Gravy

Not to kick a dead horse, but I’m writing this review in case it’s owners open another restaurant in the future. Holy Cow is good, so I’d give them another chance if they learned from their mistakes with Gravy.
I wanted to like Gravy, and after the first meal, I kind of did. After the second, I had serious doubts. The third time killed it for me. Why?
Heavy handed and poorly executed dishes that were not fresh — at least by the time they hit the table. Food (ingredients) quality wasn’t great. This was just the kind of culinary laziness that got Flying Star in trouble. Each visit was progressively worse.
Inattentive service. Waiters hung out behind the counter with the cooks instead of with their customers, like they needed baby sitters. Two different visits, we waited for a while to place the order and then I had to walk over to get my waiter to give me a check. I don’t think I ever saw an owner or manager there.

UPDATE: I just wanted to put this out there, but apparently Gravy is no longer open for dinner. My husband and I wanted to go there the other night after he picked me up from work around 5:30pm, (I had been there for dinner just about a month ago), but the restaurant was dark and the parking lot was empty. Later we checked their Facebook page and noticed that their hours were reduced to 8:00am-3:00pm daily.

1. Took 15 minutes before we were acknowledged as humans sitting at one of their tables.
2. Took 20 minutes before our food order was taken.
3. Ordered a beer…
4. Food was dropped off at the table and once again our existence as humans was ignored.
5. Watched patrons leave without receiving their food.
6. Food came out at a random pace.
7. Never lie about maple syrup. We know the difference.
8. Food finished. Waitress realized the beer was never poured while dropping off the check. She then asked if I still wanted it. This was the first time she talked to us after our food was placed on the table.
9. Pretty sure the A/​C was on while it was 40° outside. Entire family left shivering.
10. Waitress became friendly when she saw me scrolling through Gravy’s Unilocal reviews.

I took a star off because our order got mixed up with the table next to us, and I got someone else’s over-​easy eggs and they got my poached eggs… but otherwise it was good. I went for a savory breakfast item this time and got the chicken-​fried steak with hash browns. Yes. Delicious again. I still have only been here for breakfast, but I have yet to be disappointed. There are some things on the lunch/​dinner menu that I am desperate to try. Pork belly! Fried avocado! What?! They sure know how to make a surprising and appealing sounding menu.

I consider myself an expert when it comes to fried green tomatoes… so of course I needed to try this place out. Before I get to the food, I need to discuss the cleanliness of the place… not good, not the worst I have seen, but still not good. The service was okay, not the best, but okay. So the food was just average, I do not think the fried green tomatoes were «home made» they gave me a vibe of being pre-​made and frozen. I was very disappointed.

Went twice last week. Once for Lunch, and again for Dinner. Lunch wasn’t terribly busy and service was so-​so. Food on the other hand was great… my fried green tomato BLT was hot, delish, and ooey gooey with the pimento cheese. Side salad was a great choice and was plentiful.
Dinner was again kinda quiet, but service was much more attentive thanks to Chris, one of the owners being at the helm. The fried chicken was hot, crispy and generously portioned. The collard greens was the real reason why I ordered the chicken in the first place and they didn’t disappoint. Smashers were tasty, too. The biscuit looked great but was pretty dry.
Overall, the vibe is great, and it definitely seems like it is a «diamond in the rough» just waiting to be polished up and properly displayed. Will definitely give it another try for breakfast… the pancake sampler I’ve read about seems like a must try.

