Grill 23 & Bar

We were going to a show across the street and decided on a whim to try Grill 23 for the first time. The Maitre D’ told us there would be enough time to have dinner and get to the show, and the food, service, and atmosphere were excellent. We shared a caesar salad, had crab cakes, both ordered steak frites, and had dessert before leaving 75 minutes after arrival. The steak was amazing (light char on the outside but pink on the inside), and the frites were perfect (shoestring, with herbs). At the conclusion of the meal, we vowed to return for our anniversary when we would make this the main attraction of the evening.

I came here for my brothers 30^th birthday and I should have ordered a la carte but instead I ordered an entrée. I ordered the beef tenderloin and I didn’t like the port reduction sauce. My boyfriend ordered the 100 day ages prime rib and it was awesome! My brother and his friends ordered aged strip which he loved. The bread was delicious, and my clam chowder was yummy too although the color threw me off. They also charged us $ 11 for birthday cake which we thought would be free since our tab was $ 600!!! I would go back for a special birthday or anniversary but I wouldn’t go back for a regular night out — too pricy.

My boyfriend brought me some of his leftover steak once and I thought it was really good. It was cooked to perfection, tender, flavorful and even tasted great at room temperature (I was too lazy to warm it up). He took me here for my birthday and the steak was still really good (I got the 100 day aged prime ribeye) but everything else was just ok. The sides were a little too salty. The wine was good. The Mumbai mule was good, too. The chocolate cake we got for dessert was very decadent and overwhelming but it would be perfect for chocolate lovers. Service was wonderful. I’d come back for the steak.

I’m honestly not the biggest fan of steakhouses. Especially at steakhouse chains, I don’t like how all the servers/​bussers are male, how they all wear the same white uniform, and how their service is a little too intrusive during the dining experience. Grill 23 & Bar tries to separate itself from other steakhouses, and is a huge restaurant spread out across two floors, making it ideal for groups.
Our table ordered the STEAK FRITES ($ 29), FAROE ISLAND SALMON ($ 37), and FILET MIGNON ($ 49) along with a side of the TRUFFLE TATER TOTS and MAC & CHEESE for the table.
My SALMON came accompanied on top of sweet potato «crisps,» which were really just circles of soft sweet potato. The BBQ sauce that accompanied the fish did not mesh well at all with the fish; in fact, it made me not taste the fish because the sauce was so overpowering.
highlights:
+ TATER TOTS: They literally popped and melted in your mouth the minute you bit into it. It was so fluffy and light inside with a hint of truffle that it was the perfect side.
+ FRENCH FRIES: The steak frites entrée is accompanied with more than half the plate full of skinny, crispy, seasoned fries. I kept eating my friend’s fries because they were just so frickin’ good.
We were celebrating my girl friend’s birthday dinner, and I made sure to note in the reservation to have a special dessert ready for her birthday. The server brought the dessert menus out to see if we wanted anything, and returned with a lit chocolate cake with a happy birthday chocolate plated! He came in as a surprise to trick our friend, which was really well executed.
We didn’t specify which dessert to bring, so our waiter brought out the VALRHONA CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE ($ 11). This cake is like what Miss Trunchbull gave to the kid in Matilda. It’s so hard to run your fork through because it just has layers on layers of cake with a thick chocolate glaze throughout. The bottom is sprinkled with sugar rocks and praline crumble, making this a sugar heart attack. The three of us barely got through a couple of bites of this!

Came for Valentine’s Day, and it was absolutely the PERFECT place. Very classy; a great chance to dress up for a dinner out. It was a bit on the pricey side, but compared to some places, it is not bad at all and the price is absolutely worth it. As other’s mentioned, it is not a super quiet place, but it was not as loud as they’d have you expect. It was a comfortable level where you could comfortably talk to your partner.
The best part is easily the food! Most nicer restaurants end up having smaller portions and you really pay for the atmosphere. Here you get both. The steak, potatoes, veggies, champagne and the crème brûlée was amazing from start to finish.
If you’re looking for a romantic special evening out, you can’t go wrong here!

