Woodlands Grill & Gathering Place: User Reviews

Almost a bad review, but an excellent experience
By marleysmom from bolingbrook, April 7, 2008

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My husband and I went to dinner not having read anything about the restaurant, we just like to try out new places and make up our own minds.
The meal started out perfectly, the manager was friendly and greeted us as soon as we entered, and asked what type of table we prefered. We got set near the fireplace~
We had a server that was very nice and eager, but later to realize was clearly inexperienced.
We ordered the mussles which in my opinion were to die for! They were amazing! The wine selection was good, and we started out very happy!
We ordered our meal ( realizing afterwards we never did hear the daily specials), and I can't eat peanuts, so I asked the server to please chat with the chef to see what he could do as an alternate sauce to the macademia crust on teh Salmon. He never returned, and then a runner came to our table with my salmon and my husband's dinner. The salmon was dry with no sauce, so I asked the runner to please bring me some lemon wedges. I never saw him again. So, I attempted to eat it, but it was severly lacking flavor and was very dry, so at that point I was upset. Right then a differnt runner came from the kicthen and dropped a bowl of lemon buerre blanc sauce next to me ane left.
SO...needless to say, I was annoyed. My salmon was cold and dry and unedible at that point...
This is where they won me back...big time. I asked to speak to the manager, and when he came over he immediatley cleared the cold dry salmon away and asked me if I like swordfish, I said yes, and he said i swear in 6 minutes you will have the best swordfish you have ever eaten! He brought us both a fresh glass of wine, and sure enough 5 minutes later the swordfish arrived... He was right, it was out of this world!! Come to find out it was one of the specials,,,we never did hear about until then, but it was worth it! Not only did he comp the meal, he also apologized, gave us a certificate to come back and added an additional discount for the inconvenience.
Ladies and gentlemen, that's how to get people to come back to a restaurant.
That manager was phenominal, and the food was amazing too. They need to do a little more training of their servers...but all in all, they have a return customer for sure!
And...I highly recommend the swordfish!!!

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Terrible Service, Terrible Food
By lkalina from Naperville, April 2, 2008

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The only thing nice about this restaurant is the atmosphere. What a shame that such a beautiful place can be such a disappointment. Our service was slow even though there was only one other group in the entire restaurant. I ordered the eggs benedict specifying no prime rib. They ended up smothering prime rib all over the meal. Since my meal was ruined, I asked to order something else. I got the salmon, cream cheese on a bagel. Well, the bagel was very stale, salmon not fresh, and it took them almost another hour just to bring a meal that doesn't even require any cooking. (Plus they made us pay for both meals even though they initially made the mistake on the first one.) The manager came by to ask how everything was. When my husband tried to tell her that we weren't happy, she just said,"That's nice." and walked away! Obviously these people don't listen to anything their customers say. The Woodlands is much too expensive for the kind of service, food and treatment. I will never go back. I just hope that another business will buy out the space because, again, the environment is really nice.

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Just Good
By NevaLee from Bolingbrook, March 27, 2008

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Went for dinner on A Wednesday night at 8:30pm. We were suprised to see they close at 9pm when the mall closes. That's a little wierd to me. People were trying to get in when were leaving. But then again the place was empty when we were there, only three other tables occupied and a couple at the bar. The restaurant is very nice looking. Our server was very good, friendly, attentive. The food was good. I had the beef tenderloin with fingerling potatoes and asparagus. It was cooked to perfection and was delicous. My husband had the cheddar burger with sweet potato fries. He liked it, said the burger was more like a meatloaf, but he liked it. I loved the sweet potato fries, he didn't. We also had the artichoke dip and caesar salads. Both very good. I thought it was a bit expensive for what we got though.

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Date Night
By AEA mom from Bolingbrook, January 28, 2008

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We really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. We had read reviews that said the food was good, but service was lacking, so we tried it out anyway. They must be reading the reviews because we had great service and the manager stopped by to check on us too.

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Best place for dinner in Bolingbrook
By nox from Evanston, January 16, 2008

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When I think of dining in Bolingbrook, I think of pancake houses, fast food, or maybe the buffet on Rt 53 at I-55. The Woodlands finally brings some dining that's a little higher end to the area. My experience there was quite pleasant. The menu offers a nice array of choices ranging from steaks and seafood to pastas and interesting appetizer choices like the antipasti, a collection of spreads, greens, and pates served with bread crisps. For my entree I went with the ceder plank salmon, which was served with a citrus cole slaw-like side and a barley patty. Awesome. Dessert was phenomenal, go with the chocolate lava cake. Not too big, ideal for chocolate lovers. Good coffee, generously poured drinks, and a fantastic ambiance (the place is really pretty) rounded out the night. The server could have been a little more educated about the menu, we had some questions that had to be answered by a manager, but I chalk that up to the newness of the place. I think in a few months they'll get their feet wet, and the dining experience will be even better. I'd take clients here in a heartbeat if I were in the area for business.

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Ambience
By swinterb from Bolingbrook, January 10, 2008

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I will tell you exactly what is wrong with the bar/lounge area...the lighting. It is much too bright. If they bring down the lights a little it will bring a much cozier atmosphere. It's a very nice place for a glass of wine and the prices are reasonable. Had stone crab claws on special as an appetizer...they were delightful.

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Every new place needs time
By Happy Viking from West Loop, December 30, 2007

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Reviewing a restaurant that opened in November a week or two after opening rarely gives a good picutre of quality or value. Every restaurant goes through a shake-out period.

Our experience was very different from the one review below. My guess is that yours will be too. Our server (Devin) was both attentive and efficient. My mussels ($12) were fresh and high quality. The wine infused broth needed a bit more flavor, but was good and was very good with the warm rolls served. Her butternut squash soup ($4) was prepared with just the right amount of butter and spice.

For entrees she had the Goat Cheese Tart ($12), a solid assembly of flavors with the goat cheese adding flavor without overpowering the rest of the dish; my choice was the Nicoise Salad ($14) with 6 fresh and excellent slices of rare tuna to mix with the salad.

The wine list is ordinary but with several good by the glass choices that are, in the context of today's wine pricing at many restaurants, relatively reasonable. My choice was the Santa Margarita Pinot Gris ($9), generally reliable and complements most fish dishes. She opted for a Pomogranite Martini (also $9) not on the Martini Menu but served happily nonetheless.

The average meat or fish entree on the menu and the specials will run between $22 - $28, not a bargain but not excessive either. The Woodlands is still finding its way, but it will not be long before the Value moves from 3 stars to 4.

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I wouldn't bother here
By Charles from Chicago, November 13, 2007

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Nice room.
Had a terribly inexperienced server: no plates came with the appetizer, she recommended a steak salad - an item that does not exsist on this menu and couldn't be found to find out why our entree's were taking so long.
The kids menu was $6 per entree that did not include a drink; which by the way was an additional $3. That's right, 3 bucks extra for a kid drink.

The children were very unhappy with their burgers; which came out highty seasoned with salt, pepper and some kind of visible herbs. They were told that fries came wih their meals, imagine their surprise when sweet potato fries came out. Pity, it was a good burger - for an adult, not for a kid.

I ordered a pork chop that came with a fennel and apple compote that was so strong with vinegar that it was very offensive.

I did see managers walking around the room and they stopped on ocassion to one table. Too bad they didn't stop by to me so, I could tell them these things; thankfully dear public, we have Metromix to share our experiences with.
There are far better restaurants doing it much better out there.

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