the Botanic, you'd know its beautiful and has a lot of pretty plants, but where this table is has barely any decorations at all, and was a table for 4 which is not conducive to a date. It also is very close to their main door, which is incredibly squeaky and loud. And because its the main door, it is constantly opening and closing. Upon seeing the table, I immediately asked for different seating, but we were told that wasn't possible. In fact, we were told that if we wanted a table in a specific spot, we could ask when we make our reservations next time. So the entire dinner we just suffered through listening to this loud door, which was just disappointing. Further we were disappointed by the food. I ordered a lamp chop, and my date a red seared snapper. The lamb chop plate was fine, I guess the meat was rather dry, and I don't think it lived up to its price tag. The sides were some quinoa and asparagus and 3 (three) blackberries. The red seared snapper was good, but the sides for that dish were a few slices of zucchini and white rice. These dishes were both $50! Our server was nice, but overall I had a disappointing experience at the Botanic and would not recommend it for anybody that has to work hard for their money and wants to treat their date. Better off just going to Publix and getting nice ingredients to make fish, rice, and vegetables at home, and then going to Botanic afterwards to look at the plants. I never bother to write reviews for places, but my mind is genuinely boggled w/ how disappointing the Botanic was in terms of decorations and food. It makes no sense that the outside would be so pretty and that the inside would look like it does. And for some reason they don't even have live music. Its just some crummy piano that plays itself, and then some recordings of old timey music that clashes w/ the piano so you're just hearing two totally different songs playing at once. And the squeaky loud...

This place was STUNNING!

My husband and I visited the Botanic for our 5th wedding anniversary, and it was everything! To begin with, the grounds are just beautiful. The compound has it's own greenhouse that you can purchase the most beautiful plants from. The greenery surrounding the restaurant just makes it breathtaking. The restaurant also sits on a little lake, has a patio out back with live music and a bar area, and there is also a Market inside with coffee, pastries, and provisions.

My husband and I went in on a Friday afternoon, without reservations, and maybe waiting about 20 minutes. However, the place was still full and lively. We waited on the patio in the back, ordered a drink, and listened to the live music. Once we were sat, the hostess lead us out to the deck over the lake, best seat in the house. The staff and service were top notch. Everyone was very attentive, kind, happy, hospitable. I think we were asked by each person we encountered if we were celebrating anything, which was a nice touch.

The food was delicious. The homemade bread and herbed butters were phenomenal. We started out with the Pork Belly Burnt Ends. Perfect. My husband ordered the Red Snapper with Concecuh Fried Rice and I had the orecchiette. Both were amazing. For dessert we had the Banana Pudding Cheesecake which was delicious, and the Strawberry Shortcake which could have been better. All and all, I was extremely pleased with our experience at the Botanic and can't...

This was the worst experience. My party of seven was booked for 1:45 on Mother's Day. We had no idea closing time was 3pm. By the time we were seated at our table that left us with little over an hour to eat. The buffet started closing down at 3pm. When members from my table went back to the buffet certain parts were closed waffle/roast beef table. The only thing left was old breakfast items. Only one person at the table had dessert because you didn't bother to replenish the dessert table. The only thing left was a few pieces of cheesecake and a few cookies. Many of the ladies in my group was disappointed feeling like they did not get there $50 worth. I don't understand why you would book a party for 1:45 if you close at 3pm. Also, we received an text for the price and menu change a few days before Mother's Day. This is not good business. Needless to say I will not be eating at this establishment again. This was a...