Great atmosphere food was awesome got the 100 day old ribeye, creamy spinach, mashed potatoes, and Mac and cheese. Would come back!

We dined at Grill 23 in the middle of a snow storm. It was a solid 4 star experience for us. The food was very good but a little bit behind Capital Grill. Service was excellent but wish our server explained more about the menu like other waiters did. The atmosphere was classy. I’ll absolutely be back to dine here again but not in the middle of a blizzard next time.

Wonderful steakhouse, especially for special occasions. Our service by the entire staff, from the time we entered the restaurant, was attentive, friendly, and professional. Food highlights included the aged prime ribeye and filet mignon.

Every time I go to Back Bay, I always pass by Grill 23 & Bar but never wandered in. It’s nice that they offer valet parking for $ 21 per vehicle and coat check upon entry. It is recommended that you make a reservation.
In short, it was nice atmosphere but food and cocktails were a bit on the expensive side. It’s a great place to celebrate a birthday or special moment like an engagement. For drinks, I ordered an Arnold Palmer. Instead of starting with a typical salad, I decided to try the Torched A5 Oysters, which consisted of trio of Cotuit Oysters with shell slit, garlic butter, and flavorings from the Waygu Sirloin. It was served in a small square skillet filled with fine salt, where the oysters were laying and garnished with a fresh herb. It was a bit salter than I expected but it’s certainly something you can’t find at many steakhouses and should try once. It was tough trying to pick a fish entrée because they all sounded good. I ended up selecting the Catch of the Day which was a Pan Seared Sea Bass served on top of a purple corn cake, oyster mushrooms sautéed in truffle butter, and cauliflower purée. I liked texture of fish and how the fish skin was crispy. I loved how the oyster mushrooms and cauliflower purée were prepared!
My friends were nice enough to let me try a taste of their entrees. I don’t recommend the Brick Pressed Chicken served with daily risotto because it was pretty bland dish overall. Here are my recommendations: If you order Steak Frites, get it medium rare, with the blood dripping a little bit. I liked the tangy BBQ sauce that the Faroe Islands Salmon and the pan fried sweet potato coin it came with. I liked the Native Cod but not what it came with — flavor wasn’t impressive.
For dinner, we ordered the Key Lime Pie and Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée. The Key Lime Pie was an individual circular pie filled lavender infused lemon custard. The plate was decorated with orange blossom yogurt and drops of hibiscus gel topped with bit size citrus meringues. I liked how the key lime pie wasn’t too sweet. However, we felt it was a bit too tart and it was hard to use a spoon to cut the crust. The Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée was delicious and topped with my all time favorite cookies — almond macaron.

I’m really bummed out about this one. We have been looking forward to trying Grill 23 for a while as we are big steak house fans. 2 stars is a generous review.
We had rezzies for 8 PM and we showed up early and were sat promptly at 8 PM. The host staff and coat check people were great. We got a seat upstairs which was a nice seat. The room was surprisingly loud, louder than Abes or Capital or any other steak house. It was very hard to hear my date across the table. Also, the room was so hot I had to step outside twice but I’m often warm so I won’t hold that one against them!
I ordered the 10 oz Filet, brussel sprouts and the tots. My date ordered the chicken. The bread they give you to start was great, the crisps had crushed red pepper and they were yummy. When the food came my filet was medium well, not the medium rare I ordered. There was a slight pink center but mostly brown all the way through — bummer! My date’s chicken was just okay and the risotto it came with wasn’t great. The brussel sprouts were cold so the melted cheese on top had hardened. The tots were yummy though, they have a truffle oil on them.
Now, when the server dropped off the food that was also the last time we saw him. I probably wouldn’t have said anything about the steak but absolutely would have sent back the brussel sprouts because those would have been easy enough to bring out a new order while we eat.
Our martini glasses sat empty, we were never offered another round. The bus boy took away our plates when we were done — still no server. Eventually after sitting with nothing in front of us I waived down a manager to just grab the bill so we could pay and leave.
The manager was great — the only reason I’m actually giving two stars. He said he was going to take care of our dinner and we were just charged for the drinks and he was apologetic. After we paid, we noticed that we were charged for three drinks when we only had two because we were never able to order another round — the server had padded our bill. Again, the managers handled the situation very well but I’m still really disappointed with our meal. I would rather pay one thousand dollars for a meal I enjoy than have a disappointing one comped. I’d like to try it again and perhaps will bump up my review then but poor service aside, I think a steak house should know the difference between medium rare and medium well.

