Grant’s Restaurant and Bar

Have dinned here 15 – 20 times in the last three years? Yeah I am a fan. Menu changes often which is nice, it keeps things fresh. I don’t have a favorite dish here, just good food all around. Steak, Chicken, served in a fresh modern way. The bread to start is a weakness of mine, mmm sooo warm and buttery! Take a turn and dine here, I think you’ll like it.

Type of order: Dinner /​Drinks (several times)
Food Quality: Excellent. Great high end American fare
Beer Selection: Meh. Pretty good, nothing crazy. Occasional killer beer on draft.
Service: Excellent. As good as anyone in the area.
Atmosphere: High end American steak style venue offering. Nice booths /​tables. A bit bright in the dining room.
Prices: To be expected for what is being offered. On par.
Entertainment: The loafered yuppy hitting on your girlfriend or wife during happy hour, regardless of their ring. Not uncommon for West Hartford Center though.
Overall Experience: Excellent. Very solid experience every time.
Recommend Rating: Get a table, pass on the bar. Great experience if you can sit down without an hour wait (which is very possible). Must check out though.

Came here on a Saturday night before hitting the bars in WHC. It was Saturday so it was crowded but we got seated pretty quickly (group of 5). I ordered the pork belly tacos ($ 11) and a couple of beers. The atmosphere was nice and you can definitely tell this is one of the fancier places in whc but the service was okay. The pork belly tacos weren’t bad but Bar Taco offers a better value for the price. I would have ordered dinner but I had gotten food prior to this but the dinner menu definitely caught my attention! $ 35 and $ 50 per guest menus available and obviously a la carte options. I’ll give Grant’s a 3 stars for now because nothing stood out but i’ll definitely have to come back for happy hour and the dinner options. Will update my review soon!

Well what can I say… Hopes where high before I stepped through the doors of this west hartford establishment. We where met by a friendly staff who did their best to accommodate us with our preferred seating, but unfortunately it was a busy night for them and we settled for the window seat. They gave us a free appetizer to sweet us up — nice touch. For appetizer we had the tuna tartare which was delicious, we also had the deviled eggs and it was good. For main dishes we had the lobster burger and cheeseburger and both were very good but kinda too dry. We had Crème brûlée for dessert and it was not really good it was too cold. It felt like that they just got it out of the fridge.

Our party of 4 arrived at 7pm with reservations on Saturday night and were promptly seated. We had buffalo shrimp and calamari appetizers which were both very well prepared and tasty. Our waiter was awesome and on top of his game with a great sense of humor and personal touch.
I had a fabulous filet with lump crab meat that came with with veggies and mashed potatoes. Others had scallops, free range chicken and one other chicken dish — everyone raved how good their meal was prepared.
Topped it all off with a cheese cake dessert that had a cream brûlée like topping with blueberry sauce that was out of this world. Always a bit more expensive with cocktails but they have a great pour and well worth it for a fun evening.

I’ve only been here twice and still feel like it’s hard to know what to make of it. It’s clearly a trendy and very popular place in downtown West Hartford… an area I have mixed feelings about in general. The inside is very nice… pretty much upscale casual. The drinks are well-​made but overpriced, and there is a good draft beer selection. The bar gets packed and extremely cramped on busy nights if you’re not there early enough to get a seat. I felt like the food was decent but nothing special for the price and nothing really stands out on the menu as something you can’t get cheaper (and better) elsewhere. I also agree with others in feeling that the service was rushed, with little time to enjoy drinks and relax… each course quickly coming out after the next. I guess I kind of feel the same way about this place as I do about West Hartford in general. Very sterile, overpriced, nothing unique, restaurants for people who still think New Haven is too scary.

Grants is always great! Food is always good as is the service. The atmosphere is very nice. A nice play to have a drink or a meal.

I love Grant’s and have for years. I was first introduced to Grant’s about six years ago by a friend. I have been there for many meals and nights filled with drinks.
Grant’s is a typical place all West Hartford kids go to when home from college or back in town in general for the Holidays. On weekends it tends to be rather busy and get packed in the bar area. If you are looking to go out in the Center on Thanksgiving Eve, either get there early or re-​think going to Grant’s. The entire restaurant fills up to the point where you have to fight to get to the bathroom from the front door. It is insane.
Food wise, I love their food. They always great happy hour offerings that include the deviled eggs, burger, truffle fries, oysters, and much more. I also love their brunch, always a classic.
I cannot say enough about the bartenders there, they are great! George is one of my favorites. The staff as a whole is really great.
Grant’s is a West Hartford Center staple.

