Bristol Bar & Grille

After my previous 1 star review, the owner and manager contacted me and apologized. While my dining experience was still less than satidfactory, they did apologize and offered a burger on the house to help make up for the problems with my earlier dining experience. Kudos to the management for caring enough to rectify the situation.

Pros: The Calamari app was great and my fiancé enjoyed her Lemondrop martini.
Cons: Never… NEVER… NEVARRRR serve an Old-​Fashioned in a phucking martini glass! Yes, I recognize a martini glass is «reduced volumn» which saves money. However, the Old-​Fashioned is a classic cocktail which deserved a proper cocktail glass! #yesitmatters

We arrived at this restaurant later in the evening. We were staying at the adjoining hotel Sheraton that evening as well.
From the get go, we were half greeted by a restless, ambivalent and uptight acting manager that seemed to act like he didn’t want to be bothered.
It was a nice evening weather wise so we decided to sit out on the lanai where we could get a great view of the river, bridge, and downtown Louisville all lit up.
The outside patio was OK, but it really could’ve been so much nicer. It really had so much more potential. One thing that majorly stood out was that there were cobwebs and spiderwebs everywhere hanging above us in the open windows. I really feel like they should’ve made a better effort to tidy and clean up the area and make it a more comfortable and eye appealing. The overhead string open bulb lighting was a bit harsh as well. It just didn’t add to a very relaxing and calm ambience. Better and much softer/​muted lighting could’ve contributed to a much more intimate and romantic atmosphere. There was also a oil candle light on our table. I noticed that no one bothered to light that as well to add to the experience.
Most times than not, it’s absolutely the little things that add up to become big things.
****** It all counts!
I’m giving this place two stars solely on the service. Our waitress was very sweet and very attentive.
All we had were a couple of drinks and a very dry and overpriced piece of lemon cake.
We didn’t stay long, paid our bill and left.
Our bill was around 30.00. Wowee,… That’s a substantial rip in the shorts for what we really received overall.

This place used to be high class but has gone done hill. All the waiters and waitresses wear white shirts that ha e not seen a wash in quite a while. The service and food are lacking quite a bit also. I do not think we will be partaking of this over priced lack of service and not so good food again. If you are feeling brave go for it. I will not.

Average. The wait staff was phenomenal, but the menu was somewhat limited and it tasted decent. Nothing that I would return to, but it did the job.

What has happened to the Bristol?
The Bristol used to be my «go to» place. I knew it would be good. Service would be excellent. It would be reasonably priced. I have always gone to the Bristol on Bardstown Rd. This review is for the Bristol in Jeffersonville.
I visited tonight. I was by myself. It was a beautiful night with blue skies and moderate temps. I wanted to sit outside and enjoy a good meal.
I walk in and the hostess seemed annoyed that I had entered the restaurant. She said «follow me», so I did. She opened the door and said sit wherever you want. Ok. I found a beautiful seat right next to the large windows. It was a gorgeous view!
The very rude hostess came back and threw my eating utensils wrapped in a napkin on my table and a menu. She didn’t say a word. Ok… I’m going to enjoy myself (that’s what I’m thinking).
I sit there. And sit… I sat for 15 minutes before anyone even came up to me. This little girl that looked like she was maybe 16 came up to me and said, «has anyone waited on you?» NO.
So, I ask what the house wine is. I’ve always ordered the house wine at the Bristol. She had no idea what I was talking about. I asked her if she could suggest a red wine. NO. She didn’t know anything about wine. She’s a child! I asked if there was anyone there that knew about wine and she said no. OK
I order a $ 10 glass of wine and try to enjoy the absolutely perfect weather and view.
I’m done with my wine. No one has checked on me since I ordered it. I wait and wait. Finally, the child waitress comes to my table and said are you ready to order? YES
I ordered the Filet with garlic butter that came with a house salad, mashed potatoes and vege of the day. The vege of the day sounded disgusting (a mixture of squash and brussel sprouts), so she was more than willing to swap out for asparagus. I ordered blue cheese dressing.
One reason I always like going to the Bristol is because their salads were AWESOME! I was terribly disappointed tonight. The salad was nothing but cheap lettuce, dressing and 2 slices of cucumber that I don’t even like. It was seriously worse than you would get through a Mcdonalds drive thru! What has happened to the Bristol???
My steak and veges came. The filet was ¼ inch thick and chewy. It was awful. Asparagus was edible as were the potatoes. The bread was hard like a golf ball. Bread was served with butter that was good, but you couldn’t bite into the bread in fear of breaking your teeth.
I had 2 glasses of overpriced wine and a steak that wasn’t edible. That put me back over $ 50, including tip, for one person.
While the view is incredible, I just don’t feel it was worth the cost. Again… WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE BRISTOL?

I love the green chili wontons. However with that being said the service was absolutely horrible. We walked in and waited for the hostess to finish her conversation on the phone before she seated us. I ordered water, and received a sprite. Not a big deal both are clear. We placed our order drinks and wontons. They came out quickly but after bringing our food we didn’t see the server again. The restaurant was not busy at all. Maybe a total of 10 customers. No refills. No how was the food. No would u like any thing else. Nothing. We actually had to track some one down just to pay. Horrible horrible service! Go to the Highland location

Restaurant was having a terrible night. After ordering a simple burger, they discovered they were out. Several discussions with the manager at the POS terminal have included cursing for all the guests to hear. Every place has an off night but it shouldn’t show so easily…

The 90’s are definitely sticking around in this Jeffersonville location. While the view of the river is very nice, but you will have to continue to look in the southerly direction in order to avoid being transported back to the 90’s. Everything from the forest green carpet on the stairs, the frosted glass lamps and various brass fittings will pull you back to that decade.
The time period does not progress on the menu, either. Both the Greek Salad and Grilled Chicken with Spinach just scream 90’s again. I tried the White Chili, which was too salty so I did not finish it. Hubby and I were excited to see the freshly baked wheat stalk shaped rolls… however, they were also too salty. Hubby and I both got the Bristol Burger, The burger itself was cooked to perfectly medium. But the use of an English muffin as a bun sounds more fun than it is in practice. It is simply too small for the ample sized patty. The «nooks and crannies» holds too much grease for my liking. The prices are a bit high, no doubt due to its location and being attached to the Sheraton Hotel.