I have been to grill 23 multiple times and my family has spend a ton of money. Tonight I was kicked out Because the staff thought they were real people instead of waiter and bar tenders like they actually are. I was treated extremely poorly, my family and I have spent thousands. I was told that when my meal ended I would not be served desert and my water and plate was cleared. Avoid this place at all costs. Go to Mortons, Abe and Louis and or Ruth Chris.

Hands down the best steakhouse in Boston. Great location right on Berkeley Street in the Back Bay. They have two floors of restaurant seating as well as a great bar area if you don’t want to sit down for a full meal. Visit on Sunday nights for some awesome wine specials.

My experience:
Expensive
Nosy
Crowded
High quality, tasteful food
Simply presented
«A scene»
Boston institution

Last night we had a private party in the upstairs area and we couldn’t have been happier with how the night turned out.
We loved everything about this establishment starting with the charming décor and welcoming atmosphere. Our main server was Paul and he was one of the nicest (and funniest) guys I’ve ever met. We had a group of 25 people yet Paul and his staff kept the drinks flowing and didn’t mess up a single food order all night. It was quite impressive.
And most importantly the food was just outstanding. I started with the calamari followed by the salmon with BBQ chipotle sauce, sweet potatoes and cauliflower and ended the meal with the sorbet. The food coma was completely worth it. Most definitely one of the top-​10 meals I’ve had in Boston. I’ll certainly be going back in the near future.

… Speechless.
Went with the company and got a private room upstairs. I’ve only been one other time and had no idea how big this restaurant was. The place was packed on a Wednesday night with businessmen and women.
For the drinks, I started off the night with a Mumbai Mule, I’ve found a new appreciation and love for mules and this one did not disappoint. I ended up having another one over the course of dinner, add that on top of my 2 glasses of wine, 1 glass of dessert iced wine, and a Washington Apple shot and I was buzzing. The wine we had was a $ 300 bottle, so by default it was probably the best wine I have ever had. And I’m usually not a fan of sweet dessert wine, but this one was actually pretty good.
On to the food. They started us off with two baskets of bread. I’m not a huge fan of bread in general, so I just had a small piece. Wish it was warm, but again I’m there for the steak, not for the bread. I ordered the crab cakes to start off. A lot of times you taste more batter than crab, but not the case with this one. I wish there was more, but you could see that they definitely weren’t skimpy on the crab meat at Grill 23. For my entrée I ordered the 14 oz. Bone-​In Delmonico. Probably one of the best steaks I have ever had. I ordered medium-​rare and it was cooked perfectly, it was super juicy. Not sure how they could have made it any better if they tried. And for dessert, I had the crème brûlée. Perfect amount of burnt on the top, and hot and creamy on the inside. Only ate half because I don’t like sweets, but had to eat something with the dessert wine.
Obviously this was not a cheap meal, and it came out to probably $ 200+ a person. But we’re allowed to splurge when it’s on the company… right? But real talk, without the excessive amount of drinks and ordering one or two appetizers for two people, this wouldn’t be insanely expensive compared to other steakhouses. It would be a spot I definitely recommend for special occasions.