Great food, atmosphere is meh. I went here for my birthday with my girlfriend and was impressed by the food but not by the seating.
I ordered the New York strip, and for an appetizer the French onion soup. The French onion soup was beyond awesome– probably the best I ever had. Cheese/​crusty bread — everything was there.
Steak– I have ordered the. biggest steak j Gilbert’s in Glastonbury had to offer and this beat it in quality quantity and it came just as I wanted it. I was genuinely impressed. The steak was magical, flavorful and perfectly cooked. I enjoyed every minute of it. The side was just meh tho — deep fried potatoe wedges. I got ketchup and ate them but I would have preferred some green or asparagus.
The seating was also kind of meh. We sat In a old table with two uncomfortable hall style seats. I spent over 200 dollars for two people and expected more. We were very Close to the people next to us and the table was crowded with our food. We ended up putting some of the menus on another table.
All in all– will go back.

Last month we finally dined in after passing by thus place a couple of times. The décor inside was nice. Had that old classic rustic feel to it. We sat in a booth. We ordered the (tuna tartar, pistachio crusted idaho trout, fish tacos & fries) Their food was delicious. I actually finished my plate clean. I’m guessing we were hungrier than we thought. The service was polite. When we went, it was a bit early for dinner so there weren’t many patrons. The reataurant was quiet. Just the way we liked it. We will definitely be coming back for some more of their yummy food.

Since we moved to the area 1.5 years ago, we’ve been looking for our «go-​to» spots for dining. While we love max oyster, it’s a little too specialized and fancy to be our «go-​to.» After a few stops at grants over the last few months, we’ve officially adopted it. Here’s why:
1. Diverse menu: good variety of fish, meat, salads, apps. Creative cuisine, but not overly gourmet. Great flavors and perfect array to fit your mood. Whether a simple burger or roasted seabass with quinoa.
2. Thoughtful and tasty drink specials. This past summer featured a refreshing cucumber and gin drink. Last night a delicious sweet pumpkintini. And when I want my signature spicy dirty martini (or the actual name that I can’t say aloud with a straight face — «the hot and dirty»), they use banana peppers for the spice which gives it perfect mix of salt and spicy flavor
3. Spacious and not normally a long wait. Since we are not great planners, a last minute trip for
lunch or dinner is not usually an issue with their vast dining space
4. Great waitstaff!!! Self explanatory.
Check it out — make it your «go-​to.» We love grants!

Unimpressive exterior with café tables but inside is warm and inviting. Entrees are pricey but the secret is that the menu is scattered with smaller dishes that are tasty and sizeable. The Cheese Board is not to be missed, with pâté and imported cheeses. Highlights include the squash soup, rich with nutmeg, the fried calamari and the lobster burger. Wines are expensive. Our waiter was accommodating to a fault. The real Parker House rolls are a delight.
They allowed us to enter with a small dog.

We made our reservations through open table, I would not recommend this route. After several friends encouraged us to try Grants, we were not impressed when we arrived. They had three hostess who were all confused and told us it would be a 20 minute wait then they found out table and places is by the kitchen door even though there were many open tables and people without reservations were being seated faster and at better locations.
The menu is limited, but has good selections. Our waiter was friendly but confused when asked about ipa’s. The wine list is limited and the markup is almost humorous. Santa margarita is $ 60 a bottle, that is pretty steep for a $ 20 bottle.
We had a raw shellfish tray and here is where things picked up. The oysters were large and very fresh, the clams were sweet and ice cold. After a rough start, my sports were lifted and hope springs eternal. A glass of Angeline and the coriander crusted tuna was well prepared, cool inside with a nice crust. The summer beans were crisp and done right. The seasoning was just right and I felt no desire to seek out a condiment (unusual for me)
However the star of the show was the sea bass my wife ordered. It was well above expectations and one of those dishes we will remember and talk about for time to come. The dish set a new bar. While the black rice was a bit bland and nothing of note, it did create a clean counter to the fish. It was about as perfect as a sea bass can be cooked. No excess moisture as can sometimes happen. It was light, buttery and had a browned top that added some texture.
The portion size was perfect and left us satisfied without feeling full. Like that mediocre round of golf where you birdie the last two holes, great cooking over shadowed the confused front end and removed all doubt that a return trip will happen.

I have been to Grants many times for happy hour and it has been a consistently positive experience, even though I usually end up ordering off of the regular menu. We have never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a table. During HH, they have $ 5 mini-​dishes, $ 6 cocktails (my personal favorite is something I believe is called a flirtini, don’t judge I usually drive), and $ 5 wine selection. The sweet potato fries are amazing, my only regret here was ordering the truffle fries instead. Big mistake! I have also had the happy hour deviled eggs, which are very good, even though maybe a little much.
For regular dishes, the candied apple salad with baked goat cheese is amazing, as is the fettucine dish. They also have an extensive array of meat and fish dishes. Our service has always been excellent. They have very nice outdoor seating for warm spring/​summer days. Highly recommended for a happy hour with friends or a fancy dinner splurge.