The fish tacos are possibly THE thing to order here. Nice balance of tangy coleslaw and battered fish. One thing I don’t like in fish tacos, which is not a problem here, is when the fish has not been seasoned. The fish is very flavorful here. I also had the chicken fried steak (CFS) which is massive and will make a large man pass out before bedtime if completed. The CFS was hot and smothered in white gravy. It was definitely a contender for this strange niche trophy. (I understand most people do not consume CFS and those of us who do have borderline eating disorders.) The mac and cheese … (wait hang on, NO I did NOT order all this for myself thank you very much! I was with my FAMILY…) anyway, the mac and cheese is great if you like creamy indulgent varieties. Big time kid pleaser. The pancakes are incredi…(WAIT, NO! I did not also order pancakes. This was at a different day! I do not have a serious eating disorder… ok may a minor disorder but not a serious one…) Ahem! The panamacakes were great. I had the pineapple. The owner came by to evaluate and he complained that there was too much pineapple and that they were over cooked. Whatever! They were perfect! I recommend you order them extra crisp with too much pineapple. (just hope the chef doesn’t take that liberty too far…)
Regarding the recent improvements that reviewers have been eluding to, I can attest that they’ve done a great job getting the flow down. I stopped in for lunch ON A TOTALLY DIFFERENT DAY. Total time for lunch: 35 minutes. Total cost $ 18. Food was good, hot, and correct. I was greeted within 1 minute of arriving and seated quickly. The waiter came to the table in less than 2 minutes. I ordered the burger in celebration that they offer a burger. The burger came out in 12 minutes cooked medium-​rare and correct. It was Dagwood tall and caused juice to run down my hand. I’d recommend wearing a t-​shirt or those 80’s style elastic sweatbands on your wrist if you’re too proud to use a fork on a burger, as I am. The fries were fresh, real cut potato, and fried for the correct amount of time to get the right color and texture.

I’d much prefer to rave about Gravy but to keep it real this eatery has been a mixed bag for me. I caught wind of it long before it opened its smudge covered door and once it was finally built out and running I heard not so good things. So I waited out a reasonable grace period to find out that Gravy is just ho-​hum.
First off, it should be more clean than it is! Practically brand new inside but there are boxes of sweeteners etc on the counter-​clutter that doesn’t invite you to sit there and of course no one was. I thought this was a diner? Our table had crumbs all over it, the bathroom is already looking rough…
*Each time I’ve visited Gravy the servers were very gracious.* For as long as it’s taken to receive my meals I’ve been fairly underwhelmed with the kitchen however. Under seasoned is the main problem I believe. Guess I will just continue to wander the 505 searching for a Chicken Fried Steak to brag about.
Something else is missing at Gravy besides salt. It’s the smiling face that sees you walk in, welcomes you, gets you situated. This person brings energy and ensures the experience is good for the entire room. They make sure the food comes out in a reasonable time and tables bussed and ready for the inevitable line. Where is this competent leader?
I will visit Gravy again to try a couple more things I’ve got my eye on.

The sign out front caught my eye: Beer. Gravy. What else does one really need? I was intrigued, so I went in for a beer. They have a very nice selection of local and other brews that will satisfy any beerocrat. As far as the food goes, from the look of the place, I was expecting standard greasy spoon slop, but the food actually looked quite good (I saw some fried chicken that looked quite tasty). I already had dinner plans elsewhere, but decided to return the next day for some «eats.»
When I returned the next morning for breakfast, I had a hard time deciding what to get. The pancake selection was impressive. But the brisket hash sounded good, and I opted for that, with the green chile sauce. Wow! It was amazing… excellent flavor, just the right amount of heat. It was classic «stick to your ribs» food. It came with a frisbee sized tortilla. I did not expect food of this quality, and at a price that was very reasonable, given how good it was. The serving was huge… couldn’t even finish ¹⁄₃ of it. The coffee was excellent too.
Service was very fast and friendly.
The decoration of the place is pretty cool too… sort of a googie-​Jetsons décor. Loved it.
Can’t wait to return and try some of the other dishes. I wish I got to Albuquerque more often.