Awesome. This is that wonderful, old school, traditional steak house you love.
Bustling, beautiful, and filled with happily sipping and munching people; the dining room is large and well appointed. They also have an upstairs dining area and a nice bar. Waitstaff was very professional and attentive. Love the ambience!
We went with a large party for a corporate thing, and had everything from the seafood towers to the aged prime beef. I loved my dinner… I had the brussels sprouts and brick pressed chicken and both were super great. (Risotto was kinda clumpy, but the chicken was rad.) Hubby had the steak frite and asparagus… also great. (he did say after he got it, he should have chosen the ribeye-​it was HUGE!)
I didn’t have room for dessert, but it looked fab as well. :)
I’d definitely visit Grill 23 again… I bet it is really beautiful around the holidays!
Salud!
TIP: Valet parking $ 20-(or find your own on the street and skip over)

My wife loves dry-​aged steak, and this fit the bill! We ended up splitting the Dry Aged Prime New York and mushrooms and beets for sides. The bread and sides were excellent, the service was attentive, and the atmosphere was traditional big American steakhouse (a huge space, bright décor, white-​jacketed staff, and so on). The dry-​aged steak is very pricey, but very delicious, cooked perfectly, really wonderful flavor.
I ordered a cocktail that I thought had oddly come with a sugared rim, but the rim was (still oddly) covered in finely crushed ice. Creative presentation or strange mistake? Not sure. Wasn’t a winner for me. The drink itself was well crafted and steakhouse large, but could have been strained a little more finely (delicious after some of the ice melted, a bit crunchy before).
Apple cider sorbet with gingerbread croutons for dessert was a refreshing and creative conclusion for the meal. Very nice to see some dessert options that are not super-​rich after a steakhouse dinner.
All in all, this place is a classic. Good date spot, if you’re going the fancy dinner route and your date likes steak.

Normally my restaurant reviews are novellas where I detail everything from the thread count in the tablecloth to the exact temperature of my filet mignon. In this case, I really just want to discuss the service. The food was excellent — but when paying over $ 100/​pp, it should be better than Olive Garden.
I think there were a couple factors at play with the service tonight. It appeared that our server had at least 8 tables and he barely spoke any English. We were seated at 8:30 and he came over right away to take our drink order. There was no greeting, he didn’t describe any specials or recommend any wine, he didn’t even tell us his name. He just asked what we wanted to drink. After bringing us our $ 18 cocktails, he disappeared for a half hour.
At around 9:05, a bus boy came over and asked if anybody had taken our order yet. I said no, and he clearly looked concerned and went to find our waiter. Our waiter came over, didn’t say anything, just held his notepad and looked at us.
The food was brought out by a couple runners, but they placed the entrees and side dishes on the table and just walked away. At every other steak house I’ve been to, they usually ask you to cut into the steak to ensure it’s cooked properly; they also traditionally serve each patron a portion from the a la carte sides.
After we finished eating, we just sat and waited until somebody noticed that we were ready to be cleared. I debated not getting dessert since I figured that would be another hour of my life I could never get back. Since I love cake like a fat kid loves cake, I had to order something. Surprisingly, dessert was served without a hitch and I promptly paid the bill.
All in all, I just felt like they didn’t want us to be there. There was just a strange vibe from the moment we checked in to the moment we got our coats. Nobody even wished us a good night as we walked out. The best service we had was from the valet attendants.
Truthfully, the only reason I picked Grill 23 was because it was the only upscale restaurant on OpenTable with availability tonight. It was a last minute dinner to celebrate a job offer I just received. I have a bottle of vintage champagne that I should be drinking, but instead I’m on Unilocal.I’m going to change into my sweatpants and watch that new Aziz Ansari show on Netflix. At least my night isn’t totally ruined.

