Grille 29

While this has been one of my favorite places to eat in Huntsville, there seems to be a great deal of variability in the food quality now. If I want raw salmon, I will go to a sushi place and save the time of having to send my food back while everyone else eats.

Three of us went for Sunday brunch. We were immediately seated in their heated tent area which was warm and cozy. We ordered and waited and waited for our food. Folks that were seated 10 minutes or more after us had received their food, ate, and ready for the checked before we received our food which was cold. My dish was replaced and it came out in minutes. We had to practically beg to get salt and pepper and cream for coffee…several requests before we got it. They did not have Earl Grey tea nor English breakfast. We were told that after waiting at least 15 minutes. No coffee refills. The waitress sat a couple next to us and told them about the special of the day, then asked if they needed any condiments, salt and pepper, refills, etc…that was not our experience. The whole experience left me feeling disrespected. I will not be back. NOT RECOMMENDED

Went there last night with a few friends. Let me say that the service was fantastic. Our waitress Carrie was warm, attentive, and super outgoing.

The cocktails had great flavor, highly recommend the Porch Sipper.

For apps we did lump crab nachos, calamari, fried oysters, crab cakes, and the barbecue shrimp. The lump crab nachos could have just been regular nachos and it wouldn't have made a difference. The delicate crab meat got completely lost and overpowered in the 7-layer-bean-dip-esque dip. The calamari was good, but the breading was slightly doughy/under. The fried oysters were really solid, no complaints, as were the crab cakes. The New Orleans barbecue shrimp were ok. The shrimp were a good size and juicy, but it needed more barbecue flavor or just more size. The cream sauce that they used just lost the barbecue vibe (or anything that reminded me of New Orleans).

For my main, I did the Southern Man's Supper--fried chicken breast, crispy pork belly, creamy potatoes, collards, and a sunny side egg. The chicken is a chicken breast, rather than a piece of bone-in chicken, and the breast was rather small and thin. The breading had a nice crispiness but it just needed lots of seasoning. It just tasted of nothing. The pork belly wasn't crispy, but rather had a ham consistency to it and was bland as well (which surprised me because pork belly is usually pretty well-salted and would have been a great bite with the chicken). The potatoes were really creamy and nice. The collards were also well-executed, with just the right amount of bitterness.

My wife and one of our friends both got a filet. I tried a bite of my wife's which was really tender, but once again, lacked any sort of seasoning at all. The green beans were slightly under cooked, and very under-seasoned. Once again, the potatoes were good though.

The food wasn't horrible, but at $22 for my small chicken breast and $38 for an under-seasoned 8 oz filet, I would expect more wow. It felt more like diner food than a nice evening out.

Food 2/5 stars
Service 5/5 stars

The food is amazing. I have tried several dishes like the stuffed grouper, pork chop, shrimp & grits. All were great. Large portions are provided. Usually enough to take some home. Service is better than imagined. Glass never empty always ready to help. Seating is not crowded as in many places. It is usually quite enough to have a normal conversation.