Scout T.
Yelp
The Wilkes Brentwood has a great overall buzz. The main dining room is lively, and the back room, where we were seated, was quieter and more intimate while still feeling connected to the energy of the restaurant. Service was friendly and attentive, and even with a new menu, our server handled questions well.
The Caesar salad, mussels, and sides were all strong. The chicken schnitzel was excellent. The issue was the steaks, and at a steakhouse, that's the part that has to be executed perfectly.
We ordered two wagyu steaks: one rare and one medium rare. The medium rare steak was cooked correctly. The steak that was supposed to be rare arrived medium well/well done. When we asked about it, the server insisted the medium rare steak was the rare order and the medium well steak was the medium rare. This was clearly incorrect, especially because the accompaniments for the two orders were different, making it obvious the rare order was over cooked. It put us in a difficult position. Our guest didn't feel comfortable sending the steak back and didn't eat it. Unfortunate handling of the situation because rather than just one steak being messed up, shifting it made both steaks wrong.
Excellent service and strong sides helped, but a steakhouse mishandling its steaks undermines the entire experience.