I’m an avid fan of steakhouses and both my beau and I agree, this place is high quality. From the ambience to the décor and the service, they pretty much excel in all aspects in our book. Even if you don’t order a steak, the other options are great as well. Try the Faroe Island Salmon with a side of asparagus and tater tots, Yum! I usually can never finish my meals anywhere I go, but with this establishment, leftovers are nonexistent. The only issue I’ve encountered was my observations with other servers for other tables. You really don’t need to stare people down as they’re enjoying their meals.

Came here on Friday evening before the dinner rush. Service was attentive and on point.
We started with a couple of appetizers — fried calamari and beef tartare. Generous portions on both appetizers. The calamari is fried with onion pieces and laid on top of tartar-​sauce like sauce. The beef tartare (I didn’t taste) was tender.
For my entrée, I’d ordered the the ½ chicken (it was the size of a cornish hen). Luckily, I didn’t have a big appetite — so the portion sufficed. Love the crispy skin on the chicken. The chicken was served with daily risotto — which was parmesan and caramelized onions (a tad bit too much onions).
We ordered several side dishes to share — truffle tater tots (this was my fave item) extra crispy on the outside, fluffy potato inside with enough truffle flavoring. Mac and cheese — cheesy with big chunks of pancetta (asked for it on the side) and spinach (not much highlight here).
The chocolate cake was moist, gooey in chocolate — totally chocolate heaven.

I was invited for my Birthday!
A good place to be on a date and for such occasion. Very chic and it’s on 2 floors, great service and nice recommendations.
We started with 2 cocktails and they were tasty and refreshing !
As appetizer, I had some Oysters and they were very Fresh and no need to add any of those sauce ! Just a zest of lemon is enough to make you taste the ocean !
Than come the real meal: my partner had the 100 day aged steak and I had the porterhouse steak.
Both came with caramelized onion as a side and we order some beets, yummy!
The steak were outstanding ! Very well cooked and like butter !! You can enjoy the taste of the aged smoky fat in the steak that will melt in your mouth !
Worth trying for sure !

Ambiance — A nice place, high ceilings, bar in front. Everything was clean & shiny.
Service — Probably the highlight of the evening was the service. We were greeted and seated immediately. While our waiter was a bit unpolished, he and the entire staff was very attentive and friendly.
Food Quantity — Some portions better than others. We started with a salad and the crab cake. The salad was literally arugula with goat cheese, nothing else, plenty of arugula, but for $ 14, it really needed something else. And $ 21 for a single crab cake, fresh & tasty, but for the price, I was expecting two cakes. My wife ordered the skirt steak, but they didn’t have that, so she ordered the twin filet… but only received one filet, so the portion size was a bit small. I ordered the ribeye, and it was perfect portion size.
Food Quality — Everything was top quality, freshly prepared, fresh ingredients.
Food Value — Go in knowing this place is expensive. Several of the items weren’t «worth it» to me/​us, most notably the salad and crab cake. $ 13 for tater tots seemed a bit steep, we ordered for the novelty. My wife’s twin filets only having one made it less than ideal.
Overall — As mentioned above, great service all around. Prices are expensive, it’s a high-​end restaurant! We were disappointed in a few of our selections, I’m not sure how we could have ordered better so as to’ve avoided the challenges we encountered…

Ambiance — A nice place, high ceilings, bar in front. Everything was clean & shiny.
Service — Probably the highlight of the evening was the service. We were greeted and seated immediately. While our waiter was a bit unpolished, he and the entire staff were very attentive and friendly.
Food Quantity — Some portions better than others. We started with a salad and the crab cake. The salad was literally arugula with goat cheese, nothing else, plenty of arugula, but for $ 14, it really needed something else. And $ 21 for a single crab cake, fresh & tasty, but for the price, I was expecting two cakes. My wife ordered the skirt steak, but they didn’t have that, so she ordered the twin filet… but only received one filet, so the portion size was a bit small. I ordered the ribeye, and it was perfect portion size.
Food Quality — Everything was top quality, freshly prepared, fresh ingredients.
Food Value — Go in knowing this place is expensive. Several of the items weren’t «worth it» to me/​us, most notably the salad and crab cake. $ 13 for tater tots seemed a bit steep, we ordered for the novelty. My wife’s twin filets only having one made it less than ideal.
Overall — As mentioned above, great service all around. Prices are expensive, it’s a high-​end restaurant! We were disappointed in a few of our selections, I’m not sure how we could have ordered better so as to’ve avoided the challenges we encountered…

