I have been patiently watching as they have built the Drury Inn and the Bonefish Grill on the corner of Brentwood and Eager Roads, knowing that we would have to visit the new restaurant there when it finally opened. And today was finally the day to go since it was my pick and the Brentwood Bonefish Grill had been open for about a month (we had to let them work out any initial kinks in their system.) It is a bit awkward that their entrance is from Eager which makes entering the lot easy enough, but exiting to turn left quite difficult since those lanes are often backed up. We were lucky we were there on a Saturday around noon time.
The restaurant was pretty empty when we arrived a little before noon, and the dining area was quite comfortable and well appointed. You could tell they were trying to make it seem somewhat "upscale", with dimmed lighting, cloth napkins, candles, knives with odd little ridges on the top (and custom stamped with "Bonefish Grill" on them) and with the serving staff dressed up in chef's outfits. The lunch menu was not too long but had a number of interesting items which piqued my interest. I decided to try the Bang Bang Shrimp Po Boy with the Asian slaw which sounded interesting. My wife and daughter split a Kobe Beef Burger, my son had his own Kobe Beef Burger (with bacon and blue cheese) and my mother-in-law selected the Fish and Chips.
The food arrived in a reasonable amount of time, and my wife and daughter realized the lunch burger was not all that large and was not served with a lot of fries. That was not a lot of food to split between two people (not like many other "burger and fries" places where the serving sizes are huge.) They both liked their burger well enough, although they both found some gristle in it. They found the sparse serving of fries to just be okay. My son liked his burger better since it had bacon and blue cheese and he also was able to eat a whole sandwich himself. My mother-in-law was not as impressed with the fish and chips which she found too greasy. As for my Bang Bang Shrimp Po Boy, I thought it was pretty good with just a little bit of hotness to it, and a good creamy, flavorful sauce that went well with the hearty bun. The tomato and cucumbers also added a nice added flavor to the sandwich. I also enjoyed the Asian slaw which had a creamy, flavorful sauce to it.
Whereas we had mixed results with the food, we all did agree that the service did not seem to match the upscale ambiance they were trying to achieve. Our waitress did not seem to time herself too well, bringing our bill while most of us were still eating, and not asking us if we needed anything else or dessert or trying to attend to us too enthusiastically. She almost seemed to be rushing us when the restaurant was not even half full, which seemed contradictory to its more laid back, comfortable feel. My wife also checked out the restroom which she said was well designed but poorly maintained. She noticed the floor seemed sticky, one soap dispenser was empty and the sink faucets did not dispense much water. That also did not fit in well with a ritzier eatery where you would hope the restrooms would be kept nicer.
Overall the experience had its ups and downs. We had mixed reviews on the food selections and were surprised the serving sizes were not that generous. If you come thinking the look and ambiance make it seem like a nice place to enjoy a more posh dining experience, the service and the general upkeep may disappoint you. Luckily those are things that can be improved with time, and Brentwood definitely could use some nicer places to eat in its own city limits (i.e. not having to go to Clayton, Maplewood, Webster Groves or Rock Hill.) If the Bonefish Grill does not do well there on that busy corner without any real nearby competition I would be surprised (the nearby Macaroni Grill being replaced by a Chick-fil-A? Really?) I just hope they improve the place to be somewhere we can all enjoy going for a good meal from time to time.
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