My husband and I celebrated a late Valentine's Day dinner here last night. This was our first time eating here and they did not disappoint. We were greeted at the entrance and seated shortly after. Our waiter, Sean, was quick to come take our drink orders and bring us some of the most delicious bread. A mix of sourdough and rosemary half loaves. I was delighted that they offered non alcoholic cocktails as neither my husband or I drink. I got the sugar and spice which was delicious and refreshing. For starters we ordered the scallops and lobster bisque. Both were delicious. The scallops were a good size, perfectly cooked and on a bed of couscous. My soup was a good balance of sweet and savory. We also both ordered the foie gras ravioli, which was decadent, and well portioned. For our third courses, my husband chose the New York strip and I went with the duck breast. Both meals were cooked very well, exactly as requested. I especially enjoyed my duck which had a nice crispy skin and a lot of flavor throughout. We ended the night with some cannolis which were of course, delicious. The wait staff were all professional and made the experience even more enjoyable. Our waiter took very good care of us and elevated our experience. The food came out of the kitchen in a timely fashion that never made us feel rushed or having to quickly eat our food to make room at the table. Overall we both enjoyed our meal here and can't wait to come back. The menu changes with the seasons and what's available so I know everytime it will fresh and new. read more

Reservations for a Friday evening dinner for two. Seated promptly and received drinks soon after ordering. My wife ordered the duck and I ordered the wagyu NY strip. Both entrees were excellent. A bit higher priced than most local similar dining venues, however we'd recommend, and will be back. read more

The Food was outstanding! Very flavorful and creative. Margaret, our server, was attentive and informative. The ambiance was upscale, romantic, wonderful. We will definitely be back. Thank you St John's for a special evening. read more

Very disappointed with this restaurant. Ordered a delivery dinner to my hotel. The restaurant sent no silverware. When I called to inquire I was told most of our people take the food home so they have stuff there and then was hung up on. Additionally, the 14 and a half dollar shrimp entree that I ordered came with three shrimp half a mushroom three crackers and pimento cheese. The quality of the food was very good. The service and the expected quality of the restaurant was not. read more

St John's Restaurant - My shrimp appetizer. - New American Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

One of the best restaurant I ever visited. Very satisfied with the presentation and taste. Love it. Great varieties of foods in the menu, something you will not find in regular restaurants. Parking on the street, sometimes hard to find. Little congested sitting. Informal ambience. Relative fast service. I ordered sautéed scallops, watermelon beef salad and antelope. All foods were prepared right with perfection. Great flavors with colorful presentation. Price is $$&, but worth it. Recommend highly. Love to comeback some other time. read more

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Came here for New Years eve upon recommendation of someone who used to live in town. Upon entry, the ambience is elegant and inviting. The service was definitely a huge plus but the reason why only three stars is that the food was average and compared to the price, I would expect fabulous food. All dishes where recommended by server. Scallop appetizer was small and overall I did not see how the accompanying apples complemented the dish as the apples were still hard and didnt have much flavor. The Tuna Tatare was by far the better appetizer and the one dish I did enjoy. My main course was the Grouper and the fish was good and cooked without complaint. My dissatisfaction was I thought the accompanying kale seemed like a poor choice and did not complement once again. It was sautéed and didnt have much flavor and was a bit tough. The sauce was ok but I really just ate the fish and left everything else in the plate and for the price, I should be licking the plate! My date had the duck confit and offered no comment either way so I suspect wasnt a huge win since no compliments given. I wish the head cook would revisit the components of each dish and ensure they work harmoniously and complement. Overall I didnt think any of the recipes were skillfully created, but at least all the proteins were cooked properly. Another note, there is no parking but we parked across street in empty Firestone parking lot. read more

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Elegant atmosphere and great steaks and wine. Service was great. Pricey but you get what you pay for and great for an anniversary dinner with your significant other. read more

Fantastic! This was a fabulous venue for a special date night. The setting was great, the waiter & server outstanding very knowledgeable & appropriately funny & personable. Perhaps the best duck I've ever eaten. The creme cake was excellent. And do not hesitate get the old fashion. read more

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What a great meal and atmosphere we had here recently celebrating our daughter's graduation...the waitress was very engaging as was the food and drink! If you are looking for an upscale place to celebrate and enjoy, this is the place to do it! read more

