Met the family here after they spent the day at Disneyland. Valet parking for the catch is $4 but there is a parking lot on the left side in front of The Grove.
We sat in the bar area and the doors were left open and the patio allows smoking so if you have allergies this is not an enjoyable eating area. The server was great and attentive. The only situation would be that when asked about a wine and didn't know the answer trusted another server and didn't ask the bartender about a wine recommendation. My father-in-law told her later which one was what he was looking for as he ordered two different wines and the second was what he was looking for the first time.
We order oysters, lobster bisque, pear and walnut salad, lamb burger, pretzels, and crab dip.
Starting with the crab dip it was warm and seasoned nicely. It is not recommended if you are on or thinking about a diet as it has it's share of sour cream in it. It was served with a small loaf of bread which was a nice change to toasted points you see everywhere else. The pretzels came at the same time and they looked freshly made but didn't have as much taste as ones you can get at the mall though you got two in the order. Happy hour oysters came out next and that was when I started to get disappointed. They were the size of half dollars and though tasted clean there was nothing beyond that. Normally there is a little briny taste that gives the oyster some depth to it. These did not have them that quality at all.
The pear salad was the best thing I ate that night. The salad was on a bed of mixed greens and had a raspberry vinaigrette that was not overpowering the pear and other components of the salad. The goat cheese crumbles on the salad was the one part that was lacking from this dish. But it was filling.
The lobster bisque was the next item that came out and for $5 it was in a small bowl that had about 10-15 spoonfuls in it. I have had great bisque that had pieces of lobster in it and this did not have it. There was a squiggle of creme fresh in it but it didn't add to the creaminess the can be added to a great bisque.
The lamb burger was the last thing I tried. It was order medium rare but came out as medium well. The burger was not dry in the least but the overcooking of the meat caused the patty to lack in flavor. It was presented on a thick roll that made my hands feel greasy and overall the burger just felt oily with the caramelized onions, sliced tomatoes, and bib lettuce. I took a few bits but the heaviness of the burger was not a way I wanted to end the meal so I left the burger to the rest of the table and kept to my iced tea for the rest of the mean.
I guess I am asking for too much from this place but the have 3 locations and the price point is roughly $25 a plate. I enjoy good food that doesn't always have to cost a lot but this was pricey and for what I received I did not enjoy what I was served.
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