Very nice restaurant with fantastic service and food. It’s one of those restaurants where they are constantly coming by with new silverware and plates.
I got the brick chicken with risotto which was fabulous. Loved the bread selection they bring out to the table to start and the sommelier is great at recommending wines for our group.
The Grill 23 Tater Tots were good, but the real standout of our side dishes was definitely the mac n cheese. I was a little nervous to order it since I wasn’t sure about the gorgonzola, but luckily someone at our table took the risk because it was fabulous.
For dessert, the coconut cake is delicious and HUGE. Definitely worth sharing. The pineapple sorbet with it just made me feel like I was in Hawaii, until I stepped outside the restaurant in the bitter Boston cold.

Good selection of wines. Great ambiance. Great Service.
The food was good as well.

I went here for Restaurant Week and I will definitely come back.
It’s an upscale steakhouse and for the most part everything is pretty standard for that category. Things that help them stand out from the crowd;
Exceptional service
Great knives (small but important detail)
Valet
Reasonably priced items in addition to $ 80 steaks. If you wanted to you could probably eat here for as low as $ 40/​person — -or as much as $ 400+ PP (wine included)

Holy. Cow.
Came here with probably at least 12 people for a combined birthday dinner so we were ready to ball out. We got some wine, some appetizers, steak, and sides. For all of us, we were able to spend less than $ 100, which I thought was quite impressive.
They start you off with a wide assortment of breads– which are all equally delicious. Some crisp breads to the soft ones. I’m a sucker for soft breads so I ate that stuff up! Of course, don’t get stuck on just eating the bread, you’ll want to make room for your meal.
We got calamari for the table, and it was pretty good, but I feel as though I’ve had better calamari elsewhere — places that specialize in seafood. But anyways…
I split with 2 friends the 100 Day Aged Prime Ribeye and the American Kobe Cap Steak. I think I am still dreaming about the Kobe steak. Probably the best steak I’ve had. Simply seasoned with salt and pepper was all it needed. And cooked to exactly how I wanted it to be, medium rare. The ribeye was a little tougher compared to the Kobe steak, but still delicious. The Kobe really just melted in your mouth. Definitely a must try if you do go.
The sides were delicious. We got the sweet potato tots, the asparagus, and the cauliflower. I think I could eat those sweet potato tots forever. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.
And don’t get me started on the dessert. Crème brûlée and the Caramel Profiteroles… The crème brûlée was nice and creamy on the inside with that perfect crunch when you cut into it with your spoon. The caramel profiteroles: The coffee ice cream was our little pick me up so we wouldn’t go into food coma. It was so delicious and the almonds were a great crunch.
I definitely recommend this place. Get dressed up for this place, I wouldn’t recommend going casual. The place is fancy and right in the Back Bay Area. There are a lot of servers, so don’t be intimidated– just wine and dine and have fun with your group! Servers are real nice :)

I stayed at a hotel not too far from here so decided to walk to this place for dinner. The inside is historic and beautiful. Open kitchen concept with lots of seating. High ceilings and great ambiance. I had the 100 dry aged rib eye with a side of mashed potatoes. The steak was seasoned very well and the marbling was great. The mashed potatoes were so creamy and delicious I stuffed myself silly. My waiter was very friendly and attentive. Great historic steakhouse.

Perfekte Steaks, sehr gute Beilagen (wenn auch nicht so wichtig) große und sehr gute Weinauswahl. Auf jeden Fall gehe ich wieder hin,