#ravensampler

[montrosemavens]

The Mavens slightly disappointed by the Raven

By Emory Ying and Josey Gregg

The Raven Grill is a relaxing, casual restaurant great for business meetings and mom’s birthdays. The Raven Grill located in the Museum District serves a variety of foods from seafood to burgers. Founded in 1998 by Rob and Sarah Cromie, the Raven Grill was created as a neighborhood restaurant based off of the poem by Edgar Allan Poe. When we walked into Raven Grill we noticed how the style of the restaurant is more refined reminding us of a country club, especially with all the customers being adults in business casual attire. The walls are green and white with modern art hanging on each wall, seen with dim lighting. There are tables inside able to accommodate large or small groups as well as a beautiful outdoor patio. 

The first things to arrive was the complimentary bread and butter. On the plate are two different breads; white bread and cranberry nut bread. Though the bread and butter are well appreciated, they are both served cold, making it hard to spread the butter onto the bread. For appetizers, we ordered Fried Oysters, Fried Calamari and the Raven Sampler. The Fried Oysters are fresh Gulf oysters lightly battered in blue cornmeal and grit, creating a crunchy yet flakey crust around the soft filling and served with remoulade sauce. The Fried Calamari are crispy, accompanied with ancho mayonnaise and house made marinara sauce. The Raven Sampler consisted of hot fried oysters, fluffy onion rings, decent crab cakes, flavorful raven hard tacos full of chicken, cheese, green onions and cilantro and disappointing quesadillas filled with cheese and zucchini.

One of the meals we ordered was a Margherita Grilled Cheese. This is described as fresh mozzarella with roma tomatoes and pesto served on sourdough bread. When the meal came, it looked a lot like someone might expect it would; a sandwich cut up into four slices of toasted bread. In the middle warm pesto is spread adding a slightly salty flavor, while the tomatoes bring a refreshing flavor that stands out through the cheese. The only problem we noticed was on some of the pieces the cheese was not completely melted which was more than a little disappointing. Served alongside the grilled cheese the french fries were served hot and slightly crispy with the large portion proving a good partner to the grilled cheese.

Another main meal ordered was Beef Tenderloin. On the menu it is described as, “tender 8oz. bacon-wrapped filet topped with herb butter served with garlic mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables.” The dish was one of the first to arrive out of our whole group which was surprising. The filet has black grill lines over the surface with burnt bacon surrounding the edges. The filet looked and tasted delectable; tender and juicy on the inside combined with the crunchy texture and charred taste from the outside complimented each other marvelously. The mashed potatoes are filled with potatoe skins, potato chunks, cilantro and green onions. Although they are tasty, they aren't a standout side dish. The grilled vegetables consists of zucchini, tomato and a small corn on the cob. The tomato didn't look appetizing so instead I tried the corn which tastes juicy and sweet with a hint of charred aftertaste as well as the zucchini which also has a charred taste to it.  

A  downside to our experience was the lack of good service we faced at a few points during our lunch. Most of the time our water and drinks were filled quickly, but in the case of bringing out the food this was a little different. The food was all brought out at different times leaving many of us confused. At the end of our meal we found out this was because of a system crash during our dining which caused confusion to the kitchen in cooking our meal. After this had been explained it made more sense to us and we were grateful for the small discount of $20 that was given due to the inconvenience.

Overall this was a mediocre experience. The food quality was decent but by no means outstanding, while the service turned out to exceed expectations. We recommend this restaurant if you're in the mood for a calm meal, with a business associate or friends.

Stars - 3/5

Price - $$$

Wheelchair Access - Yes

Recommended Dishes and Drinks - Beef Tenderloin, Chicken enchiladas, Pot Roast

Food - Depending on the meal the food was very good, or decent.

Overall - Overall Raven Grill is a pleasant place to have a calm meal with a business associate or enjoy some time with your family.