Del Frisco's Grille — Restaurant in The Woodlands

This visit was supremely disappointing! I am being quite generous at 3 *. It was Father's Day & my sister & I were treating our husbands to celebrate what extraordinary fathers & role models they have been to our now adult children. We started off w/a round of Bloody Mary's made w/their house infused horseradish vodka. Our apps were Deviled Eggs & Cheesesteak Eggrolls. While we normally shy away from anything w/truffle oil, the deviled eggs had a perfect balance of flavor w/a light drizzle of truffle vinaigrette that provided a great acid tang. While everyone enjoyed the cheesesteak eggrolls, I felt they were a bit heavy, tired & in need of creative reimagining. To me, they are tasty in a pub food sort of way but something I won't order again. For entrees, I will start w/mine as it was the only entree that was delicious. I enjoyed the Pan Seared Scallops on Goat Cheese Polenta w/tomatoes & pine nuts. It was a gorgeous plate of food! The scallops had a beautiful char on the outside that yielded to a sweet, tender center. The polenta, chermoula & pine nuts created the perfect fusion of flavors. My husband, sister & brother-in-law each ordered filet mignons (8/12 oz). Unfortunately, despite a lengthy disclaimer from our waiter upon ordering that Del Frisco's grills their steaks on the rarer side of each temp, the steaks delivered to our table were VERY overcooked. Upon delivery of the steaks, the table runner abruptly interrupted & instructed each person to cut thru the center of their steak to make sure they were not too rare before she departed. With excitement, everyone picked up their knives. I saw each of them slump a little in resignation as they cut through their filets revealing their very overcooked centers as each person's eyes fleeted from plate- to-plate only to exchange disappointing glances before each of them replied to the runner, politely, that no, in fact, they definitely weren't too rare. All of the steaks should have been rejected but in light of it being a Father's Day celebration, no one wanted to be the one to reject our entire table of entrees (except mine). As everyone tried to make light of the disappointment & make other conversation, I could not push the thought out of my mind that this was a cruddy way to waste over $150 for overcooked beef. Further, there was simply nothing redeemable about the uniformly browned steaks; the steaks were lacking a seared, charred outside that you can expect from ANY higher-end steakhouse. They each had brown-grey meat all the way through but MAYBE 1/2 -1" of a slightly pink-ISH center. Not pretty. There wasn't any of part of the steaks that was even remotely rare. To my further disappointment, my sister ate perhaps 4 bites & pushed it to the side of her plate. Upon her husband asking quietly whether she was going to eat it (as we all tried to make light of it & joked that, after all, it was a great CUT of meat) she replied it was too dry while she munched on her mini zucchini side dish. Moving on to the desserts...We ordered 2 desserts to share amongst us. The Nutella Bread Pudding was the stand out winner! It was, surprisingly, like a crispy, gooey brownie topped w/a scoop of a very light-tasting coffee ice cream. I am not a Nutella fanatic but I have to say that we agreed that this dish delivered the yummy deliciousness one craves! Win! The other dessert was the Coconut Pie which we were extremely excited about trying. It was a very beautiful, mini pie sprinkled w/white choc shavings. It was so pretty! To our disappointment, it most certainly didn't taste as good as it looked; it had a very unpleasant, undercooked flour taste throughout the bite. We each took one bite, wrinkled our noses & slid the plate aside to share the brownie. With the number of restaurant offerings in the area, I must say that I personally will take a serious pause before dropping almost $300 for lunch at Del Frisco's Grille again. Unfortunately, for us, they may not get...

Last Saturday evening, our family experienced something truly special at Del Frisco's in The Woodlands. Despite it being prom night for local schools and the restaurant nearly at capacity, what could have been a chaotic dining experience turned into an unforgettable celebration thanks to the exceptional team.

From before we arrived, GM Gus set the tone with his warm welcome and attentive oversight. His leadership clearly inspires his staff, as the entire service experience flowed flawlessly under a high ops tempo. Gus personally checked on our table multiple times throughout the evening, making us feel like valued guests rather than just another party on a busy night.

Our server Jessie was nothing short of phenomenal. His knowledge of the menu was impressive, but it was his ability to connect with our family that truly stood out. He took the time to understand our preferences, made thoughtful recommendations, and anticipated our needs before we even expressed them. Jessie's timing was impeccable, present when needed yet never intrusive.

The wine selection, guided by Sommelier Torie, elevated our meal to extraordinary heights. Her passion for wine and spirits was evident as she described each option, helping us discover perfect pairings for our various dishes. Torie has a rare gift for making wine approachable and exciting in a way that enhanced our appreciation without a hint of pretension.

But the true star of the evening was Chef Darren. The culinary artistry displayed on each plate was remarkable. Every dish arrived not only visually stunning but bursting with flavor that delighted our palates. Chef Darren's mastery of technique combined with his vision to go above and beyond resulted in food that wasn't just to be consumed but experienced. His passion and pride for what he does was evident in every bite, from the perfectly seared steak to the delicious appetizers and desserts.

What struck us most was how Chef Darren personally visited our table to ensure everything met our expectations. His humble demeanor belied his exceptional talent. We found ourselves discussing his professional journey and personal connection to cooking and it was clear that we were in the presence of someone who possesses all of the qualities to be recognized as one of our nation's leading chef's, seriously! We would absolutely be first in line if he ever decided to open his own restaurant, though we're thrilled to continue supporting him and the incredible staff at Del Frisco's in the meantime.

It's been one night since our experience and in reflecting on our dinner we all agreed that what made the evening so special was not just the outstanding food, but how this team transformed what could have been just a meal into a meaningful family memory. Each team member contributed to an atmosphere where we felt both celebrated and comfortable.

We've already begun planning our return visit. This experience has earned both our appreciation and our loyalty. In an area chock full of upscale dining options like the Woodlands, this team has distinguished themselves by creating not just a meal but an experience our family will savor for...

We didn’t at this restaurant probably half a dozen times in the past year, it’s always a decent option. However there’s a couple things that I really dislike. First on that list is that the chefs at this restaurant literally don’t know the difference between poached eggs and boiled eggs. I originally ordered my first poached egg meal on Mother’s Day last year and figured because I asked for my eggs poached hard (no runny yolk) that the kitchen was just backed up and giving me a boiled egg was easier, and I just let it slide and didn’t say anything about it. Recently we went back I ordered the crabcake eggs Benedict again with my eggs poached hard and my significant other ordered “eggs in purgatory” A dish that also includes poached eggs, he likes his poached eggs with a runny yolk the way they typically come. Both of our eggs for both dishes came out as boiled eggs, not poached eggs. Mine were hard boiled, his were soft boiled and neither of them were poached. There is a major difference in taste and texture between poached eggs and boiled eggs. If this restaurant were lower quality, I would almost understand, but being a fairly expensive high-quality restaurant I would expect the chefs to know the difference. The other thing I absolutely cannot stand is being asked 2 to 3 times if the reason we’re dining at this restaurant is for a special occasion. I’m sure that it’s something that they just ask every guest, but it comes off as rude and it makes me irritated every single time we go that we’re asked if we’re dining here due to a special occasion. No, it’s not a special occasion we just wanted to go somewhere with decent food for brunch. We will continue to eat here, because it is a decent restaurant overall, but I am starting to get frustrated with the fact that they don’t understand the difference between poached and boiled eggs AND at least one out of every dish regardless of if you’re dining with two people or four people is always cold. Last time it was the eggs and purgatory...