The Melrose Grill — Restaurant in Renton

My partner and I finally tried Melrose Grill after having several friends and acquaintances recommend it.

Our experience was decidedly mediocre.

The food, the most important part, was just OK.

The bread that came first had a nice warmth but lacked the chewiness and structure I'd want from fresh and crusty bread, and lacked the softness I would want from more of a dinner roll.

The salad was over-dressed ('saucy', as my partner said). The lettuce was not too far away from being limp. It certainly had the feel of a dinner salad made with 100 other ones a few hours previous. The balsamic vinaigrette was oily, with a pretty faint amount of balsamic.

The filet I had was the worst I can remember having. While it was nicely sized (9 oz), it was slightly over-cooked, medium instead of medium rare. It was kind of dry, kind of mealy. It was a shadow of the moist, rich, and buttery filets I've had dining out at places like Asadero, or cooked for myself while camping. The flavor was ok, and was helped with some of the pan juice, but there wasn't much of that, it was gone before I was halfway through. I didn't finish the filet but took it home with me, thinking I could chop it up to put in some tacos.

My partner had the prawns and was impressed with how many there were. She found the flavor and texture good, but not great.

The garlic mashed potatoes were very good. Some steakhouses go overboard on the butter, but not here, and I liked the balance of creaminess and garlic and salt. I liked the little bits of skin left in for texture.

The veggies were also good, a little too salty for me, but simply done and cooked just short of being too soft.

The chocolate torte we had for dessert was decadent but twice as thick as it should be for something that rich, in my opinion.

As for the service, all the staff was very friendly and kind. But there was a lack of skill and, I dunno, decorum that I expect at nicer restaurants. We were asked multiple time if we were 'still working on that?'. Our server seemed rushed and made it clear to us that she was very busy and had a lot going on. The drinks we ordered at the bar took quite a long time to find us at our table. I had a scratch margarita that was ok, but my partner's marg was a bit heavy on the sour mix.

And the atmosphere wasn't great. It was busy, and cramped. With some more liquor and better food, and later at night, maybe this makes the place kind of raucous and fun. It will surely be while before I go...

Best steakhouse, with value in mind, in WA Washington. Hands down.

Pictured order: 16oz Ribeye (med-rare), with garlic mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, and sautéed mushrooms as an accompaniment. Starter was a fresh caesar salad. And all paired with a simple glass of merlot.

My steak was perfectly cooked. Fantastic marbling throughout the ribeye. And the flavor was just amazing--but without overwhelming the flavor of the meat itself. The caesar salad was tossed beautifully, with just the right amount of cheese, dressing, and a lovely hint of anchovy. I'll never NOT get this salad for my starter. The sides are excellent, with the garlic mashed potatoes perfectly flavored and with a great texture. Lastly, the mushrooms were to die for and the perfect accompaniment to my steak.

As for service: My server, Raina, was incredibly kind and helpful--especially with getting in my solo order ahead of a huge business group that was ready to order (so my food wouldn't be held up behind them). She checked on me repeatedly, ensuring that I never felt forgotten during the very busy dinner rush.

The best part of the experience: The bill. $55 for a large, high-quality ribeye steak, in 2024, is fantastic. The value proposition, especially in terms of the quality of the food, is outstanding. It's great for first-dates, casual, or fine diners alike.

My only demerits against Melrose would likely be the building itself. It's small and it's a very old building. Much of the furniture is quite old. And the atmosphere is somewhat--dank. Also, the dining space is very, very limited. Walk-ins are accepted, but don't be surprised if you're hit with a long wait. That said, the building is a historical landmark, dating back to 1901. It's a living piece of Renton history. And most of this is mainly nit-picky of me, but I can totally see how the space could be a turn-off for diners looking for something a little more spacious and modern--rather than someplace as rustic as the Melrose Grill.

All in all, this is my favorite steakhouse in all of Western Washington. If you love your steakhouse experiences, then the Melrose Grill is a MUST TRY...

Me and my husband were really really excited to try this place as we are in the mood for a good piece of steak often. Heard so many good things about this place and I think our expectations ended up being way too high and in the end it didn't quite match it. We finally made It to this restaurant on a Sunday dinner shortly after 4 pm (when they just opened). There were just a couple tables there and we were promptly seated at the booth of our liking. The prices for steak were not bad at all, for $39 I got an entree that came with veggies mashed potatoes,side salad and bread.The waitress was very nice and down to Earth, took our order and brought us some warm bread. Bread I would not say is anything outstanding - just a couple warmed rolls. We didn't finish them. I got a Salad wirh Blue cheese and my,husband got balsamic vinegarette. Both salads were WONDERFUL.Vinegarette dressing had a nice garlic flavor to it -YUM! It wasn't no iceberg lettuce and the greens were very fresh and high quality. We were very impressed with our salads and waited for about 30-40 mins for our entrees to arrive. I had a 9 oz filet Mignon and hubby had his favorite ribeye. Both of us bit into the steak and both of us agreed that it was slightly overcooked and charred and crispy on the outside. The steak was very very thick. Also the texture was very strange it was very tough and my filet was not tender at all. To be honest I've never had a steak like this before anywhere else. Overall we were not very happy with the actual steak and our mashed potatoes were on the colder side. Vegetables were very lovely and nicely seasoned. We will come back and give this place another try- who knows maybe it was just an odd night but next time we will order our steak more rare. This was an okay place with beautiful decor and antique looking building and very good...