Given some of the recent posts, I feel bad piling on another chain... but last night's trip to Stoney River served as a reminder why I prefer our local folks. We read Robin's review (older) before going, taking note of his general indifference to the product but also noting the general positive reviews of some friends who had been recently.
Well, Robin is still spot on as far as I am concerned. The booths are indeed awkward and uncomfortable, the steaks were good enough but missing something for a restaurant of its price range, and the service we received was attentive but entirely without character or friendliness. I left with this weird feeling like I had nothing to complain about, but there was nothing I enjoyed about the meal or the service. For a meal that ran $80+ with tip, it seemed like we had been denied that extra je ne sais quoi that makes fancier locations worth their prices.
Since Le Relais, Lily's, and The English Grill were all on the original list of options, something tells me that we picked the absolute wrong one for our anniversary. I'm staying local for the next husband-wife celebration.