My wife and I celebrated 4 years being together, love this restaurant and absolutely love the staff! Thanks for yet another amazing dinner read more

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This is what we call special occasion restaurant. It's a dining experience and the meals and staff who serve them are top notch. The menu changes, but it's always been delicious. My only complaint are the chairs downstairs are terribly uncomfortable and two tops are also very tiny. Honestly keeps me from going, unless we are with a group or can sit upstairs. But I'm picky about a comfy chair when spending $$$$ on a meal. read more

Omg! We are visiting from St. Louis. I've eaten at fine restaurants in NYC, la, sf, Chicago and many more and have to say this was one of the best dining experiences I've ever had. Great ambiance... incredible service and unbelievable food. 4 of us shared a bunch of plates so we could taste Everything. W/o asking they not only split our plates but they made sure that by doing so, we didn't miss the presentation. I'd come back here every time I visit. Thank you and keep doing what you do. This is a special experience. read more

My Mom and I took my brother and his fiancé here to celebrate their engagement. Truly an award winning experience. You can't make a bad choice from this menu. The chef is phenomenal. The pairings are on point. Definitely an experience that can compete with my West Coast well knowns. read more

Absolutely delicious!! It was expensive but it was worth it! The staff was very nice and the ambiance felt like I was in a big city not Chattanooga. I will certainly be going back. read more

St John's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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St John's is a Chattanooga institution. It has been in the discussion of the best restaurant in town for 20 years. The starters, salads, entrees and deserts are as good as any restaurant I have been to in large cities. To be clear, this is expensive formal dining with great service. It is perfect for a date or a professional dinner. read more

Well...wonderful! When you finish the roasted corn soup and wagyu Mishima flatiron, you will ask for more bread to mop up the plate. I was actually depressed when the whole food thing was over. Now what?! And Joy was the best server. Ever. Don't miss this place in Chattanooga. I mean it. read more

One of the best in Chattanooga. Ate at the bar and met some fun people, inc. the bartender. The food was so good. Def going back

I decided on St John's for dinner on Friday night and everything was spectacular. The bartender Lauren was kind, helpful, and timed everything out perfectly. I went by all of her recommendations which included sweet corn soufflé, the steak with beef cheeks, and the carrot cake soufflé. Everything was cooked perfectly & delicious! I will be back the next time I'm in Chattanooga. read more

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What a pleasant surprise! Arrived with a 7pm reservation but our table wasn't ready - and as good luck would have it, there were two spots at the bar just opening. The cocktails were perfect. The noise level moderate. Our table was ready about 15 minutes later and we moved to the front room. For dinner we selected a starter (soft shell crab) and the duck confit and veggie spaghetti. Plus wine. And everything was delicious. The crab lost a little flavor and texture in being battered and fried but it was made up for in the duck dish. Can't wait to return! read more

