11/02/09

OK but not great

by mrscience

Very nice atmosphere of the West/Southwest. I went with another party for the first time on the recommendation of friend. Steaks especially were recommeded as terrific.

Two people: steak and short ribs entries, no drinks, no dessert, one soup - bill just shy of $70.00.

Steak - 12 oz NY Strip, nice cut, essentially no waste, done a little past recommended, arrived slightly warm on a hot plate. 5 skinny asparagus, small sampling of potatoes au gratin, again slightly warm. Also great deal of white pepper on the latter. Glad I didn't ask for more "freshly ground". I actually left slightly hungry!

Short ribs - OK, tasty but a bit stringly. Also asked for the au gratin potatoes. There were maybe five pieces buried in the mix somewhere.

In our opinion an OK experience but definitely nothing special and definitely not worth the money. Agree with previous reviewer - far short of Morton's or Ruth Chris, and definitely far better values out for same or better quality.

• Pros: Attentive waitstaff
• Cons: Expensive, smallish amount of cold/warm food on hot plates

05/28/09

Be careful

by DDog

We've been on their email list for several years and deals have in the past been good; $20 off a $50. bill but this past time they eliminated drinks which brought our food bill to bit less than $50 and they stonewalled us when we complained . I should have ordered an additional appetizer and told them to throw it away and I still would have saved $10 but I was so annoyed I just paid the bill and left. It was my fault; I should have read the fine print but I can't help, given my past experience, that they were trying to scam me. I won't go back.

• Pros: Good food but...
• Cons: Their email offers contain vaying fine print

03/18/09

Best Carrot Cake

by glastonburygal

Bring a sweater if you are prone to getting cold easily. The food here is quite good. I always order scallops, which are almost always done to perfection. The service is generally good, but I have had neglectful servers here too. The carrot cake, which is on the menu seasonally, is the best I've ever tasted.

• Pros: The food is quite good
• Cons: Expensive, always crowded, loud, and cold

08/15/08

One of My Favorite Steak Houses in the Area

by ntuitive1

I've gone to all the big name steak houses in the Hartford area (Morton's, Ruth's Chris, Max's etc.) and J. Gilbert's is my favorite. Why? Because the food is good, the portions aren't too collosal (that's actually a drawback in my view) plus you get your vegetables included in the price of the entree. At other similar steak houses everything including the side dishes is ala carte. Also, at places like Ruth's Chris the steaks (and just about everything else it seems) are literally swimming in butter. Not so at Gilbert's. If they use butter, it's not that much. The prices for what they give you are pretty reasonable. The check at Ruth's Chris and Morton's comes out much more expensive since they nickel and dime you to death. I also love the combo. platters with surf and turf entrees as I am big on that. Add to this the convincing steak house decor and atmosphere and this place is a total winner. I personally like going there on weeknights when it's not too crowded for a more soothing dining experience.

• Pros: Good food, good value, nice atmosphere, diet friendly
• Cons: Very crowded on Friday's and weekends

Editorial Review by Christy Buena

by Contributor

Locals flock for hearty steaks,barbecue Atlantic salmon and scallops along with an extensive wine list.

12/02/06

Terrific variety - love their seafood

by jisaac100

I travel to Glastonbury every week and eat at J Gilberts at least once a week. I have always found the servers to be very pleasant and the food terrific. I have to admit, I rarely eat steaks. I recommend their scallops, their halibut, their crab cakes, their wedge and their tomato/mozzarella salad. The only thing that will make this restaurant a 10 is when they bring back their cannoli dessert.

• Cons: interesting dishes - nice variety

09/18/06

Wonderful restaurant, fabulous bar

by touringlady

My husband and I went here on our anniversary and loved it! We started with a drink at the bar and half-priced appetizers, a great weekday deal. The bartender, Sam, was quite friendly as were the patrons in this classy bar. Our meal was just as good as our first impression and exactly what we expected from the description on the menu. I would highly recommend this restaurant!

10/20/05

So Marginal...at best.

by sgnden

I have tried to eat here with my wife twice, and business twice. But I am DONE (like the meat)! EVERY time, the steaks are either OVERdone (the hardest to return, as it slows everything down at the table of course) or just garden-virety BAD cuts of meat. For what they charge, there is NO comparison to other chains and certainly not to independants...it "feels" like a chain (and it is). Service is spotty...servers think they are better than they are. E.G. Plates sit empty in front of us at a tiny table for 10 minutes, etc.! Yes, those blue-cheese chips are good and the potatoes are excellent salt-encrusted bakers but the price, service, and LACK of quality in the steaks is a bummer!! It's stuck in quality no-man's land between an Outback Steakhouse and a Morton's or Ruth's. IF they were half the price, I could understand...or NOT.

• Pros: Salt-crusted Bakers
• Cons: Steak Quality, Steak Preparation, Wannabe Servers

07/13/04

excellent menu selection

by pattconstantine

try the smoked gouda blackened chicken penne pasta; totally unique. only about $13

the wedge is a delightful quarter of iceberg lettuce smothered in bluecheese, bacon bits, tomatos and more;

excellent crab bisque. with the warm loaf of bread that comes with it - that's a meal. (with your choice of merlot of course !

service is always excellent - never had had anykind of delay

ambiance is dark, dark wood, dim lighting, romantic. fire places in winter add beauty.

excellent wine selection. parking is endless.

12/19/02

J. Gilbert's Knows Steak

by nparker99

Fabulous steaks and a great atmosphere! The service has always been top notch.

• Pros: atmosphere, great food, those Bleu Chips!