Federal American Grill

Came here to grab a late lunch around 1:50 Sunday afternoon. The complimentary valet service informed us that the restaurant closed at 3 and kind of made it sound as if he was trying to talk us away from eating lunch there. We were hungry and kind of craving their crab cake (must try!!). We ordered a crab cake as an appetizer and a sandwich and salad. The portions are generous and food taste amazing! The only odd part was the waiter forgot our bread and then handed us the bill as soon as our food came out :(

Loved it!
Where do I start?
Federal Grill is a comfy place to dine: The ambiance of the dining room as well as the bar is definitely a cut above other places. While it is beautiful, it is not stuffy. We were sat in a booth that hugged our bodies; very comfortable!
Our server, Cameron, was amazing: He was genuinely friendly, competent, and a pleasure to speak with. He understood how to engage us without smothering us. We enjoyed his efforts and will request him the next time we dine here.
I cannot say enough good things about the food: Everything we ordered was the absolute best we’d ever had. We started with the crab cake (tower). I lack the vocabulary to properly describe how delicious this was. We order crab cakes at most places we visit and we have our favorites; this is our new favorite and we have already agreed that we will order it the next time we visit.
For entrees, my fiancé ordered the 8 oz. filet with Bordelaise sauce; it came with sides of mac and cheese and creamed spinach. I ordered the Angry Shrimp. All were delectable. The steak was tender, properly cooked/​served, and the creamed spinach was the best we’d ever had; great texture. The truffle mac and cheese was wonderful albeit it needed a bit more cheese in our opinion. Still, it was very tasty. My Angry Shrimp were a work of perfection: Lightly spicy butterflied prawns drizzled with a spicy mayo (?) on a bed of couscous mixed with small-​cut asparagus and pico de gallo. It was fantastic!
It is difficult for me to say this given the superiority of the food, but the drinks were the highlight of our experience: My fiancé ordered a Cosmopolitan which she described as being as good as the ones I make at home. For myself, I ordered my first Pappy: As such, I went all the way to the 23yo. It was exquisite and I now understand what all the fuss is about. After that, I went with the more affordable Angel’s Envy Cask Strength 2015. Again, it was absolutely wonderful. For those in the know, neither of these is easily obtained nor inexpensive. I was happy to have sampled them and am glad I have a place like Federal Grill where I know I can get them in the future. In short, their whiskey offerings are unmatched.
Our meal, for what it was, was affordable. I think our food bill was in the area of $ 40/​person. Compared to other steakhouses this is a great dinner price. Their website indicates well-​priced business-​lunch specials, too.
The owner/​chef is Matt. He visited our table (probably at the behest of the bar manager since I ordered the Pappy). He was fun to speak with and we believe he genuinely appreciated our business. Also, the general manager, Peter, addressed us. He shared his business card and we spoke about various bourbons and scotches. Both are very knowledgeable.
As for some of the other people who reviewed this place negatively:
— Scott S., «split checks» are for college students. Perhaps your group would have been happier at Dennys?
And the same goes for Jenny B.
You don’t go to a restaurant of this caliber and then ask for separate checks.

Great place for a bite of a drink!
My husband and I stopped here for dinner tonight after a meeting nearby. Wasn’t crowded (on a Tuesday night) and we had great service. The biscuits that come before the meal are awesome. Try the pepper jelly that they bring out!
I had a burger and my husband had a ribeye steak. My burger was delicious! His steak was «pretty good»…I didn’t taste it so can’t describe it, but he’s not usually effusive in his praise, so pretty good means, well, pretty good!
We thought it was a bit pricey, but overall a good experience.

Try the Beef Carpaccio, Crab cakes, or lots of salad choices, Sea bass is awsome for entrée.

If you haven’t noticed it yet, I’m a brunch kind of girl… and a lunch kind of girl… and a dinner kind of girl… and sometimes (all the time) a borderline alcoholic. Wait, this is not about me, back to Federal American Grill…
4 stars with 212 reviews can’t be wrong… but I have mixed feelings about this place. I was here on New Year’s weekend and expected it to be more lively than it was. The restaurant was pretty dead TBH but I was excited about the menu regardless. The décor is quite fancy with a hint of a rustic feel — white linen cloths, chandeliers, etc. but a bit dark for a brunch atmosphere, IMO.
Let’s get straight to the food because we know that’s what you all really care about.
Fried Oysters — pretty bland tasting. Maybe just a tad bit more of the spicy cream sauce will do. Basically, basic. Not memorable.
Braised Short Rib Benedict — Very good minus the jalapeño cornbread it was served on. It was too doughy and sweet. Otherwise, I quite enjoyed it and devoured it.
Chicken Fried Steak & Eggs — I didn’t taste it but it didn’t leave a lasting impression with my boyfriend. He said it was good but nothing to come back for.
I love that you can add jalapenos to the margaritas. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with jalapeño infused drinks. Or just drinks in general… eek! Check out their bloody mary if you’re a fan. This one comes with a donut on top!
Cheers!