She loved it here at St. John's Restaurant. It seemed perfect, sitting there across from her in our cozy corner looking out the large expanse of glass across the lights of Chattanooga beneath the evening sky flooded with deep blue shades of dusk. She was gorgeous in her black dress and flowing hazelnut-colored hair that night. I unbuttoned my suit jacket and relaxed a bit, placing my hand on top of hers, calming her a bit. She was smiling and nervous, looking around at the candle-lit white tablecloth covered tables, the formalwear clad service staff standing attentive, and at the other diners who seemed so at ease and enjoying their meals, laughing and talking together. She had never been to a restaurant like St. John's, and didn't know how to order and what to do and asked me to order for her. By the end of the evening, she told me she had one of the best meals of her life, and had a wonderful dinner experience, thanked me and gave me a kiss. ***** This is a really classy place. The perfect place to have dinner before an evening at the Symphony. Men in suits. Women in evening dress. Contemporary decor, quiet and romantically lit. Daniel Lindley has done a great job with his regional New American cuisine here in Chattanooga, bringing out the best of what Tennessee has to offer with locally sourced ingredients and creativity. (See attached photos) To start, we were given an amuse bouche of a tartare on thin toast (unfortunately, I forgot exactly what it was). This was followed by a Potato & Ramp Soup (butter poached Maine Lobster, Spring Onion & Porcini Roll) and Maine Lobster & Fingerling Potato Salad (frisee, Link 41 guanciale & red wine aioli), which we shared. My "date" really enjoyed the salad, remarking that it was the most impressive salad she'd ever had. She had the Roasted Beef Filet, with Haricot Verts, Fall Creek Farm's Cauliflower Puree & Porcini Butter; I had the Strube Ranch Kobe Beef Zabuton Steak with Crushed Sweet Potato, Cabbage, Red Onion Marmalade & Port. Both were delicious and cooked almost perfectly to order (a pet peeve of mine), since I order my steaks BLUE. To finish, we shared a Chocolate Molten Cake (espresso-chocolate ganache & s'mores ice cream). They got it right. If there were a 4.75 rating, I would give St. John's a 4.75, but I'm rounding up. The reasons for not being a straight 5 star rating: 1) While St. John's food was excellent, it was not mind-blowing. I require mind-blowing for a 5 star rating for this level of restaurant. 2) While St. John's service was excellent, attentive, and I have no real complaints; at this level of restaurant, the service staff should be intimately familiar with the menu and be ready for questions from the kind of diners that frequent this level of restaurant. For example, I asked about where ingredients were sourced from, and my server did not know. I asked about the preparation of one of the dishes before I ordered it, and my server did not know. I asked what a Zabuton steak was and what part of the animal it came from, or at least what primal it was from or what better known cuts it was near - and my server did not know. It wasn't until it arrived and I saw it that I recognized it as boneless beef short rib cut into the shape of a Zabuton (Japanese square pillow). At one point, my "date" asked me to "leave the poor waiter alone"; but at this level of restaurant, the servers should not only know this kind of information about the menu, but should be able to happily oblige any questions and be willing to go in depth about something like local sourcing of ingredients. Overall though, my experience here was wonderful. I'd return, bringing someone for a special occasion. But this isn't a place I'd think of going to unless I had a good reason to. Don't get me wrong though, St. John's bears the mark of excellence in my book. A definite worth-trying. 4.75/5 read more

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I live in DC, but was in town and came here with my girlfriend for their New Year's Eve fixed menu. The food was good; the chef had a few creative items like a great goat cheese souffle in the salad, and the crusted Walu was very well prepared with white beans. I had the venison, which was lukewarm by the time it was brought to the table, but overall the food was good quality and the dishes were composed well. My chief criticism is with their price point and how they deliver. At $85 per person without wine pairing, the price rivals and exceeds some of the top restaurants in DC. With a bill topping out over $250 for a couple, a restaurant must serve innovative dishes and a complete dining experience regardless of what city you are in. My server forgot both of my glasses of wine until I asked the passing hostess to bring them, and she new nothing about any of the wines or how they would compliment our courses. With well prepared, but largely unremarkable food, and a well-intentioned but amateurish wait staff, St. John's is an imitation of what they aspire to. Excellent at 1/2 or 2/3 the price, but exploitative and underperforming for what they currently demand. read more

service was great and the food was even better! everything i ate was delicious and really made me think about what was in each dish. our waiter, Tim, was excellent. very romantic environment and everything was perfect. highly recommend the scallops and the crab parpadalle dish (not pictured). take your date here!! read more

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Went here with a party of 5. The atmosphere, service and food is outstanding. The fritters are absolutely scrumptious and I plan to come back soon just to sit at the bar and eat fritters. Our party had the duck, pan trout, Chilean sea bass, and two ordered the filet "cheek". Everyone was pleased with their meals. It feels like a special occasion restaurant and the prices are reasonable for the experience. My only complaint is that it took too long from ordering drinks to receiving them. read more