2.5 actually.
I’m going to take this opportunity to come out: I am transitioning to a predominantly vegetarian diet. I’m telling you that to explain why I ordered the eggplant sandwich. I had high hopes. However, the eggplant was sliced so thin and breaded so heavily, deep fried so thoroughly, that it could have been anything at all and tasted exactly the same. I was looking forward to more of a parmesan style — thick cut, earthy flavor, moist. No such luck. It did have melted cheese, an ordinary ciabata roll, some pesto-​ish spread, but it was meh. The fries were good.
Husband had the cobb salad. The greens were fresh, but they were tossed unevenly in the mustard based vinaigrette (which had unfortunately been over mixed and had emulsified to an unpleasant consistency). There was so much salad piled on the plate that it wasn’t possible to mix it in a little better with food going everywhere.
As for the space, I really like what they are trying for. The original shape of the diner is preserved, and the booths are clever. There is this feeling though, of the place being … kinda … dirty. The entryway is dirty, the windows are dirty, the place just feels unclean.
That’s all I got. I think this would be great for a late night bite after clubbing, or if I had been driving all day and had just checked into the Hotel Parq Central across the street I’d be grateful as all get out that Gravy is so convenient. But as a destination? As a place my mind jumps to when I think «let’s go get a bite!» No, this isn’t going to ever be that place for me.

I’m from the South, so any restaurant that’s based on our favorite fixin’ is goin to call my name out loud. Breakfast on a Saturday seemed like the perfect time to try Gravy.
I was inspired enough by the description of the house specialty pancake flight to try it, despite the call of breakfast pot pie with biscuits and gravy which was sorely tempting. I was shocked to love this ginormous plate of delicious and delicate pancakes. Score one for me. Hubby, who ordered the biscuits and gravy, did not fare so well. I have honestly never had such bland and utterly unremarkable biscuits… or gravy. And 3 flecks of sausage does not a sausage gravy make.
The nouveau diner redo is somewhat charming though not super comfortable.
The service was meh, though the boys certainly are nice to look at. I rarely tip less than 20% but this time I did. A little communication, like «I’ll take your order once your (specialty) coffee comes up» is much better customer service than being denied eye contact for a solid 8 minutes while my waiter does everything possible to help anyone but me to answer my menu questions.
Update: 5−15−15
Went back today and the breakfast pot pie was good enough to earn an extra star. The service was still meh but the gent who provided it was good. He was just working solo so it took a while. ;)

Ate at Gravy earlier this week with a group of coworkers. I was determined to eat healthy after gorging myself over Easter weekend. Which was REALLY HARD. I literally had to completely ignore most of the menu and focus on the salads. I was doing pretty well until someone mentioned pineapple upside down pancakes. OMG. And then I heard mention of a Nutella milkshake. OMFG. Why must I have such a sweet-​tooth?!
Luckily, my strong will prevailed and I ended up with the lobster, shrimp and avocado salad. I’m actually really glad I did, because it was downright delicious. I’m always wary of ordering seafood in the desert (especially Lobster) but this stuff was cooked to a T. The salad was served louie-​style with the seafood mixed in a creamy dressing and served on top of greens with a fan of perfectly ripe avocado on the top.
I left feeling very happy with my meal and not at all guilty about eating it!
As for the décor, this place is one-​of-​a-​kind. While you can see from the outside that this place is housed in a traditional old diner, you cannot see the unique décor! We kept commenting that this place seemed like it was out of the movies — like Pulp Fiction with a twist. You can tell that all of the booth seating is custom made with a bit of retro/​industrial/​modern/​bowling alley (?) flair. The ceiling has very cool cut-​out wood paneling and the lighting fixtures are just as cool.
Anyway, I can’t wait to go back again when I can explore the guilty pleasures!

Gravy and I, we aren’t going to have a love affair. My food was good, but it wasn’t love.
I had the chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, and mac & cheese… They let me choose between white or brown gravy which is awesome because I detest being told which gravy I can have– I like brown gravy on my CFS. This was obviously a portion for a mountain man, because I wasn’t even able to put away half of it. The CFS was good– crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside. The folks have real mashed potatoes, which were good as well. The mac & cheese was creamy and cheesy, and definitely hit the spot.
Now we get to the reason why there will be no Gravy and Ashley love affair. The gravy. Brown gravy is supposed to have it’s own flavor profile. You shouldn’t be able to see through it, and it’s not supposed to resemble water. It wasn’t gross, it just wasn’t GOOD gravy– as you would expect tonget at a place called Gravy for pete’s sake.
Our server was an awesome guy, he checked on us often and kept us happy. My drink never emptied, and we didn’t have to wait a year for the check.
We will be back to give this place another shot because I think they can do better… Our server said breakfast is delicious, and I want to give it a go. I’ll update my review then.
Until then, Gravy is solid but it won’t knock your socks off.

