I have wanted to try Bonefish Grill on Wolf Road since it has opened and my husband’s birthday seemed like a great opportunity. He is a fake vegetarian pescatarian so this would have plenty of options for him. Now let me start off by saying that I am in no means a professional food critic. I’m just a girl that loves food and knows what she wants.
I had called around 3:30 that afternoon to make a reservation but they said they weren’t taking anymore and it was walk in only. My fault, I should have called a couple days earlier. We got to the restaurant and it was packed; we were told it would be a 30-45 minute wait. This was a Monday night so I can’t imagine what it’s like on the weekend. While waiting servers came around a couple times with their signature Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer for the waiting guests to try which I thought was a nice gesture. The shrimp was fried and tossed in a spicy cream sauce that had a nice after heat. I could see why guests liked it.
I liked the ambiance of the restaurant. There was outdoor seating with heaters that some people were taking advantage of with drinks while they waited. The décor was tasteful and not in your face “This is a seafood restaurant!” The lighting was dim but not so dark where you couldn’t read your menu. They also had a waiting area with benches and a couple tables to stand next to and rest drinks on. The restaurant is split into two spaces, the first half is the waiting area, good sized bar, high top tables, and some booths. I will note here that the high top tables were long and different parties were seated together. It generally looked like one small party, an empty seat, and then another party next to them. The second half of the restaurant was the main dining area with booths all around and then tables in the middle. I was pleased to see they didn’t have banquet seating which I loathe (I’m talking about you Cheesecake factory).
Our pager finally went off and the hostess brought us to our table. Zach and I just stood there and looked at each other with dumb “ummm” looks on our face because our table was a long 4 seater placed in the middle of a bunch of occupied tables and where the hostess brought us there was no way to get access to the table. We had to turn around and backtrack and squeeze between people. Once seated we were fine, but it was definitely awkward navigating to our table.
Our server Danny was attentive when he needed to be but not overbearing. Our drinks, bread, and appetizers were brought out fairly quickly. Bonefish Grill has an extensive drink menu and Zach ordered a black cherry mojito which he liked. The bread was nice and hot and came with an oil and herb mixture to dip it in. We ordered the Singapore calamari and the Wagyu beef and ginger dumplings. The calamari was good and came with a spicy dipping sauce, which may have been the same sauce the Bang Bang Shrimp were coated in. I looked at the menu and the picture shows the calamari with a dark sauce and describes it as a sweet and spicy asian sauce but what came with Zach’s was definitely a creamy spicy sauce. The dumplings came in a pool of soy based sauce that was drinkable; it had minced ginger and shallots, green onions, and spicy red peppers throughout. My only complaint was I would have preferred the sauce separate because the dumplings lost their crispy pan fried side from sitting in the sauce.
Then we waited for our entrée’s. And waited. And waited. I had ordered the steak and lobster duo and Zach ordered the grilled scallop and shrimp. We didn’t keep track of how long we were waiting but I would estimate 25 minutes. When our entrees did arrive the manager came out with them and apologized for the wait. They then asked me to cut into my meat and let them know if it was cooked to my liking (I had asked for medium). One, I didn’t particularly like being put on the spot like this but I can understand why they did so. And two, this makes me think that our meals were sitting under heat lamps for a while unnoticed. The meat was less pink than I wanted but at this point I didn’t want to send it back and wait again.
My lobster tail was delicious. I was provided with a little butter warmer that was an added bonus to keep my butter nice and hot for dipping. The dish came with garlic mashed potatoes and their vegetable of the day which was spaghetti squash. I opted to switch that to asparagus. The mashed potatoes came out in a round scoop which reminded me of a cafeteria and had a hardened layer on the outside. This again makes me think that our meals were sitting under heat lamps for a while. I mixed my potatoes up with my fork and took a bite. Whoa! Let’s just say these potatoes would kill a vampire on the spot. The garlic was not cooked enough and I actually could crunch down on bits of garlic. Zach had them with his dish too and got a huge chunk of raw garlic in one of his bites. Once we tasted the the potatoes it was impossible to get the garlic taste from our mouths (this includes brushing our teeth and rinsing with mouthwash twice when we got home).
Zach’s grilled shrimp and scallops came with his choice of sauce: lemon butter, pan asian, chimichurri, and mango salsa. He asked our waiter about the different sauces when ordering and Danny offered to bring all of them on the side and let Zach try each one with his meal which I thought was a nice suggestion. No real complaints with Zach’s meal except the mashed potatoes.
Now, my meal was sirloin and a lobster tail with the option of upgrading to filet mignon for an extra $6 which I went for. It didn’t really occur to me till halfway through my meal that the meat I got was not filet mignon. The meat was thin and long and not the texture I expected from filet mignon. I just got out my leftovers and measured it and it was a ½ inch thick and around 6 inches long. At the end when I asked Danny for the rest of my meal wrapped up I inquired whether my meat was sirloin or filet mignon since I didn’t want to be charged extra for something I didn’t have. He explained that their filet mignon is cut thin but would go check with the chef. He came back and said it was filet and seemed concerned whether I enjoyed my meal. I said it was fine and made a mental note not to order steak at a seafood restaurant ever again.
For desert we decided on the key lime pie, something light and refreshing to get the garlic taste out of our mouths. While it didn’t succeed in erasing the garlic, it was good. The crust was a nice blend of graham cracker crumbs and what I want to say was crushed pecans. The pie had a nice texture although I wish it had a hint more lime flavor. I think we’re spoiled after having key lime pie every year down in Florida.
Our check came and without tip it was $78 for a cocktail, 2 appetizers, 2 entrée’s and 1 desert. Not too bad. Would I come here again for dinner? It wouldn’t be my first choice. Although I do think it would be a great place to meet girlfriends for drinks and appetizers, maybe after a movie or shopping next door at Colonie Center.
Have you tried Bonefish Grill yet, any thoughts? The Times Union food critic gave a recent review and gave it 2 ½ stars which I would say is in line with our experience.