I'd been to St John's before (to apply for a job, no less, and also to check out a place I'd heard great things about!) and wanted to return to see what the adjacent Meeting Place is all about. Last night, the opportunity presented itself when I met a new friend who visits Chattanooga for work (being a bartender in a new town has its perks, I'm learning, as it is so easy to meet people - and sometimes they ask you out!). We did a little tour of sorts of a few spots I thought he'd like - Hair of The Dog, Flying Squirrel, the Meeting Place... - and I thought the Meeting Place was really cool! Swanky but not too chi-chi feel. Liked the black and white combo between the stools at the group tables and the low chairs/sofas opposite, and great lighting all around the small upstairs part. The hum from the dining area below was just right, volume wise. Alex, at the bar, who served drinks and food to those of us at the aforementioned tables and sofas, is so cool! And knowledgeable about drinks and food. My date was pretty excited that they had New Amsterdam gin, his favorite; I was intrigued by the wine list - the Tempranillo Alex described sounded awesome - but hadn't had enough water all day so I passed on grown up drinks. We tried the fries - they call them "spiced fries" but only because they are seasoned, not because they are hot; they were good if a little salty (even for me) but the garlic something or other dipping sauce was a nice pairing. The potato bread with a sweet cream butter (plus a little salt - go figure, I was all over the map with that one) was good though unrequested, and the burger was very solid. There are a lot of other menu items that looked good, like the steak frites, so I would be happy to return to try more food and beverage products from the St Johns/Meeting Place spot! read more

Tonight I went to St John with high expectation that everything will be smooth. My server was nothing but arrogant. He has been giving me a lot of attitude from the get go. I asked for old fashioned on a rock and he gave me one on crushed ice. In the end I have to ask for my own ice cube and he didn't even offer to make new drink or transfer the drink on a legit glass with a big ice cube. The worst part was when I asked for my carrot cake soufflé. I asked for extra sauce and the old fat server asked that I paid twice or else I won't get the sauce. What kind of service is this? I have been to over 100 Michelin star restaurants and this is the first time I felt like I was being treated unequally vs other patrons. The manager didn't even try to qualm the situation. Being arrogant is not a quality that needs to be displayed even at a bourgeois restaurant. read more

I' am so disappointed to even write this as our review. Also I apologize for not taking pictures, it was a special night for us and we made the decision to leave our phones off the table. This restaurant was highly recommended to us by many for a special event and fine dining. Unfortunately, it was an extreme disappointment for both celebrating a special event and a fine dining experience. Maybe my expectations are just too high? To start, I want to say that the service from our waiter was 5++++ stars. I am so sad I don't remember his name to personally compliment him, but he was excellent and made our night special despite our disappointment in the food. To start, we ordered cocktails from the seasonal menu. I really enjoyed my Thyme-infused cocktail but will advise that this is very "thyme-y" which I enjoyed but my husband could do without. He ordered the "golden girls" drink, which was highly recommended by our waiter. My husband didn't care for it, but not because it's a bad cocktail, he was branching out and trying something new. I got the recommended Cabernet Sauvignon with my entree which was recommended by our waiter and was excellent. Best recommendation of the night. We were informed that they were "running low" or completely out of items on the menu. This was pretty disappointing because I wanted to try the Osso buco but was told that they were out in addition to their Brussels sprout salad. I noticed that the table next to us got different bread and was told by their server (different than ours) was "their back up bread" and is usually "softer" which made me disappointed for them, because the bread was one of our favorite parts of the meal. The only thing that would have made the bread + sorghum an 11/10 would be if the bread was warm when served. For the table: 2.5/5 Seasonal meat/cheese plate: a brie like cheese, delicious citrus marmalade, a pork/elk (I think) salami, truffle honey, mustard, and pumpkin seeds with rosemary bread. This was okay, not great and not what I expect for a restaurant like this. The salami was pretty gamey, which maybe is normal for elk, it was very chewy and just.. not good. Everything else on the board was good. The mustard was good, but IMO not needed for the board. Truffle mushroom toast: 4/5 My husband and I enjoyed this and we actually "hate" mushrooms. Not anymore!! Great combination of flavors. First course: Scallops dish - 3/5 The israeli cous cous and flavors of the sauce were excellent. The scallop was good quality, but the preparation was subpar. It had a weak sear, if that and was room temperature when served. Not what I would expect of a scallop at a restaurant like this Pork belly biscuit - 5/5 The best thing we ate all night. Hands down. We said this dish is the only reason we'd come back, and we'd see if we could get it to go. The combination of sweet, salty, and savory with the different textures with a runny yolk. Delicious. Entrees: Filet mignon with celery root potato purée and hericot verts - 2/5 My husband ordered this medium rare and was served rare. It was poorly seasoned and relied heavily on the herb butter on top for flavor. We could have sent it back, but didn't want to be an inconvenience and were just disappointed already. The haricot verts and potato's were good. Wagyu steak with brussel sprouts and fingerling potatoes - 2/5 This was almost inedible for me, but my husband liked it and his reasoning being "tastes like a bottled sauce, which is why I like it so much". This was so salty. A salt bomb. The red/orange sauce was bright and good, but the salt on the wagyu could not be overcome with anything on that plate. The quality of the meat was good, it's wagyu, but the salt was just horrible. I am a huge Brussels sprouts fan and I sadly said I can make better in my air fryer at home. They were overly steamed, drenched in the sauce. The potato's were mediocre. There was not great varying textures in this dish and although all the ingredients seem fool proof, the execution was clearly not. We were given a dessert on the house for our special occasion, which we took home, sticky toffee pudding and it was absolutely delicious! Thank you again to our server. I know he could tell we were not swept off our feet with the quality and execution and of the food, and his service was impeccable throughout. Overall, I sadly cannot recommend this restaurant for anyone wanting to celebrate a special occasion or experience fine dining. For a special occasion, the seating we received was subpar. Again, not a huge deal as we enjoy exploring fine dining restaurants and the entire experience, so we were looking more forward to the food. The quality of the food was mediocre to subpar for what our expectations were for St. John's. read more

