Woodlands Grill

Edward Beester, says:

• Food:

  1/5

• Vibe:

  2/5

• Service:

  2/5

• Value:

  1/5

• Overall:

  1/5

This place was terrible! As a former head waiter with a history in the restaurant business dating back to several four-star establishments in the 1980s (when restaurants knew how to create superb cuisine and pair it with the right wines), it's pathetic to see such poor food and lazy service come with such a high price tag. If my entree (the bland, VERY fatty short rib) had cost $11.95, it still would not have been worth it. But for $25 it was a #@&$#@# CRIME! As our economy continues to slow, I hope it will push horrid chain, oh-so-cleverly-packaged-and-marketed creatures like Woodlands right out the door. This restaurant is nothing more than a for-profit venture/tax write off for greedy Donald Trump wannabes, and it is truly amazing that the parking lot is not yet empty. The empty-headed, terminally shopaholic north Dallasites who go to this place more than once deserve exactly what they get.

Geoff Keah, says:

• Food:

  5/5

• Vibe:

  4/5

• Service:

  4/5

• Value:

  5/5

• Overall:

  4/5

I’ll go ahead and post the caveat of being an acquaintance/friend of Chef David Gilbert, formerly of Luqa. Currently he’s helping out here and a few of their other locations until Meyerson’s makes it debut, which appears to be set for sometime this summer. So take the review as you see fit, but I’ll do my best to keep an unbiased review.

Located just east of Preston on Forest, the location should be easily accessible for just about anyone. Valet is available or you can park in the strip mall area adjacent to the restaurant, of which the latter I chose.

I was initially leery of the calamari, available with a jalapeno-lime dressing. My friend thought the dressing to be a tad bit spicy, but I found it well balanced with just enough of a spice to give it an overall great taste. Also tried were the Kobe beef sliders. I’ll admit to being a little skeptical on this choice as well, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The slow roasted beef practically melts in your mouth, and makes for a tasty appetizer.

For the main course I had the French cut pork chop with fingerling potatoes. A lot of places I’ve been to tend to overdo the pork chop, or at the very least it doesn’t really set itself apart from any other pork chop available in the area. With the fennel apple compote, it finishes off with a nice, even flavor, and it was served as ordered (medium). I know a lot of people will prefer theirs prepared to medium-rare, but I usually err on the side of caution.

We were able to sample the split lava cake and a couple of other desserts. I’d recommend ordering a couple and sharing them between two people, or more. I look forward to returning and trying out the rest of the menu!