Update May 2014: while the review below is very good, our second trip to the BoneFish Grill was anything but. This time the food was not ready on time, as they had burned Cheri’s. They were firing another, and we asked them to bring the other two dishes and NOT leave them under the heat lamps for ten minutes. They didn’t bring them, and my tuna and veggies had obviously spent some time wilting under the lamps. Alex’s fish and chips was incredibly underwhelming, both in size and taste, and throw in presentation for good measure. When we sent mine back we declined their offer for something else – we were already eating all of sequence with each other. They did remove the food from the bill and we only paid for the bottle of wine. We left hungry and disappointed. The trip described below had turned out much better. So 1 for 2 here. We’re not going back anytime soon.
March 2013: We’ve always heard really good things about the Bonefish Grill, and finally got around to trying it this past weekend. We have a local rendition in Garden City Center, located in Cranston, RI, right next door to Chapel Grill, so there’s some stiff competition fifty feet away. We’ll need to come back and review the Chapel Grill sometime, but for now let’s focus on Bonefish.
The decor is OK. It’s not a very romantic ambiance, but it is nice. The dining room is really one big space with little attempt to split it up. That’s primarily, we presume, due to the fact that it is all glass on three sides and the views at night are really pretty cool. It does mean that it is a little less cozy than we might like, and a little louder than it could be, but it’s not over the top loud. Service was in general very good and attentive. This doesn’t seem to be a place you’d settle into for a long dinner, as they turn the tables over pretty briskly, although at no time did we feel rushed. So with all that said, this is really going to come down to the food and drink. Let’s discuss.
The wine menu is adequate and nothing more. There are some good choices and some reasonably priced bottles to be had. There’s a large bar area on one side of the restaurant, and it seemed pretty lively. We had glasses of fairly pedestrian but good reds. The glasses were not as clean as we would have liked, so one strike there. That was the only real issue we had all night though.
Cheri ordered the Chilean Sea Bass, which came with a hash they make from white beans, peppers and turkey sausage. The hash is a staple with every dish, plus you get another side to choose from. Cheri added green beans to hers. I went with a special that evening, a filet mignon with lump crab topping, accompanied by the ubiquitous hash and asparagus. For an appetizer I added the chowder, because you always need to try the chowder at a new seafood restaurant. Chowder and calamari are great barometers for a restaurant’s overall quality. They’re pretty basic, but are also easy to do poorly.
The chowder was excellent, with lots of of big pieces of clam and a smooth, creamy texture. I could have made a meal out of a bowl of it. Cheri’s sea bass was also excellent, and her fish and vegetables were all perfectly cooked and tasty. She had the smaller portion, which is a nice option on many entrees. My filet was perfect, and that’s not always easy to get when you order it medium rare. It was just red at the very center, and extremely tender. The lump crab topping was delicious and all crab. As with Cheri’s plate, my vegetables (in this case asparagus) were well done and still a little crisp. This was surprisingly good food. Most surprising was the bean and sausage hash, which we both thought was really good, tasty with a nice texture. At the end of dinner both plates were clean.
Bonefish offers a good menu with a lot of choices, and you can get fish grilled, baked or sauteed. There are limited chicken, pork and beef options. Burgers, tacos, salads and other fare add to the depth of the offerings.
We didn’t stay for coffee and dessert, as it was a birthday celebration and we were restaurant jumping all night, but have to say the meal was really very good. It seems the reviews and recommendations from friends are on target. Overall we’d rate the entire experience as very good. While I wouldn’t go for a romantic dinner, I would go for some very reasonably priced and good food. We hadn’t mentioned price until now, but it is very reasonable. This is good value here.
Our wallet is available at times for the Bonefish Grill. This would be a great place to bring the kids when they visit.
Bonefish is open every day. Here’s their info:
2000 Chapel View Blvd.
Cranston, RI 02920
Phone: (401) 275-4970
A votre sante!
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