Gander and Ryegrass — Restaurant in Spokane

I’ve eaten at Gander and Ryegrass three times, and while my first two experiences were fantastic, my most recent visit left me disappointed.

My girlfriend and I arrived slightly early for our reservation for the Marathon (about 5-10 minutes ahead of time). We were seated right away, which was nice, but then sat at the table for about 20 minutes without being greeted or acknowledged by anyone in the restaurant. We didn’t even get water during this time, despite me placing our empty glasses at the edge of the table to make it clear they needed to be filled.

What made this even more frustrating was that our server clearly knew we were there. She spent a lot of time at the table to our right—even serving them multiple times—while we sat waiting to be greeted.

When she finally stopped by, she asked if we knew about the Marathon, which felt unnecessary since that was the purpose of our reservation. I corrected her, telling her yes, that’s exactly what we were there for. Near the end of the meal, she asked if we were celebrating a special occasion—a question that would’ve made more sense to ask at the beginning, especially since we were both clearly dressed up.

She did mention that she was new, which may explain some of the missteps, but it felt like she was very unprepared to serve us or explain the dishes. I feel she should have been paired with a more experienced server to ensure everything went smoothly.

As a side note, my girlfriend asked if a drink with lavender-infused vodka could be modified due to her lavender allergy (which I had noted in the reservation). The server responded with, “Oh! I heard all about you!” which felt unprofessional and unnecessary.

The food itself was beautifully prepared and absolutely delicious, but the server’s lack of knowledge about the dishes was frustrating. She struggled to answer specific questions and didn’t do a great job presenting the courses. That said, the other servers who brought out some of the plates were fantastic—knowledgeable, professional, and much more in line with the level of service I’ve come to expect from this restaurant.

One other side note: if you add the bouquet to your experience, be aware that it doesn’t include a vase, which is surprising given the $45 price tag.

Overall, the food was excellent, and some staff really stood out, but the inattentive and unprofessional service from our main server made the experience disappointing. For a restaurant of this caliber, I would expect more...

Gander and Ryegrass has a lot of potential. The space is excellent--lovely ambiance and decor--and the passion for the menu is there. My experience, however, hit a few snags that couldn't be ignored.

Service issues have plagued restaurants since the pandemic and G&R is no exception. I get it--no one wants to work terrible jobs for terrible pay anymore, particularly ones that require you to withstand rudeness and stay on your feet for 8 hours at a stretch. But this restaurant was woefully understaffed. It was barely half-full but the 2-3 very dedicated servers simply could not work the room properly. The kitchen was also backed up, it seemed, and we went a very long time without drinks or food. It took over an hour for us to receive anything substantial, which was a hard experience given our hunger at the time. 10-15 minutes would pass with no server in sight.

The food had peaks and troughs of quality. I loved the small bites, especially a bread service with chive butter. The cocktail menu is also excellent--much of the mixers they make in house, and the quality and nuance were apparent.

I have an extreme sensitivity to spicy flavors, however, and the menu gave little warning as to what dishes had heat. An ostensibly harmless carrot side dish was packed with hot peppers; another vegetable plate was covered in fiery harissa. When I explained my aversion to the staff they were extremely accommodating, but in modifying our entreés for my preference something might have been lost: the pasta dish I ate was among the blandest I've ever had, nothing but wet noodles with chunks of pork and asparagus.

I admire this restaurant's aesthetic and the manner in which they rotate their menu, but with service this slow and food this problematic it was difficult to feel anything but admiration--very annoyed, very hungry, and very...

We came here for dinner on a Sunday night with a group of eight. The place was nearly empty—just one other table was occupied—which felt a little odd right from the start.

When we arrived, I asked for a high chair for my two-year-old. I had to ask three more times before one finally showed up. That ended up setting the tone for the rest of the night. Our server seemed uninterested—not friendly or welcoming at all. Anytime someone asked a question, she either didn’t know the answer or made it feel like we were bothering her.

The atmosphere was fine—nice enough but nothing special. It took forever to get anything to the table. Drinks came out in a strange order: beers arrived first, water came after, and the kids’ lemonade (which tasted more like lemon water) came last, and only after I asked about it three separate times.

The menu is way too small. We ordered the $11 bread, which turned out to be four tiny baguette slices. Since we ordered two servings, that meant one small slice per person for $22—not exactly generous. The snap peas were a hit—flavorful and a decent portion—but most other dishes were extremely small and forgettable. There was no kids’ menu, so we had to order spaghetti for the kids, which took ages to arrive.

All in all, it was a disappointing experience—especially for what ended up being a $300 dinner. Only three people in our group ordered alcohol, so the total felt pretty steep for what we got.

This was supposed to be a birthday dinner for me, and it ended up feeling anything but special. If I had to sum it up in one word: uninviting. The poor service was by far the...