We have owed this place a review for a long time! Good food! Great wine and bubbly selection! My husband is big into bourbon and he loves it here! And I can’t leave without giving props to the amazing service we always receive here!

Came here for a late Sunday brunch with a semi-​large group. I ordered the Full Federal Grill Breakfast, which was superbly, and surprisingly, sub-​par. The impression I got was that they just dumped the mass-​produced individual items on a plate and called it a meal– there was nothing unique about the way any of the food was prepared, which left a sour taste in my mouth, feeling as if I could have cooked that meal myself.
To make matters worse, it took over an hour and a half for us to receive our food. We got to the restaurant at 1pm and left around 3:45pm. Though the place was busy, we were left in the dark in terms of our order status (not fault of the waiter, who was awesome). Funny thing, one of the couples at our table ordered two simple appetizers and still did not receive their food until the 1.5-hour mark.
The only thing preventing this from being a 0-​star restaurant is their bottomless mimosas – they’re $ 15 as opposed to $ 6 per mimosa (I believe), and they are quite generous with their pours and refills. Unfortunately, the mimosas didn’t help the near-​3 hour experience go by any faster.
Restaurants that do the breakfast/​brunch thing poorly are a rare breed, but Federal American Grill doesn’t let down in that regard. For breakfast/​brunch, I’d avoid this one.

I was looking forward to a nice dinner at my husband’s company Christmas party here. We were seated at the bar area about 40 people. It took a few minutes to get drinks, no big deal. Things seemed fine at first then when we were told to sit and order things went downhill. The waiter was nice and took our tables order. I ordered the chicken tortilla soup and it was a little on the spicy side with beans in it. Not was I was expecting and really didn’t enjoy the flavors. Had a couple bites and that’s it. The wedge salad didn’t look like it had a lot added to it, mostly lettuce with some dressing and bacon on the side. The main entrée was where things really went wrong. I know they were doing the best they could with a large group and serving one table at a time but undercooked meat, overcooked meat and cold meat are not acceptable. At least five of us had steaks that were cold, not warm but actually cold. They had been sitting out for awhile and we decided after the long wait it was better to eat cold steak than send it back and wait longer. Not impressed with the Bourbon bread pudding but it was hot at least. The waiter was nice but the guys clearing the table kept reaching over others while they were eating. Not impressed with the service or food quality. There’s no excuse for cold food regardless of how large the party.

Where you have people, you will have a demand for good brunch options and of course, my favorite, bottomless mimosas. Upon voicing my desire for the mimosas, my friend picked this place. The ambiance inside is really nice, upscale and tastefully decorated. Though it was a bit dark, almost felt like evening even though it was high noon. The booths were not comfortable, take the tables. After having merely four drinks the night before and then throwing up, I regretfully had to forego the mimosas but my friend got it and it seems to be tasty and strong. I got the beef benedict. It was tasty and a good amount of food, I had to get half of it to go. Nowadays I can’t drink much and can’t eat much either (hope it’s only temporary). The biscuits were a bit spicy but really good. I had to stop myself from eating the whole basket. A cool place to check out for brunch but they are pricey. With mimosas, expect to shell out around $ 40 per person.

Oh wow! This place is soooo beautiful food was great! Me and hubby both got burgers. I was not a big fan of the apple cider I got but that great customer service made up for that! We will definently go back and spend more money there décor was absolutely Ro-​man-​tic and beautiful especially there bathroom!

Wow! My cousin had his wedding rehearsal dinner at this location and it was wonderful!
First I had my 2 children with me and I mentioned to the manager that I had forgot to bring something for them to stay busy, and I asked if they had some pencils and paper, 10 minutes later they brought my girls 2 coloring books and a box of crayons that they had just bought from the Walgreens across the street.
Then I mentioned that I was vegan and they made me a special vegetable dinner, it was wonderful. The staff was very helpful and pleasant.
The food was terrific!
I would recommend this restaurant, and especially for a group event!

