The Greene House — Restaurant in Phoenix

This place was outstanding!

Atmosphere: it was bustling the night we were here with our party of seven. People were everywhere, guests and servers included. It was frantic, and exciting, yet exactly what the night called for. It is a nicely open and spacious place, but with lots of tables around. There and large glass doors that open in the front to the sidewalk and other shops, it is really cool.

Service: The service was outstanding, from the hostess that sat us to our incredible server who knew everything on the menu and could make great recommendations and was basically a professional sommelier the same time. She recommended wines and drinks that were perfect for all of us, spot on, very impressive! Even the food she recommended to all of us was excellent. Everything was served promptly, friendly and with a great attitude, always helpful and attentive. We could not have asked for more.

Food: we started by sharing tuna tartare tacos and sesame chicken potstickers. Both were very good, fresh, obviously made with care and from scratch. I ordered the braised short ribs, of course, my favorite and almost always ordered when I offered. They came with smoked cheddar grits, c onion, roasted zucchini and mushroom and it was an excellent dish! Flavorful and fresh and clearly made by a chef who cares about flavor balance and taste. Everybody loved their food, no complaints from anyone.

Overall, this place was fantastic, from the atmosphere to the service to the food. Also, a reasonable value for the quality and volume of food that you receive. And great drink menu!

Would I go back to The Greene House? Yes, absolutely! Even if there were other local restaurants tempting me to try them, I would be pulled in The Green House direction....

I love to have lunch here to fuel up before shopping at Kierland Commons.

Today, I asked for a half soup/ half sandwich, which isn't on the menu, but they were glad to accommodate. The only slight disappointment was that I wanted half of my favorite sandwich there, the "Grilled Chicken Club," which has grilled chicken, Swiss cheese, tavern ham, bacon, honey mustard & avocado (on actual toasted bread), and I had to settle for a flatbread (very thin flatbread) wrapped "turkey, Swiss, avocado, and butter lettuce." (It also comes with hummus, but I asked them to leave it off.) Anyway, since both sandwiches are the same price, I couldn't figure out why they said that they couldn't prepare "half" of the former. Regardless, the flatbread sandwich was fine. It was fresh and I suppose healthier. My half soup was the chicken tortilla soup, and I loved that. Check out my photo of both. The half soup was a bigger portion than some places' side cups of soup, so that was the highlight of the lunch. My friend ordered the tortilla soup, as well, (half with half salad). We both really loved the chicken tortilla soup. The chicken is tender, it has nice chopped avocado, and the broth is hearty and delicious. Interestingly the tortillas are large soft squares (as opposed to the crispy type in other tortilla soups. (So, you can decide which you like better, but that's how the Greene House makes it) The iced tea is a nice light fruity floral tea, which is just a heads-up for anyone who prefers traditional tea in, for example, an Arnold Palmer, like I do, but hey, ya gotta change things up sometimes, right? So, all in all, it wasn't what I really wanted, but it was a fresh and nice change of pace for lunch today, and I love the outdoor eating area as...

This was a complete disappointment.

I walked in wearing athletic gear so before being seated, I politely asked if my attire was appropriate for the restaurant. The host exchanged a glance with the manager and assured me it was fine. Although their reaction seemed odd, I wanted to ensure I was being respectful, especially since it was noon and most guests appeared to be dressed in business casual attire.

We waited 25 minutes for a table, even though there was an open table near the front, about 15 minutes into our wait. A couple who arrived five minutes before being seated was placed there instead - by the same male manager who said my attire was okay. Despite the host discouraging me to review the menu because we’d be seated next, we were eventually taken to a cramped two-top in the very back corner, surrounded by three tables of toddlers - the only children in the restaurant. I didn't even have a place for my bags because of their strollers. The host sighed when I seemed annoyed and walked away.

Although the staff claimed there was no dress code, their behavior felt entirely discriminatory. To make matters worse, when I expressed my discomfort on our way out, they dismissed my concerns and offered a weak excuse about not guaranteeing specific seating. I never asked for a specific table, but nice try at a recovery, rookies. I saw you move us off the front table for the seemingly local WASPs.

But that’s okay, Alina next door made our day perfect! We dined at North Italia, enjoying the sound of birds, sitting next to two Russian women with their young child and dog, streetside. Our meal was delicious, and the service was prompt and cordial.

Perception matters. The manager and host involved should consider a career outside of...