After all the rave reviews I decided to give this place a shot. Well I wasn’t wowed or disappointed. Maybe it’s because I missed the breakfast and had dinner.
The service here was outstanding both servers that were working were super polite and attentive. The atmosphere is very 70s chic retro modern! I liked the atmosphere and the comfier than most seating.
The food here was rite on average in my opinion. I had the pot pie which had a distinctive flavor. The chicken in it was pretty good considering it was fried and crumbled on top of the pie. It was deconstructed pot pie would be the best description. The super negative about it was the biscuit. It was spongy like when you microwave a biscuit that was made in the morning or day before.
Oh and the lemonade was I believe country time powder mix, No bueno.
I’ll be giving this place another shot at breakfast to see if it can live up tho these 5 star reviews I’ve seen. Fingers crossed for something marvelous.

The food was alright, but this place was filthy. They let you seat yourself (which was one of the few things I like about this place) and I chose a table in the back hoping for a quiet breakfast with my wife. I took a picture of my viewpoint and uploaded it. If you want to find this picture and view it, this may help explain some of my issues I had with the cleanliness of this restaurant.
THE BAD:
*The table I sat at was not wiped, but it was set up for people to sit. This could be my fault for sitting at a dirty table, but the server never stopped me or said «hold on let me clean that table real quick.»
*The menus are stock paper and are not laminated. This makes them very absorbent. My menu had a barrage of coffee, gravy, syrup, and god knows what other stains all over it. This was two «ewws» for me within 30 seconds.
*The first mug of coffee I was given had a lipstick print on the rim. I was given a clean mug when I pointed this out to the server, but this was now strike three and I hadn’t even ordered yet.
*From the table I sat at (seriously, go find the photo!) I got to watch the servers grab lemon wedges with their fingers and stick them on the rims of customer’s glassware.
*From this same vantage point, I also got to watch them ignore the ice scoop and instead just stick glassware straight into the ice. This lets the servers possibly touch the ice as both the glass and their hand both into the ice station, and it also allows them to get broken glass in the ice (if they knock the side of the station and break a glass). Servers are supposed to use a plastic ice scoop with a built-​in handle for these two reasons.
*The third thing I got to see from my table was two cartons of creamer sticking out of the ice they use in patrons’ drinks. If this does not bother you, imagine me picking up a dirty fork from the floor and placing that in the dirty dishes area, then picture me pulling a bottle out of the fridge and getting my hands all over it as I open it and use it, then picture me placing that bottle in a bucket of ice, and now imagine me giving you ice out of that bucket to chew on. Yeah, gross.
THE GOOD:
*I do like the décor. This place has a fun not-​quite-​retro thing going for it.
*The music was good.
*I like that you seat yourself, even if I ended up at a dirty table.
THE CONCLUSION
In case you missed it, I am giving this place one star. I’m not going back to Gravy. I had high hopes for this place and was extremely disappointed.

The fact that they serve breakfast until 3pm is hilarious and a rockin’ good time! I mean that is pretty legit but with red velvet pancakes like Gravy serves up, it makes total sense. Caution, you either better have a serious love for red velvet, a humongous appetite, or be sharing with someone because these bad boys are ginormous! They are fluffy and delicious. Totally melting in your mouth. They come with a nice cream cheese drizzle that just adds to the euphoria.
Others in my party had the brisket hash and the egg white omelette… no complaints here, just pure delight.
I’m digging the interior… so eclectic, it really works with the place and neighborhood. I’m sad that Milton’s is gone but this place is a fine replacement.