Sometimes I daydream of the day when I «get there»… you know, the day when you can go clothes shopping and not think twice about if you would rather buy a cute shirt or not eat for a couple of days, or when you can order a cocktail and not have to go home and eat ramen for dinner. I would walk into a dark-​stained wooden-​furnished, natural-​sunlight-​filled, classy restaurant with white tablecloths, nice silverware and waiters dressed in crisp uniforms providing impeccable service, serving carefully crafted, everything-​is-​made-​from-​scratch food… all while not worrying about the bill.
Imagine my delight when I was able to fulfill this daydream a while back with hubbs as a special brunch to celebrate some special occasion (see, this is why it’s bad to write reviews way, way later)… oh yes! We came for Houston Restaurant Week for brunch. Anyway, we got seated at a table close to the huge windows overlooking the outdoor patio filled with greenery and smiling faces. We were greeted by a friendly and down-​to-​earth waiter who didn’t look down on us because we were there for HRW, but treated us like royalty. He took our drink order (mimosa for her, bloody Mary for him) and promptly gave us homemade biscuits to munch on before our meal came out. The biscuits were okay, but knowing personally how difficult it is to make biscuits, and the fact that they give this out for free, made me really appreciate what this restaurant does for the dining experience.
Appetizer for him: Fried oysters. Delicious. I don’t like seafood, but these were crispy, clean and had just the right amount of sauce
Appetizer for her: iceberg wedge. Generous amounts of bleu cheese dressing and pepper, with a whole slice of bacon on top. What’s not to love?
Entrée for him: Short rib Benedict. I liked it, but I think it could’ve been so much better. With the heaviness of the short rib, the egg and the sauce, the bread they used underneath kinda got lost. It would’ve been nice if it were a sour or crunchy bread to have some kind of contrast
Entrée for her: Cheeseburger. This was pretty good, but in the end just a cheeseburger. Their fries were definitely on-​point
Dessert for him: cheesecake. Delicious, with a berry compote
Dessert for her: so there wasn’t really anything that stood out to me, so the waiter suggested their (off-​menu) tres leches (which I LOVE). He even substituted it so that we wouldn’t have an extra charge on our receipt. This was AWESOME, and I’m so glad I went with this instead of the other choices.
And the price? Didn’t break the bank, thanks to Houston Restaurant Week.
It was a great meal and dining experience, and I will definitely come back for next year’s HRW, or when I feel like eating ramen for dinner: P

This place is a regular brunch spot for when my parents come into town, and therefore I’ve visited quite a few times since my original review. Still haven’t tried dinner yet, but I definitely recommend the brunch, and once again, just in case you didn’t hear before: BOTTOMLESS MIMOSAS.
With respect to parking, the lot is a bit small, but we’ve never had trouble getting a spot either in front or in back. Valet is also an option just in case. The décor inside is definitely solid, and I think it would be a cool place to eat dinner or grab a drink at the bar as well.
For food I’ve ordered and sampled:
French toast (4) — definitely enjoy their brioche french toast and it comes with a side a fruit. The portion is solid and it definitely fulfills any person with a sweeter breakfast tooth. This is my mom’s favorite.
Breakfast sandwich (4) — this is my boyfriend’s favorite, as he’s an eggs and bacon guy. He always enjoys the sandwich and I had a bite and it was quite tasty. Obviously this is more for a savory fan and comes with fries, which are executed well!
Classic chicken cobb (4) — I enjoy their chicken cobb, and it’s one of the better ones I’ve had, and I love chicken cobb. It’s a bit on the pricey side, so I wouldn’t get it every time, but if you’re craving a big salad, this will definitely hit the spot.
Veggie burger (3.5) — This veggie burger is the epitome of a 3.5, as it was solid and good, but I don’t know that I need it again. It’s hard when you compare everything to Houston’s veggie burger, to be fair to them. They did let me substitute out the fries though for brussel’s sprouts, which I appreciated.
I can’t rate the crab cake benedict but my dad enjoyed that, and he’s super picky with his food.
The complimentary biscuits are always divine, and they are by themselves a reason to come back here for brunch by themselves.
If the prices were slightly lower, we’d be here more often, but it’s a great place for a brunch when you want something special. Will update again if I get the chance to try their dinner.

Definitely come here for their bottomless mimosas on sat and sun! Palest in town! Champs with a splash of orange juice

We dined for HRW dinner and our table of 4 really enjoyed the meal!
We had:
Spinach dip — this wasn’t on HRW but we ordered it as a starter and it was good! Seemed small compared to the number of chips they give you
Caesar salad — tasty and nice size
Salmon — I didn’t try it but friend said it was very good. Portion size was good.
Short rib– this was pretty good and also a nice portion.
Filet — I really did enjoy this. It came with a very small portion of sautéed spinach which was tasty and truffle Mac and cheese. Soo good! $ 15 up charge but not a problem.
Tres leches– huge disappointment! It was not that good and only ate 3 bites.
Bread pudding– very good. Comes with a side of ice cream. Our waiter told us it wasn’t ready when we ordered and it would take hours till it was ready. What?! Weird. We asked if it was ready when we received our entrees so he switched out 2 of the 3 to that. My suggestion is to go with the bread pudding!
Drinks: they were good but tart! My favorite ended up being one that I substituted vodka for gin. I think it’s called the socialite.
Waiter was a little slow and had to track him down to order more drinks. Other than that, we enjoyed dinner and our stomachs were stuffed!

