FD's Grillhouse — Restaurant in Springfield

A family member ate here over the weekend and suggested we try it. We weren't impressed.

Upon entering the establishment after 2 PM Monday afternoon, the hostess asked if we preferred a booth or table. We asked for a booth, then she said we would have to wait for one. We capitulated to the table, and the hostess took us back and seated us at a dirty table, dropping menus and silverware in the crumbs and drink sweat rings in front of us. There were two clean empty booths close by and I asked the waitress delivering food to a booth next to us if it was OK to move. As she was the one who would serve us anyway, she said no problem and we moved. Not sure what the hostess malfunction was all about. The place was less than 50% capacity.

Our waitress, Iris, took our drink orders right away and had the large icy sweet teas out to us in about three minutes.

My wife ordered the Hawaiian Chicken, I ordered the Southern Basket with cornmeal catfish and an additional side of FDs Signature Salad.

It took a good while for the salad to show up - so much that my wife asked if I thought they were going to bring it out with the meals - and another 5 minutes after that. It was good though. Crisp lettuce, two cherry tomatoes, two caramelized pecans, a few croutons, and several apple shavings under a surprisingly good lemon vinaigrette dressing. I was done with it and had nearly finished my tea before the meals arrived.

The plates looked good. Her chicken was tender and tasty and came with a tablespoon of mango salsa and a dip that was much too spicy for her taste. The generous helping of steamed broccoli was - - unremarkable without butter. The doctored mashed potatoes are unique to FDs and were good.

My catfish basket arrived with two fillets vs. three advertised in the menu. There were three hush puppies though, but one was enough as it was quite spicy hot and very much detracted from the meal. A crisp semi-sweet cold slaw was ok, but cilantro didn't do it any favors. A generous helping of lightly battered fries completed the plate.

Back to the catfish. "Lightly dusted cornmeal catfish fillets (3) with homemade tartar sauce" is shown in the menu. I got two. The first was very good. Done to perfection. No muddy flavor. Tender with the right consistency and just enough spice to complement the cornmeal. The second plank was different. Not muddy - I think maybe it was out thawed too long? Had an "off" flavor inconsistent with the first and the consistency was different. Almost mushy. Less good.

As I was full enough and the "off" taste left me without appetite, I didn't contest the missing fillet. If the cook doesn't know any better and the waitress doesn't know the menu well enough to catch it - it's a management problem. The hostesses actions validate that...

We visited May 31 for my birthday dinner. I had been looking forward to checking out FD's for a long time. After multiple suggestions and looking at the reviews, I was excited to take my family of 5. There was about an hour wait when we arrived at 6:15, which we anticipated. When we were seated, the server (I was going to call her out, but decided againt it) did not introduce herself. Instead, seeming rushed, she asked for our drink order and began to walk away, not asking if we'd like an appetizer or anything else. I had to stop her to request our app. I come from ~20 years as a server, and so, while I'm understanding, I look for a certain level of service. The server returned with our drinks and began taking our order. There was no interaction, I had to ask her name, and she didn't present a friendly personality. We were cordial and tried to engage with her, but her service felt rushed and robotic. Our appetizer arrived promptly, and while the dip bowls were small, the queso, black bean dip, and salsa were very good. I ordered the gumbo, and it, too, was tasty with a good heat. The meals also arrived promptly. My oldest daughter said that her burger and fries were delicious, and my son enjoyed the Spinach Dip Chicken Pasta. My wife's trio was so-so: the stuffed shrimp was spicier than she expected, her baked potato was hard, and the asparagus was cold. In fact, her entire plate felt only luke warm from the start. But as it was late and we were hungry, she powered through. Besides, our server never returned after our food was served. My youngest daughter enjoyed her steak, though she should have gotten the 10oz, as the 6oz arrived very small. I know the weight is pre-cooked, but coming from the industry, it seemed a bit small. My ribs were unremarkable. The 1/2 rack was tiny in comparison to other places I have ordered, and they were so dry I couldn't finish them. The BBQ flavor was good, and they did have a nice char on them. They were just dry and disappointing. The slaw was excellent, and I enjoyed the grilled shrimp, but the corn was unseasoned and flavorless. All-in-all, FD's wasn't so disappointing that we won't be back, but the service was bland, and we will try different dishes if we return. But this was not the birthday dinner I...

They say a picture is worth a thousand words…so I could just end here…but I will add a few notes for those interested in reading on.

My dinner companion and I started with the trio dip app as we were both famished after a long day of hard work. I failed to take a pic, but I will say this - it is a delicious way to start the meal! A deliciously paired, queso, salsa and black bean dip trio that made me just want to order another and call it dinner! Each part of the trio was so good.

I ordered the “fish taco combo” with the baked potato soup and fries. It was delicious. The soup was very well seasoned and balanced. The potatoes were well cooked, firm enough to hold their shape but tender enough to fall apart on the tongue. The fries are beer batter dipped and double fried I believe. Soooo light and crispy! The “taco” was more of a wrap, in that it was one full sized tortilla wrapped around the fried fish and coleslaw with cheese. It was good but the portion was very large and not the kind of food that holds well or reheats at all. Knowing it was too much for me to eat and still be able to sample their acclaimed key lime pie, I opted to eat the fish from inside and leave the tortilla.

My companion’s meal was beautiful to behold and they ate every bite with gusto! They said it was well seasoned and delicious. They commented on the perfect broccoli and its seasoning.

DESSERT - we split the MASSIVE and AMAZING key lime pie. It is the good kind. The kind that gets you right at the back of your jaw line. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. The crust has a slightly spiced flavor of cinnamon and was a neat take on a traditional crumb crust.

All in all a fantastic meal, at a really affordable price…not something we see much these days. I, for one, can’t wait to go back and try a few more items on the menu. Hats off...