Steph S.
Yelp
Ember Grill exceeded my expectations after reading some reviews and asking a friend who had been to the restaurant prior to my visit.
Right away, if you choose to valet ($20) you are greeted by extremely pleasant people who direct you to the restaurant. It was a Saturday night, and the street and everything around it was hopping with people.
As soon as the hostess notices your arrival, she quickly opens the door for you. She did this for every person entering the establishment. It was a little touch that did not go unnoticed by me.
At the bar, our bartender recommended some signature cocktails. They were delicious. ($16). I saw the pour. It was not skimpy. The glasses they serve the cocktails in are heavy and a cut above what you would get at another establishment.
Once my friends arrived, we were immediately shown our table which was a booth. The noise level was loud, but we could hear everything said, so the acoustics are properly doing their job.
Food: I had a shrimp cocktail. 4 extra-large shrimps. Very often this simple dish can be feh, but I love shrimp cocktail and theirs was perfect. I then had the roast chicken which was so moist, flavorful, and delicious. So often I find the chicken on menus is just an afterthought for the unadventurous, but I was actually Wowed! The dish described simply on the menu as 'roasted chicken" is an airline breast with a thin, crispy skin layer served on top of green beans paired with a sprite Verde sauce. Just the right amount of cilantro and vinegar. It was the perfect sauce for this dish. My husband had the burger. We love burgers and travel for them, so when he said this might be the best burger he's eaten down in S. Florida, that was a huge statement. It comes with fries but he subbed it out for mashed potatoes which were the thick and rich kind of mashed, not the fluffy, overly creamed variety. They were well seasoned. I could have eaten the entire bowl.
My friends had fish; one had salmon and the other a swordfish special. They raved about their dishes but I did not try them. We had truffle fries and trumpet mushrooms to share at the table. We devoured them both.
We had the chocolate cake for dessert to share. It was a nice slice served with, I think salted caramel ice cream. I can't be sure because I was deep into a story. But I ate it and wish I had paid more attention to my bites because i really liked what I had tasted.
The atmosphere is lively. The decor is sophisticated. The servers were on their game and were knowledgeable. Plenty of families, plenty of 30-somethings, plenty of couples. The younger 20-30-year-old set was upstairs at the rooftop bar, which next time, I will definitely figure into my whole experience because it happens to be a beautiful rooftop bar with lounge chairs, a pool, and food. The vibe up there was rocking, but not wall to wall. People were Saturday-evening dressed if that makes sense. You felt as though you were away. Maybe that's just me showing my age, but it's been a long time since I've clubbed and this rooftop took me back to my younger days, in a good way. I did not feel as though I didn't belong because people were younger there. It had such a happy feel.
Lastly, the bill. It was not cheap. In the end, with tip, each couple spent $180, just for the dinner check. Unfortunately, dining out these days is a fortune, even pizzerias can hover around the $100 mark for 2. The key is, I always ask myself, "are you pissed that you spent the money when you get in the car to go home"? Not in the slightest! We loved it. Every last bit and would go back in a New York minute.
