Ellden's Grill & Banquet — Restaurant in Town of Grand Island

A Beautiful View Can’t Make Up for the Stress and Disorganization

I flew across the country to host my father’s 80th birthday, a milestone I had spent months planning. I booked this venue four months in advance for a small dinner of 19 guests and was told there would be no event before mine and that I could arrive early to decorate. Closer to the date, I was told by Hailey the manager a baby shower had been added beforehand, but that it would end early and I’d be texted once the room was ready and have plenty of time to set up for my dads special day.

That text didn’t come until 3:20 PM — just forty minutes before my 4:00 PM event. I still had to get there, and when I arrived, the shower was just ending. The room was messy, crowded, and unprepared, and I was left rushing and sweating, trying to decorate as my guests began arriving. It was chaotic, stressful, and genuinely upsetting, especially after traveling so far to make this milestone special for my dad. I actually had to ask the previous party to leave. My guests arrived with another party going on, I was really embarrassed and didn't have the time to finish setting up for the party.

Throughout the evening, service was minimal. I had to clear tables myself, find forks and plates for cake, and track down staff for even the most basic needs. When I asked for things they seemed very annoyed. No one really checked in, refilled drinks, or apologized. To make matters worse, the bill was overcharged and included an automatic 19% gratuity for service that barely existed. Considering the stress, disorganization, and complete lack of accountability, I should have been offered a significant discount or at least a big apology — instead, I was overcharged!

The view is beautiful, but the lack of organization, communication, and care completely overshadowed it. What should have been a joyful, once-in-a-lifetime celebration turned into a rushed and stressful experience I’ll never forget — for all the...

Matt our server was excellent. My wife got the Rubin sandwich which was also excellent. The burger was a little disappointing the Bun was way larger than the portion of the burger. We both wanted a glass of wine but they could not produce a wine menu so I had to go up to the bar to see what wine they had and asked just to have the house cabernet. After quite some time they finally informed us they don't have a house cab and couldn't even tell me what the actual prices were for the wine. We ended up ordering the apple strudel for dessert which was raw. The dough was still gooey and runny and left a terrible aftertaste in our mouth. Not a good way to finish a dinner. We showed it to the waiter and he could obviously see it and agreed. Yet they still found a way to leave it on our bill. The salt shakers are unusable the crude and debris on the salt shakers is disgusting We live on Grand Island just a few miles from this restaurant it's very disappointing to realize that we will not be patronizing This restaurant. We understand it's been under new management for the last few months they have certainly got their work cut out for them. $122 for 2 sandwiches and 4 glasses of wine and a...

The only reason for the 3 stars is that every time I visit, the experience is completely different. I have had servers who could work in the best restaurants in this country, and I have also experienced servers that would not be able to get a job at the nearest fast food establishment. I have had steaks that were cooked to medium rare perfection, and lamb with potatoes and carrots that were undercooked. The restaurant itself is clean with attractive decor. I would only recommend going at a time of day during golfing season when the golfers are either on the course, or later evening. During off-season, this is not an issue. I have found that after golfing has ended for the day, the bar area immediately fills up and the volume of noise...