Got a filet and it was fantastic. So we’re the mashed potatoes. The food here is superior. But on my visit, we had a large group and the waiter somehow lost our order. He said he misplaced his notepad. OK. But no manager came to apologize. No apps were sent out while we waited. Again. Our re-​order didn’t seem to get the «rush» treatment. It took about 1 hour from the time we originally ordered until we got our food. Not a good look, especially since the restaurant never truly acknowledged its mistake. I loved what I ate, but obviously it was disappointing we had to wait so long.

Every once in a while I get a craving for the lobster burger and truffle fries at Grants. I love the fun, cozy décor inside and the lively patio, and a few of the menu items are favorites. I do think their drinks are overpriced, although there are a few happy hour specials that are decent.

I went to Grant’s for brunch this past weekend with a couple of my girlfriends and had a wonderful experience! I’ve only ever gone to Grant’s for happy hour or for going out, so I only ever see the bar. Man oh man, is this place a lot bigger in the daylight!
I ordered the Crab Cake and Eggs, and my friends ordered the Eggs Benedict. I loved my food and my friends could not stop gushing over theirs. Brunch is served from 10 AM — 3 PM on the weekends. The service was wonderful and our food came out very quickly. However, I never got a refill on my water when it ran empty… I’ll get over it. I’ve also heard that their breakfast cocktails are also good, though that’s only hearsay. Overall, I would recommend this place for brunch. I had a lovely experience as a whole.

I have been here a couple times. They have a decent brunch menu. I enjoy the atmosphere and décor. It is a good place for a special dinner or grabbing a few drinks.

I have been to Grants on several occasions and it is good but I think overhyped and over priced. Don’t get me wrong — Billy Grant is a great chef but I prefer his other places. They have a great happy hour (cheese burgers are $ 5!), chopped salad, and other great apps. I also came for brunch and it was good. My boyfriends egg Benedict was too salty, and I ordered the frittata which was very tasty.
However, there is just something about Grants that turns me off. Maybe it’s the amount of times I have been here, the crowded bar, literally cannot move on a weekend. Not sure what it is, and while I am sure to return, I would probably first choose Bricco.

People come to Grants for many reasons. It has a great bar, a very popular Happy Hour, Sunday Brunch, vintage vinyl dance nights, and a 50% off wine bottle night. It’s super packed on Friday and Saturday nights.
Our reason for visiting Grants yesterday was for lunch before we saw the 2:00 performance of Pippin at the Bushnell.
We walked in a little after they opened at 11:00. Forty five minutes later, after a very nice meal, Grants had considerably filled up and were well on their way to a busy Saturday.
The interior is beautiful with Roman columns, Venetian plaster on the walls ornate ceiling panels, and some very eye-​catching cozy seating nooks for two in super bright red colors.
Jonathan, our server, was prompt, polite, efficient, helpful, and totally professional. Drink orders were taken and water glasses were filled very promptly. He brought out the first of two baskets of complimentary Parkerhouse rolls which were so addictive they should be a controlled substance.
Our lunches were a Chicken Toscano Salad ($ 14.95), a cup of Lentil soup (a pricey $ 5.95), and a Chopped Salad with a grilled shrimp up-​charge that totaled $ 16.95.
Speaking of controlled substances, I hope the locked cabinet where they store the rolls has some more space for the polenta croutons served with the Toscano Salad. They were that good. The dish included fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, roasted peppers, olives, a balsamic dressing, and those crazy good polenta croutons.
I like lentil soup and order it when it’s on a restaurant’s menu. It happened to be one of Grant’s «Soups of the Day». Grants version was stellar– served hot as could be, with shreds of ham and a sprinkle of grated cheese on top. The taste made me forget it cost $ 6!
The baseline version of the Chopped Salad came with feta, cucumber, carrots, olives and chick peas for $ 8.95. It’s served with a balsamic vinaigrette and you can add Grilled Chicken ($ 6), Grilled Shrimp ($ 8), Mustard Glazed Salmon ($ 9), or Grilled Skirt Steak ($ 9).
I apprehensively ordered the shrimp because sometimes when I do this I feel ripped off when I get 2 or three Lilliputian sized shrimpy shrimps. Not here– I was very happy to see that my $ 8 got me six very good sized seasoned and broiled shrimps. This was a very good value.
We had no complaints at all about a very pleasant lunch in a gorgeous place with very nice décor, strong and highly competent service, and great tasting food.