WORST HRW EXPERIENCE EVER.
First off, when we arrived, it took us 10 minutes to get through valet just to get turned away. Who does that?
Then our reservation was at 12:45PM. Around 1PM, we went to check on our table to be told «just another 15 minutes». We didn’t get seated until 2PM, an hour and 15 minutes after our reservation time. We asked to speak to the manager about our negative experience in hope he would get it back on track, especially since we had an appointment at 3:30PM.
The manager, who introduced himself as Peter, says to us «so what did you want by telling me about this? Special treatment or something?»
Um, how about just the minimal experience of being able to use the valet service you provide and seating us within a 15 time period of our reservation. That’s all. If that’s special for your establishment, then there is a major problem.
He realized how awkward it must have sounded and he quickly said that he would make sure to personally take care of us to ensure we are out the door by 3 for our 3:30 appointment.
Needless to say, he’s not a man of his word. We didn’t get our first course until 2:30PM, second course until 2:45PM, and dessert until 3PM. The tortilla soup was actually really good. I had the Braised Short Rib Eggs Benedict but it was served at room temperature. I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t pass their servsafe requirements. I wouldn’t be able to tell you if it was good or not because I couldn’t get over how cold my food was. At that point, I didn’t want to wait another 45 minutes for a replacement entrée. I had the cheesecake for dessert that tasted like it came straight out of the frozen cheesecake section at Costco. The only saving grace was the $ 15 bottomless mimosas that made it more bearable and the awesome bartender who kept coming by to give us refills.
Apparently, «personally taking care of us» meant not stopping by one time to check in or follow up on our experience but instead bouncing from table to table full of women and flirting with them. I wasn’t sure if Peter was managing a restaurant or speed dating at that point. He would pull up a chair to sit at different tables full of women. Then he would proceed to put his hand on their shoulder or back. I’ve never seen someone so unprofessional.
The only thing he did do was comp 2 of the 5 meals for our table. At that point, no amount of comping would make up for the bad experience.
We ended up leaving at 3:30PM, the time we were suppose to be at our appointment, NOT 3PM as Peter had promised to personally ensure. This experience was a huge disappointment and has landed themselves on my shit list.

Dinner with my husband (Groupon $ 20) — full disclosure.
The calamari was a bit heavy on the syrup, but ok.
I had the oyster salad — kind of disappointed — only 5 small oysters with a sizable amount of romaine lettuce and buttermilk dressing — no bad, but there could have been more oysters.
My husband had the cheeseburger — very nice looking. I love the fact that the fries are brought out in a Moscow Mule cup — very cool.

I’ve been waiting to go here to try fancy mac n cheese and the famous biscuits with pepper jam.
Got here at 11:20am with a coworker and the restaurant was frantically opening. Ambiance is nice, but the servers don’t want to be bothered. Our server didn’t say anything about the famous complementary biscuits. I hate when restaurants either forget to give you starters or purposefully don’t bring them. Especially when they are a famous item. Is it economic or other profiling or just plain laziness? Depends on the place… I can’t conclusively say. This does happen!
I asked for the jam and biscuits and sadly, they were not made yet. That’s fine. It’s early. We can wait until later in the meal. They never came out. We were there over an hour and asked upon leaving. They must be complicated. Benefit of the doubt. I’m now debating on whether to go back To try them.
The mac n cheese was pretty good. Not a giant portion for $ 12 and I’m not sure if they use gruyère or gouda or anything insane, but it was good.
My friend’s tenderloin sandwich was massive. Looked OK.
I might give this place another try– biscuits, the chicken burger or the pot pie. Hopefully they are worth the price tag. I don’t mind spending $$$ for lunch, but not if the people are rude or the food is meh.

My review would really give 3.5 stars if it were an option. Went to Federal for lunch with some coworkers. Their menu is basically their dinner menu plus around 10 or so lunch items mostly consisting of sandwiches. I went with the croque monsieur which is a French sandwich with ham, cheese, and a topping and sauce whose name escapes me right now. It’s one of my favorite sandwiches so you should definitely check it out if you’ve never had it.
The sandwich came with fries and the fries were good. The sandwich was well done but the quality of the ham wasn’t that great. Had they included better ham, I would have upped my rating as the service was fantastic. Friendly waiter.

Where do I even begin! I have been a regular at this place since it opened and they have never disappointed!
Food:
I tried everything from lunch/​brunch to dinner. The food is always consistently yummy :) Must Try: Chicken Burger, Salmon Salad, Homemade Biscuits, Oysters, Steak, Red Snapper… I can go on and on about the food because it’s that amazing!
Ambiance:
The ambiance is very welcoming and relaxing with a ton of energy!
Service:
The service is nothing short of great! The waitstaff are very attentive, outgoing and know the menu. The bar staff is even better!!!
Be sure to check this place out!