Good Eatin

I love my steak.

I normally wouldn't venture into writing about food or a restaurant, but when you enjoy something you probably should.

I went to dinner this past week at the Weber Grill in downtown Indianapolis and enjoyed almost everything about it. It did seem to be crowded, but there was only a 20 minute wait when we arrived. Fortunately, I made a reservation through opentable.com, so we were seated almost immediately.

The décor was very well chosen. The dinning area has a relatively open floor plan, but with just enough levels and partial walls to keep things under control. Kudos to the interior designers for keeping acoustics in mind, in a crowded restaurant sound wasn't as much of an issue as in similar venues.

The wait staff was charming and attentive. The menu had a wide variety of choices, literally something for everyone. I ordered the New York Strip steak ($27.50) with garlic mashed potatoes, my companion ordered the Blackened Boneless Ribeye ($19.95) served with Onion Curls and Chipotle Black Beans. Her review of the Ribeye: "This is the best steak I can remember having." My review of the Strip: I took home what I didn't eat in a "doggie bag"…a very rare occurrence for me.

With the final bill coming in at around $60 for entrees and a round of drinks, I found it a great price for the experience. My advice would be to make a reservation and bring your appetite.

Worth another try

Weber Grill has potential, but my first experience suggests it's going to take some trial-and-error to figure out how this restaurant fits into my Downtown dining repertoire.

Ambience: First off, I will say I'm impressed with what they did with a former Old Navy. But unlike the other reviewers, I will likely not go back to the main dining area. On the night I went, the bustle and abundance of families reminded me of an upscale Outback with better fixtures. Next time, I'll give the bar a try.

Food: My filet mignon was fine (although I think I should have ordered one of their "splashes"), but the standouts of the meal were the wedge salad and garlic mashed potatoes. The salad was wonderfully presented and not too heavy on the blue cheese, and the potatoes had decent flavor without being too overpowering.

Drink: Our server was very friendly but clueless (and self-admittedly so) about alcoholic beverages (she thought Belvedere was a gin, couldn't open a wine bottle and seemed to not understand that wine should be served before the main course was about over) ... At restaurants with average entree prices above $15, I expect more.

I think the concept of Weber Grill is marketable and creative, and I'll likely return -- but with different decisions about where to sit and what to try.

U kidding me?

Take your Webber Grill from home, put it in a building downtown, and pay someone else to serve you. Very so-so and trendy. I like more bang for my time and buck. Pass on this and prepare a better Steak at home!

HUGE portions

Try the berry cobbler if you still have room for dessert! Three berries (black, red and blue) hot and syrupy with a flaky sugar crust on top and a dollop of vanilla bean icecream - totally worth it.

I ordered the beef brisket - and ended up ignoring the bun it came on and ate the beef with a fork. It really is delicious and worth going - come on! Try something new!

Something differrent, but something you can have at home

It was a good experience me and my gf had there, it was nice it was cozy the wait wasnt that long, but I payed way to much for what I got. I could make that at home. The staff needed some help, but that was cause it was pretty new at the time, The seating is also a little awkward, i feel like im supposed to stare at the people in the window right beside me who are eating. I would say the food is great, but something you can make at home and I would say its worth a shot to anyone wanting some good home cooked food

Decent food, despicable management

I've been to Weber Grill quite a few times, for lunch, since it opened. There lunch rates are very competitive with the other establishments in the area. Plus, they have a really good lunch program for frequent visitors (four visits nets you a $25.00 gift card).

The food is average to good with one of the best burgers in town. The dining experience varies, depending on how busy they are, but is usually good enough to return.

But on one occasion, I'd have to say that Weber Grill put me in a situation unlike any other. It was at the tail end, while waiting to pay the bill. Our waiter was nice, but seemed distracted. He was obviously busy, due to the sweat pouring down his face, so I guess I can see why he was a bit distracted. He returned with our bill and my credit card about five minutes later, without my lunch card that was to be completed on this visit. When he returned, he apologized for the delay and informed me that a manager would bring me my gift card in just a moment, because he wasn't allowed to process it. He then pointed to a little Asian fellow that was talking to another table, who I presume was the manager, and said he was taking care of it. That manager never came by, and we sat there for twenty minutes waiting. During this time our waiter, bless his heart, kept us posted every few minutes on the progress (or lack of) until we were late for our meeting.

At this point we could not wait any longer. So we approached the seating area and asked a manager, who was standing there, if he could help us. I then realized our waiter was standing by us. He explained the situation to his boss(his voice very timid, not confident like it was at the table) to the manager, and then he took care of us.

In our haste to leave, we forgot to leave a tip, so one of my colleagues returned to the table while we where at the front desk to do so. On his return (we had walked out the door by then) he had told me that he overheard that same manager yell at our waiter for what had happened while he was passing by. Now this was upsetting, considering I didn't feel he had done anything wrong, at least I didn't think he had.

But this is what really upset me. After our meeting a few of us were killing time in the mall, and coincidentally, we walked passed our waiter. Now during our dining experience, I asked him if it would be o.k. if we stayed for awhile, since our meeting was late in the afternoon. He said, "Of course, I'm in charge of closing, and will be here till dinner time." So I simply said Hello to him as I passed by, and he seemed quite shocked to see me, then lowered his head and walked by me very quickly without a word. It seemed strange that he was walking around the mall since he was supposed to be working late, but I just figured he was on a lunch break.

I felt really bad, and since I was taking my kids to the IMAX the next morning, I decided to stop in for lunch and use my new gift card. I asked the lady at the seating area for that same waiter, because I wanted to leave him a nice tip for what happened. And I was informed that he no longer worked here. Now I hope he up and quit, but I don't believe that. And whether or not he did is irrelevant, because he should not have been yelled at for trying to help me. And that I do know for a fact. So if I ever return, I will definitely not complain about anything. And I feel really sorry for the waiters, bussers and anyone else who must work under those conditions. Shame on you! I'm disgusted!

So I guess to close this review I would recommend the food, but keep your comments to yourself.

Will Be Going Back

This is definitely a place to put on your list of favorite restaurants. The food was delicious! Service was very prompt and responsive. We were seated immediately. We reserved through OpenTable.com which helped. Prices were very reasonable. Portions were huge. You won't leave hungry and anything less than fulfilled. Another visit is in our future!