Greg’s Grill
Last night we decided to try Greg’s Grill for the first time. It’s the new upscale restaurant down in the Old Mill District that just opened to much fanfare from the Bulletin, which revealed, among other things, that they spent "around $225,000 training the Greg’s Grill team of 120 employees" over the week prior to the opening. Wow.
Brace yourself: it’s not a cheap dinner. ("Cheap" being relative around here, of course.) The average entree costs about $25, beers are over $4, and even the kids menu has a $10.99 rib plate (usually, kids menus average $4 to $5, in my experience). However, the ambiance, the service, and the food all made it worth it.
The interior is vast, a cavernous lodge-hall construct (my wife commented that it reminded her of the "Sunriver lodge resort" look) with 27-foot high ceilings and lots of natural wood. It doesn’t look that big from the outside, but it does look good.
The service was very, very good—though with the emphasis they placed on service in that Bulletin article, it should be. Our waitress was sharp, funny, and prompt. Very helpful, too.
Steaks are the order of the day, though they do offer chicken, seafood, and some pasta as well. I ordered one of their "signature" dishes, the Danish BBQ Baby Back Ribs, which were very good—hardly any fat, and a good sized portion. They come with extra sauce, baked beans, the grilled veggies, and potato pancakes. The pancakes were the potato side; I haven’t seen those on a menu too often, and they were tasty.
My wife got a steak and two baked sweet potatoes (because the cook thought "one was too dinky"). The steak came with a smoky sauce that was really good. The kids’ mac and cheese was very gourmet, too—they loved it.
Overall, I think they’ll do very well, both overall and down in the Old Mill. The only problem I foresee is the parking; the Old Mill isn’t exactly renowned for their abundant and accessible parking, and with the construction they have going on there right now, it doesn’t help the situation any. Otherwise, it was all around a good experience.
Greg’s Grill
395 SW Powerhouse Dr.
Bend, OR 97702
(541) 382-2200
That place holds 280 inside and 120 on the patio! It’s HUGE!
We were told by staff that the kitchen can’t handle that many people, so there will be wait times for dinner even if the place isn’t packed.
The husband of one of my co-workers is a cook/chef/something there, and she promises that I’ll get some discount cards — will try it out then (as I certainly can’t afford it now). But the place is VERY beautiful, as I saw it during construction.
I’ve been there 2x and disappointed each time. The first time I chalked it up to the newness of the place. Fool me twice, shame on me. I won’t be back.
First time through, the food was bad. My steak was nearly well done and I ordered rare. For the money, they can at least cook it properly. The second time through it took 35 minutes. My friend was DONE before it arrived. Her meal was acceptable – just barely. When steak # 2 came out, it was gristly on one side. This after the waiter upsold me to the 40 dollar NY – how unclassy is that to offer different grades of meat? Just sell the good stuff.
Anyhow, the waiter commented that maybe they messed up and gave me the lower version, and would I like him to prep one of those. I said no, please just remove this from the bill, I am going to Longboard Louies for a burrito. He refused to adjust the bill, the manager offered a new steak but would not credit the bill. I worked at the Ringside in Portland for 7 years – I know how this is supposed to work. Someone who sits in your restaurant for 90 minutes with no food shouldn’t be asked to pay when you screw up.
I vowed never to return, but a client dragged me there for lunch. All I can say is that my sandwich was passable, but the service was really bad.
We eat out regularly but will not return to Gregs. Too bad – the beautiful place has potential.
My husband (Greg) and I are the owners of Greg’s Grill and I would really like to have Jill Beard contact me regarding the experiences she has had at our restaurant. This site has been very informative. Please be assured that our kitchen was designed by a professional and is very capable of handling ALL of our guests and there should not be a long wait time. How interesting that our staff is telling our guests such things! Also, finding out that our Manager refused to credit one of our guests when they were not satisfied with their meal is IN NO WAY ACCEPTABLE TO US, THE OWNERS. Jill – Please contact me! If you know of any others that have had a bad experience, please encourage them to get in touch with me. I can help and I can make things happen. Thank you very much for allowing me this space and keep telling me what’s happening in my restaurants: Greg’s Grill, Red Robin and Johnny Carino’s in Bend. I look forward to reading more here.
I’ve been to Greg’s Grill a couple of times and I’ll be back again.
I would give the food (especially the steaks and side dishes) an A.
The service has been variable from an A+ to a C-. In a restaurant of this caliber the service should be of a consistent and higher quality.
I found the portions to be generous, so much so that that you can split an appetizer and salad with a date, eat your main course and then split the desert and still walk out well fed. So, an A+ on the portions.
BTW, the Oregon pear salad is quite tasty.
The beer selection is large, but I’d add in Bass Ale and maybe Cascade Lakes 20" Brown to round out the selection.