Very very good. They have an extensive wine list if you're looking for that. We had reservations but it did not seem too busy on saturday night, but more likely the empty tables were held for reservations. Every bit of food we had was excellent. Our party of two had the squash, corn, and crab soup, the roasted beet salad, the filet, and the antelope. The steak was one of the most tender and delicious I have had in my life. Perfectly medium, served at the perfect temperature, and almost fork tender. My wife had never had antelope and she loved it and I also liked the bit I sampled. I thought it was closer to beef than venison. Dessert was also very very good. I had the deep fried pound cake, my wife had the flour less hazelnut cake. read more

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Great food and we have been going the for years but the last two trips there, members of our party got food poisoning. We notified the restaurant and heard no reply from them. Pretty dissatisfied with this change in their service read more

Sent out into the rain on 8:30pm on a Thursday evening because they were closing early! Refused to seat us or serve us. No way to run a restaurant that's supposed to be open to 9 pm! Sad when it's a slow night and you send patrons out instead of inviting them in. won't get a 2nd chance! read more

Walked all the way to the restaurant to find out they don't do pick ups. It was 95. DONT TRUST THIS ADVERTORIAL.

This spot is one of the nicer restaurants in Chattanooga, and for good reason. It is expensive, but it's also delicious and serves interesting well balanced dishes. We started with the apple tartine. The goat cheese is smooth and creamy, just enough honey in the dish, and delicious apples. It's very small unfortunately. Same with the scallops appetizer. Cooked very well, good sauce, toasted pumpkin seeds. All delicious, but the scallops are pretty small, and only three of them. The gnocchi is a good dish, served with beef cheeks and mushrooms in a rich sauce. The osso bucco is cooked perfectly and is served with a delicious mushroom risotto. A very good classic dish. The wagyu steak was also perfectly cooked. It comes with a sauce that was the most delicious component of the night. Unfortunately, the rice cake it came on was the most disappointing component of the night. It lacked flavor and was the only thing of the night left unfinished. The desserts were a bit underwhelming. Carrot cake souffle had a cream cheese anglaise that was great, but without the sauce it was so so. The apple dessert wasn't bad, but it wasn't worth ordering again. The cocktails were all good. Gin old fashioned was definitely an interesting take. The Frenchman's dilemma was great. Altogether before tip it came to $175, so be ready, but it was a special treat. read more

St John's Restaurant - Cocktail menu - New American Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

I sooo wish I took a pic of our food. It was delightful. Hubs took me here for my birthday a month ago and we are still talking about it with all our friends and fam in VA. We rant and rave about how delicious this place is and nothing we've eaten compared to it. The money was well spent the dessert was delightful. There was nothing more prefect than this restaurant and ambiance. Kudos to the staff and their service!!! read more

Great food, everything we ordered was awesome. Scallops were perfect. The chef sent us a sample of his gnocchi and it was so creamy and smokey. Definitely will be back when we're in town. read more

St John's Restaurant - Filet - New American Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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In a word? Supremely marvelous. From presentation to wait staff. Portion appropriate, our waiter Joe was superb. Compared to our overpriced meal in Charleston (think Celebrity Chef) St John's is vastly superior. Would we go back again.... in a heartbeat. read more

