Monday, December 13, 2010

Weber Grill - Revisit

Don’t ask how it happened, but the other night we found ourselves at Weber Grill for dinner with the kids.  We had been once before (I reviewed it then too) and thought it was okay, and so we decided to give it another go and order dinner this time.
First of all, the place was quite busy for the middle of the week.  We were promptly seated in a nice booth and the kids given those very cool triangular crayons that don’t roll (but which my son still managed to drop on the floor several times anyway). The kids were hungry for their dinner, so we skipped any real appetizers and just ordered dinner. 
Hubby did have a Ceasar salad to start.  It was not very good. It suffered from the problem that plagues so many Caesars in restaurants—the dressing was totally flat.  My own recipe calls for (among other things) vinegar, Dijon mustard, anchovy as well as fresh lemon on the leaves before dressing.  No way is that combo flat tasting.  This dressing tasted creamy, but without any of the balanced character from the zippy ingredients.  I rarely order Caesars out because honestly, I think our homemade dressing is one of the best I have ever had.  (Who do you think has a good Caesar around town?)
I was going to get the prime rib until I saw they designated the filet as the house specialty (8 oz for $27) and I switched my order at the last minute.  My filet was good. The meat quality was decent and it was cooked medium rare.  I ordered it with the herb/blue cheese topping option, which tasted ok—the blue cheese probably wasn’t the best quality in the world, but gave you that zip that I wanted.  The herbs gave the concoction a strange green hue which was just a teeny bit off-putting.  The mashed potatoes were bad.  I don’t know if it was the potatoes they used, whether they were over-whipped or had just been heated too long, but they were really kind of glutenous and sticky.  They weren’t worth eating.
Hubby had a ribeye and was very disappointed with it.  It was pretty pricy (around $38) and just lacked anything to make it stand out.  Considering the meats are all supposed to be grilled on the Weber grills, it didn’t have much flavor.  It was also a touch overcooked.  Hubby also concurred with me about the potatoes (all the dishes came with the same side).
The kids both had the pizza kid’s meals.  I thought the little plates were cute—sort of like old school cafeteria plates with little compartments.  You get your main entrée in the big compartment (the pizza) and then you also get a side of fruit, broccoli and tater tots.  The kids did not like the pizza at all.  I don’t know if this is the same crust that they use on their grilled pizzas, but it was not a very good crust.  There wasn’t a lot of cheese on it and honestly, it didn’t look very appetizing.  They did enjoy the ice cream that came with the meal, and ate bits and pieces of the side dishes, but overall, I think we agreed as a family that we probably wouldn’t be back.
Our server was quite good and was right on top of anything we needed or wanted and made sure our drinks were always full.  The experience at this restaurant was exactly the kind of thing that depresses me about Indy sometimes.  You go into these chains, many of them look so similar to others, they are packed full of people, and the food is so inferior to so many other places that struggle.  I can understand the idea that sometimes people want familiarity and comfort, but it so often seems to come at the price of culinary quality.  I mean if it is a consistently good product (and there are a few chains that we frequent in our family), that is one thing.  But settling for something familiar but not very good is another.  I honestly don’t understand it.
Weber Grill
10 N. Illinois Street
Indy 46204
317-636-7600


Weber Grill Restaurant on Urbanspoon

9 comments:

  1. I agree: I went way back in 2008 and have not been back since. I found it to be way overpriced for what you get; for the price of a steak there you could go to St. Elmo's or any other steakhouse in town and get better quality. Here is my full review if you're curious: http://compensatoryfactor.blogspot.com/search?q=weber+grill

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  2. I've had the exact same experience at Weber... and not just the one in Indy.

    I think people go in because it bears the name Weber, but the food really is just not good quality.

    The service and atmosphere have always been reasonable, but the price for what you get is nearly ridiculous.

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  3. can I get your caesar salad dressing recipe?

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  4. Sure thing Leslie:

    Easy Caesar:

    Blend (I use my food processer):

    3 TBS White Wine vinegar
    1 1/2 TBS Dijon
    1 1/2 TBS anchovy paste (or just slightly less than a tin of anchovies)
    1/4 tsp black pepper
    1/4 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
    1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg beater if you are worried about egg germs, or use a pasteurized egg)
    1-2 garlic cloves

    slowly add 1/2 Cup Olive Oil until emulsified

    tear Romaine, squeeze 1/2- 1 lemon (or more if not very juicy) over the leaves (dending on the serving size you are making. For 2 of us, this recipe can make 2-3 salads), sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, freshly ground black pepper and croutons. Toss in dressing to taste.

    Yum. One of our faves. I may have to make some tonight!

    Enjoy! Let me know how you like it.

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  5. Been there twice: lackluster once, downright bad the other time. Will never be going back.

    If I want that kind of chain "comfort" menu, I'm at least going to walk around the corner to Rock Bottom where you can get a great, fresh beer from brewmaster Jerry Sutherlin. Their menu lacks, but the beer doesn't.

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  6. The long departed Chanteclaire (sp?) did a nice tableside presentation...

    Z's oyster bar has been pretty good..

    also...at Fresh Market you can get good quality garlic paste that will last 10 yrs in the fridge for your ceasar dressing, if you wan't to forgo the blender...

    I prefer prepping in a wooden salad bowl..mashing the garlic and anchovie down into a paste with coarse salt..and adding the re

    ...and for those afraid of those nasty slimy anchovies...soaking them for an hour or so in milk can take the "edge" off of the distinct flavor.

    ..also...if not eggs or egg beaters...strained/drained yogurt and/or creme fraiche can add some creaminess and substance

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  7. I really do like the pretzel rolls and the cheddar butter. Otherwise, I'd avoid a steak and go with the barbecue or the beer can chicken, more average prices and pretty good menu items there.

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  8. I agree with Indy Grub review. I've never had the steak (outside of the sandwiches) and usually go the barbeque route. I guess I'm glad I never branch out because I think it's pretty good.

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  9. I have only found two items on the menu that I actually liked. The first is the grilled teriyaki steak skewers from the starters menu and the second is the black angus meatloaf from the barbecue section of the menu.

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