Review: EMPIRE Grill

ive been hearing about the service being shitty. i think the young stupid girls that wonk there are going to ruin the buisness and have ppl not come back.

my dads GF had the ribs and they were a lil tough too. other then that everything else was amazing

I’m not gonna lie, i was kind of disappointed. I felt the food was over priced and underportioned. Had i not loaded up on bread and croutons from my horrible salad i dont think i would have been full. I like to be full when i plan on paying $13 for pasta (i dunno maybe im just cheap). I got a pasta dish, and being that is was pasta one would asusme since you dont get a side you would get a salad. I was under this impression as well when our waitress asked what kind of dressing i wanted. I got my bill and realized i was going to pay an extra $4 for an under-dressed overly cheesy ceasar salad.

Also we were seated relatively close to the front door and my ultra sexy date and i froze through most of our dinner.

all in all i’d give it a 2.5/5. I would try it again, but maybe during the week when the happy hour/dinner crowd isnt so heavy

and Kristen, did we ever figure out what those saltly pea like things all over your plate were?! lol

those pea things still make me wonder…

i have NO idea what they were.

I went there for breakfast with my wife. The place looks great, the service was there when you needed them.

Pricing was a little high, but I’m not poor so I won’t bitch about that. Had some stuffed french toast (me) and pancakes (wife) and some sausage (both) and some mimosas for the hell of it.

I’ll go back again. :tup:

Went tonight.

Meh. We were on Elmwood and we decided to walk to Colter Bay on Allen, which was packed due to the Sabres game. So, I suggested Pano’s but my friend didn’t want to do Pano’s. So we drove to Empire.

I ordered the hummus, cucumber, red pepper sangwich. Their hummus was terrible. I make better hummus, and mine isn’t all that great. Their cole slaw was good, and their fries were good, but…meh. Fries are weird.

My friend had the burger with peanut butter which she has had before. They apparently put the peanut butter on the lettuce and not the burger this time, which made it really disgusting. Apparently when it’s on the burger itself it is very tasty. I think burgers are disgusting anyway, so I can’t offer my opinion.

The service was okay, but she brought out the old tude like it was her show or some biz. Later I found out it’s one of my less than beloved people’s sister. Whoa so fitting. Prices were a bit outrageous, there were tables that were scummy as we walked in. It just came off as a joke to me. They could really use somebody that knows how to run a restaurante in their. It could be really nice, but they don’t sweat the details and it shows.

Nick (owner) and Neil (general manager?) have always done a good job with Toro… Perhaps they are spread too thin with the addition of Empire. I was going to try it out again today for lunch, but I decided to run home instead.

[RANT]

You know, EVERY new Buffalo restaurant goes through the same crap:

  1. Everyone gets excited about it
  2. Everyone rushes there and packs the place
  3. Everyone complains about the service / food, not realizing that in no way are they going to get top-notch service from a brand-new staff especially on nights where the place is packed (see #2)
  4. Word gets around about bad experiences
  5. Most people stop going

You really want to see how good a place can be? Wait 6 months to a year before you go. Otherwise, EXPECT less than perfection and EXCEPT it - Patronize a new restaurant in the first 6 months simply because you support them and appreciate someone doing something new in this city.

And remember where you are - This isn’t the Chop House or Harry’s - it’s an “upscale diner” by design (Read, expensive Denny’s) so don’t go there looking for a romantic evening or expecting your server to suck you off.

[/RANT]
:eekdance:

That said, I think they do a great job for the time they have been open. :tup:

Is that the one with the apartments on top? The new “tallest building in Buffalo?” 'cause that looked absolutly AMAZING. :tup:

… wait maybe I’m thinking of the one redrum is talking about…

THANK YOU.

I liked it there, and will continue to go. :tup:

SO up yours all yous that didnt like it :crap:

I cant afford it…I guess I will just have to stick to the soup kitchen this holiday season :frowning: