River Mill Grill
The River Mill Grill has taken over the old Fireside Red location and I’ve been excited to get over there to sample the goods. The Wife and I got the opportunity to go on a beautiful day and sitting on that famous deck was the best part of our evening.
The deck was just under half full and only one table occupied inside the restaurant. We sat down and only had one set of silverware and nothing else on the table. We waited for our server to arrive and when she did we ordered a couple of drinks. Water glasses were on all the other tables except ours and we waited and waited. After about 10 minutes our drinks arrived and she put them down and bolted before we could order our meals or ask for water.
Another 10 minutes goes by before she returns and we finally order. After about another 5 minutes we asked the bus boy, (is that still the term? That doesn’t sound very PC) who was refilling the water glasses at the table next to ours, for some glasses. He came back within a minute or two. I know this might sound like a minor complaint but it was pretty hot out there.
We ordered an appetizer of Baked Brie – baked brie wedges encrusted and served golden brown garnished with green apple slices. Apples and cheese for $6.50. The Wife hopped up and grabbed the napkin/knife/fork from an empty table next to us since we never got a second set. The flavors were just fine but it needed something else like a sauce or spread. For 6.50 I’d like to have a little more than just three small slices of breaded brie and a few slivers of apples. I wish I had a photo but we were quite hungry when it finally arrived that we dove right in.
After the appetizer our salad and soup (you get a choice of one with your main dish) arrived. The Wife went for the soup which they called Mississippi Mud. I got the caesar salad.
The Wife rather enjoyed her soup, she described it like a jambalaya without the fish. I took a taste and it was pretty good. If you go to the River Mill Grill, I’d say get the soup. The salad was as basic as you can get with a caesar.
Then we waited for 15 minutes easy for anything to happen. No one came by the table at all and we got to watch the other tables cycle through and new patrons come in. I’m pretty sure our waitress was just worthless. So your experience might be better, it couldn’t get much worse.
Finally our entrees arrived. The Wife ordered the Pork Schnitzel – breaded pork grilled in butter with a squeeze of lemon for $13.95 and ordered a side of veggies for a $2 more. OK, why $2 for veg? Everything else was using the lame .95 Applebees pricing, why not keep it up? Seriously, how about you keep your mini-bucket of rice or your cabbage and just sub in the veg?
We actually chuckled at the rice pilaf sand castle and parsley sprinkles that took us back to 1987 and we were listening to Bon Jovi’s “Livin on a Prayer”.
Whoa we’re half way there!
Livin on a prayer!
Her pork lacked anything resembling flavor. But, since we didnt have any salt and pepper on the table and no chance of anyone coming soon, the Wife went looking for some and made it to the other end of the deck to find an unclaimed pair. Between our two entrees I think we emptied half of each container of salt and pepper.
I ordered the Tournedos of Beef Bordelaise – three beef medallions that were supposed to be “laced” with Bordelaise sauce for $16.95 and ordered them medium rare.
As you can see, “laced” means a soup ladle full of mushroom gravy and served with wrinkled, heat lamp potatoes. Cutting into my first medallion I discovered that medium rare also translates into rare. Do I sent it back and wait another decade for medium rare, or do I eat it since I’m not anti rare meat. I chose to eat is since we were 1.5 hours into dinner already.
Would you like dessert? No thanks, I give up my card and wait another 15 minutes to get it back. Seriously, dinner took 2 hours and we didnt have any weird orders, many drinks or a huge group. It sucked. The food was way outdated and bland.
I don’t want to go back but the Wife wants to go for happy hour and see if things are different with a different server. I do not want.
River Mill Grill
803 Sw Industrial Way Suite 202
Bend Oregon 97702
(541) 678-5666
http://www.rivermillgrill.com/
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