I really like eating at the Bristol, but this time I came for the wine. Their Master Sommelier, Scott, is awesome. They had a French wine class for Bastille Day and he explained everything that you needed to know about them which was great for me. There were five types of wine and it was $ 20/​person.
After the tasting we ended up staying and eating. The chef had created a special menu for the time and I got the trout and ratatouille which were delicious! My mom and I split their green chili wontons which we get pretty much every time we go because they’re delicious :)
We sat outside which has a beautiful view, and our server was fantastic. He was very attentive and made sure we had what we needed.

On a slow Tuesday night I ordered the Theresa’s Sweet Chili Linguine, after a bit of a wait it arrived already congealing, no sauce to speak of. The chicken on top was tasty but the pasta was overwhelmingly sweet with no hint of a Thai chile seasoning. I guess I was expecting something spicy. I do not recommend this dish. For a pasta dish it was a bit pricey, but have to consider the river view as an upcharge.
I will return another day but will stick to the burger and fries.
Gary419

Service was really good. Food was expensive, given the quality. Breakfast buffet was heat and serve foods. This restaurant needs an overhaul.

Should have just stayed in my room and eaten my little cuties and nuts.
Would have been so cheap and easy and I would be smiling instead of taking out my disappointment on my precious galaxy keyboard.. .
But no, I wanted a baked potato and salad.
How bad could it be?
Very, very.. .
Bad.
Stay in your room people.
Eat fruit and nuts.. .
Smile and be happy.

Been to this location twice now. It doesn’t get better than this. The service is always spot on and the food. Man, I love their food. My absolute favorite is the hot brown. I wish I could eat it all the time. mmmmmmm mmmmmmm mmmmmmmm. Don’t forget the gorgeous view of the Ohio River.

Food was awesome. Service was excellent. And has the best view of Louisville in the world.

Service was excellent for us. Food quality was awesome. My burger was a 10 in quality. My partners steak was also top quality. Highly recommend.

Terrible! The crab cakes had shells and other pieces in them. The grits and shrimp was flavorless. They said cheese grits but there were no cheese flavor at all the shrimp were small and seemed possibly canned. Given the chance I could show them how to cook some grits!

We dined there last Saturday evening, and I was surprised at how easy it was to get a table during the peak dinner hour… especially on the river… server was excellent and the food was just OK… I’ve had much better for the $$. I have no complaints, but it just wasn’t anything special for the money.
Would I go back? Not sure, probably not. Louisville has many very good resturants. I think I’ll spend my $ 25 for a New York strip somewhere else next time.

This is my 2^nd review for somewhere we didn’t eat because of a terrible hostess, but I was so offended that night that I had to get on here and vent.
We were originally going to eat dinner across the street (can’t remember the name, but it was closed due to a fire), so we walked over here on a whim. There was a group of 12 of us in town for the Louisville Farm Show (not really my thing, but my boyfriend and his buddies meeting up every year for it). A few of the guys did have hats on, but pretty much everyone had button down, some form of plaid, shirts on. So, yes, we weren’t the dressiest bunch, but we were my no means rolling in from a day in the woods.
Anyway, I approached the hostess stand, immediately notice that the place is only half full, and get excited since we have a large group. I tell her that we have 12 and she immediately looks everyone over with a look of disgust. While she was doing this, I eyeballed the crowd and saw a few other guys dressed similarly to the guys in the my group, some with hats on even, and didn’t think our attire would be a problem. Well, apparently it was, but instead of telling us to our faces, the hostess gave us the run around.
First, she says, «we’re full right now, but you can go downstairs and wait in the bar at Hooter’s, it’ll be 20 min.» We thought, ok, 20 min, not bad, we’ll just wait up here. She walks away and comes back a few minutes later and informs us that it’ll be at least an hour. OK, there are multiple empty tables there, JUST COME OUT AND TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!!! I had never been so offended in my life, obviously, we left and didn’t say anything to her. If our money’s not good enough for you, we’ll just go downstairs and eat at Hooter’s since obviously that’s where we belong. HOW RUDE!

I have been to this particular location twice now, and I have had terrible service both times. The food is mediocre for the price.
The first time I went to the Bristol with my sister for lunch one afternoon, and our waiter acted as if our presence was an terrible inconvenience to his day. He pushed us into placing our order before we were ready, and he did not let us enjoy our lunch together.
The second time I went, a friend and I went for brunch on Sunday. The brunch buffet was 15 dollars, which doesn’t seem bad for a buffet. The problem was there wasn’t really anything spectacular on the «buffet.» We were seated and had to wait almost ten minutes before anyone came to take our drink order, which wouldn’t have been a big deal if it had been packed. However, the dining room wasn’t that busy because there were three servers standing around at the back of the room by the kitchen entrance and three serving cake to a party seated behind us.
We never had the same server the entire time. After we finally got our drinks, my friend sat with a filthy glass for almost 15 minutes until I flagged someone down to get her a replacement. Then, we sat with empty glasses. Once we were finished eating, a waiter finally brought our check and left it sit with our cards in it for more than 15 minutes.
Overall, I am not impressed and won’t be making a return visit.