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Great experience in all ways. Food, service, and ambiance were excellent. We started with the shrimp appetizer--delectable flavor. Our first course was the Corn and Summer Squash soup and Roasted Pork Belly. Both were perfection in completely different ways. My main course was the Roasted Beef Filet served with green beans and garlic mashed potatoes. Also, perfection. My husband ordered the NY strip steak. He liked it, but would have loved it if he were more a fan of horseradish. We finished with banana pudding and ice cream. They were a nice end to the meal, but unnecessary, in my opinion. Looking forward to our next visit! read more

I consider St Johns one of the top restaurants if not the top restaurants in Chattanooga and surrounding areas. My review will seem a bit nit picky, but at a top, fine dining restaurant nothing less than perfection should be expected. First, the building architecture is one of the most beautiful old style creations that any restaurant owner would love to get their hands on. This 100 year old styling is something that you just can't recreate anymore. The addition of soft colors in the decor really brings out the features of the building and dining experience. Upon arrival we were seated promptly in the downstairs area looking out onto Market St. The first thing I noticed was a wobbly table. This is something that drives me nuts to the point where it steals my attention away. I expect a wobbly table at the local grease pit serving burgers and promises of "coldest beer in town", but not when it's upscale fare. Our waiter throughout the meal was very pleasant and knowledgeable about the dishes and the origins of the ingredients. He remained attentive to our needs and do so in a very upscale professional manner. I started out with the sauteed sea scallops (15) which were executed to perfection. The sear was textbook and the plating was beautiful. The sauce had just a hint of vanilla which didn't take away to the flavor of the scallops. My wife decided on the Soft Shell Crab appetizer (19). It was good, not great but the more I thought about it I realized that we are nearing the end of the season, so that might have something to do with it. For entree I went with the Mishima Ranch Wagyu Ribye (56) served with roasted potatoes and brussels, One of the best ribeyes I've ever had and well worth the ticket price. I'm pretty certain that in other markets this steak would fetch an even higher price. The potatoes and brussels, were ok, nothing that I would just die to have again. My only issue with the dish was the presentation. In my opinion it was a mess. The steak looked like someone hand had got caught in some factory equipment. I feel this steak would have been better presented in neat cut rows, trimmed of the fat cap. The steak just seemed to overwhelm the plate and the other ingredients just became lost in it. My wife selected the Filet of beef, with buttermilk potato puree and green beans(38). The steak was topped with a smoked brisket butter, which added a nice rich flavor to the steak. The potatoes and green beans were in a rich beurre blanc. The dish was very good, while it's not as adventurous as some of the other menu items I believe it showcases true,classical culinary form and their ability to execute it without fail. Overall, I'm looking forward to my next seating, without a wobbly table read more

Took friends from out of town, because it is supposed to be a nice and fine establishment. While the food was good, the environment was not. We arrived for our reservation, a bunch of empty tables and we were sat at the bar told to wait. When sitting down, the bartender tells me all seats at the bar are reserved. So we wait on our table standing up. Then get asked if we were going to order anything. One of us did order a drink, but I politely said no as I didn't want to drink standing up next to the empty bar. We get seated, have a nicer dinner until the people who the bar seats were reserved for arrived. Loud, rude and cussing. I felt embarrassed to take out of towners. The waiter was absolutely great, nice guy, gave us all we needed but the environment was just not what it is supposed to be. Honestly wouldn't recommend or go back based on this experience. read more

Had great dinner at the bar last night. Started with an old fashioned that was fantastic. Had the tomato salad which was great - fresh tomatoes, basil and a corn pudding. For dinner I had the gnocchi. It featured short ribs and oyster mushrooms. Probably one of that best pastas I've had. Great service, extraordinary food. read more

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Food is excellent staff is good atmosphere is nice very very pricey special occasions only but much better than Ruth's Chris or any other box chain like that read more

My Wife and I have enjoyed dinner on many occasions throughout the years at this restaurant. We have never been disappointed. Service is exceptional. Time is given for a review of the menu and specials of the day. No rushing! They just seem to know when to check on their patrons and on this occasion, our Anniversary they complimented middle entree and provided a custom menu! read more

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