Shaan D.
Yelp
With 2 birthdays in the family we needed somewhere nice to celebrate. With Mastro's being newly opened, we figured why not. When you pull up, there are no remnants of the old Grotto Ristorante - and I was amazed by the transformation. The art and decor are fabulous. We had a 6:45 reservation and were seated right away, although I did notice the main entrance had no seating for guests to wait for a table - oops. We were a party of 6 so we were seated in the room with the bigger tables, away from the bar and live music. So it was loud but not so loud that we couldnt converse. We started off with some drinks and wine, which everyone enjoyed.
For appetizers (5/5): oyster Rockefeller, caesar salads, serrano kaffir lime tuna sashimi, A5 wagyu beef roll. All were delicious, the tuna was great quality and they even included spice and crunch, which made for a great bite. Sushi was good as well. Caesar salads were dressed well.
Main courses (4/5): roast chicken, filet mignons, tuna tartare, lobster tail. Everyone enjoyed their mains, the lobster was especially buttery and tasty. Filet could have used a bit more seasoning.
Sides (3/5): here's where we lose a star. The sauteed spinach and asparagus had absolutely no flavor. Some lime, salt pepper and garlic wouldve done the trick but there was nothing. Now the rosemary garlic mushrooms were AMAZING. I dont even like mushrooms that much. Lobster mashed potatoes incredibly creamy and tasty but FILLING (it's a huge portion).
Dessert (4/5): I mean it's pretty hard to mess up dessert, I thought the creme brulee was very good, the berries were fresh. Butter cake and molten lava cake were also enjoyed. The cheesecake was just okay.
The highlights of the meal to me: caesar salad, tuna sashimi, lobster tail, lobster mashed potatoes.
Feedback: I agree with a lot of reviews saying this place has an identity crisis: I think they need to figure out whether this is a classy establishment or large bar. I agree that the menu could be more descriptive. I agree that the overall noise level should be lower by lowering the volume on the music and reducing the number of tables. Staff were BUSY and apparently capacity is 350. But you cant sacrifice good service/ambiance to pack as many people in as possible. Bathroom attendant is just weird - get rid of them. I feel awkward having someone watch me and dont wanna pay to use the restroom. And only 2 stalls for such a large bathroom is a disaster.
Bottom line: the food was very good, the service was good but slow at times, restaurant is very busy but has great decor, and there are some things they can improve. But I would recommend for any kind of celebration.