I’m completely buying the theory a friend passed along about this place, and the plates it serves up: Gravy is completely bucking the modern eatery trend. Instead of small plates with feel-​good, locally-​sourced-​picked-​this-​morning produce, Gravy specializes in just piling that motherf@#ker to oblivion. The philosophy is essentially hey, you’re gonna pay dearly for these calories and you’ll love every bite of ‘em. Seat yourself at the counter and watch the kitchen kick out dish after towering dish, there’s no skimping on anything around here; if you’re looking for an artisan take on Croque Madame, you best look elsewhere.
Which isn’t to say the place isn’t, at its heart, artisan. It’s a refreshing take on the old diner concept that reminds me, virtually precisely, of the Valley Ho in Scottsdale. The food is good and often very good; people sound like stoners when they talk about the pineapple upside down pancakes, I’ve had them, they’re that salivating. The steak frites is an astonishing lunch deal. The menu also has its less-​than-​interesting finds like the chicken pot pie and the french toast stack that somehow manages to cram a vat of cream cheese between the toast, totally unnecessary. Surprisingly, the very best dish in my experience is the one that doesn’t conform: the spinach, artichoke and feta phyllo triangle is fantastic, human-​portioned and inspired.
Whatever hiccups this place dealt with at startup are gone. I fully anticipate Gravy to be a mainstay in this neighborhood for many years to come, it’s really good. Like I mentioned, I think it has an uphill battle to fight regarding uppity modern dining expectations, and honestly, I probably won’t eat here very often. But when I want to absolutely kill it, Gravy is where I’m stuffing my empty gut.

I went here after hearing so much hype about this place, and I have to say I was just not that impressed. I really expected to be more wow’d by their food, instead I found a very limited menu with very basic food and higher than worth it prices.
I got the salmon, which was pretty good, but again nothing out of this world. We also ordered the pork belly appetizer, which was tasty and a great concept, but again nothing that special. The service was pretty lousy that night and the lighting in the place was just odd and too dark. Also, I love the concept of the tables and chairs, but as a girl there was no where to set a purse or hang a jacket, so this was kind of annoying to me.
All in all the experience was just really mediocre and didn’t really impress me at all.

Solid choice for brunch. And dinner too! Don’t be fooled: not everything comes smothered in gravy (unless you want it that way)! After reading some of the not-​so-​great reviews, I was skeptical, but this joint exceeded my expectations.
A couple of us went down the road from Presbyterian Hospital for some mid-​day grub on a Saturday. The place was packed! We had a couple of things and shared. Our waiter was great despite being pretty busy. My comrades had bacon/​eggs/​hash browns and said they were a bit greasy, but that’s expected (or even hoped for) at diner-​esq places like this! Everything I tried was yummy.

Having heard all the hype, I wanted to try Gravy’s today. I walked in and I thought they were closed. I was the only one in the place and it was 5 o’clock. The waiter handed me a menu and told me to pick my own table anywhere in the joint. OK… I was expecting breakfast to be served all day, but I was informed that they stop serving breakfast at 3 o’clock. So, I decided on an old standby, chicken fried steak, but the fried green tomatoes with a pork belly topping and tomato jam sounded delish. I got those as an appetizer along with coffee and Mimosa
Those fried green tomatoes were outstanding. The tomato jam balanced the saltiness of the bacon and the whole thing was very well balanced. The mimosa added a great tart flavor to the fried green tomatoes nice pairing.
The chicken fried steak came with a huge portion of mash potatoes under it along with Brussels sprouts. The gravy over the steak was not salty as some other reviews have mentioned and they were real potatoes, not instant because instant don’t have lumps. There were a few, but tasty. The brussel sprouts were absolutely great. They were charred and sauteed in some kind of demi glacé.
Overall, I liked it. I liked the food and the service was good. I’ll be back for breakfast some other time.