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Del Frisco's Grille, in the old Les Halles Space Downtown, and in the Pike and Rose Development in North Bethesda - Sold to Landry's, Inc. and Closed


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Signage is up for Del Frisco's Grill, taking over the old Les Halles space on Pennsylvania Avenue. Looks to be a more casual off shoot of Dallas-based Del Frisco's steakhouse. Steaks, cocktails, burgers, sandwiches, seafood, big salads, flatbreads, and yes truffled mac and cheese....you know the drill.

But I suppose, realistically, only something corporate and chainy can afford that space.

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Blah.  I don't normally mind corporate steakhouses but Del Frisco's Grille is blah.

My boss wanted to go there for lunch.  He's really likes steakhouses.  I figured, why not, never been.

I ordered a 6 oz filet mignon, medium rare.  For my accompaniments, I had the fresh vegetable of the day and the frites.

Sadly, the steak came medium well.  A sorry hard hunk of overcooked beef.  The fresh vegetable of the day - sauteed spinach - was tasteless and less than sauteed.  What appeared was a sorry, under-salted, half cooked mixture of cooked and uncooked spinach leaves.  No salt. No garlic. Nothing.  Sadly, the "frites" were no better.  Soggy, over-salted potatoes that could neither be classified as a "frite" or even pass as a french fry were delivered.

I did like the cute ketchup served in miniature squeeze bottles.  I thought about taking mine home.

Feel free to skip this place.  Clearly since i'm the third post since 2012, most of you have.

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Blah.  I don't normally mind corporate steakhouses but Del Frisco's Grille is blah.

My boss wanted to go there for lunch.  He's really likes steakhouses.  I figured, why not, never been.

I ordered a 6 oz filet mignon, medium rare.  For my accompaniments, I had the fresh vegetable of the day and the frites.

Sadly, the steak came medium well.  A sorry hard hunk of overcooked beef.  The fresh vegetable of the day - sauteed spinach - was tasteless and less than sauteed.  What appeared was a sorry, under-salted, half cooked mixture of cooked and uncooked spinach leaves.  No salt. No garlic. Nothing.  Sadly, the "frites" were no better.  Soggy, over-salted potatoes that could neither be classified as a "frite" or even pass as a french fry were delivered.

I did like the cute ketchup served in miniature squeeze bottles.  I thought about taking mine home.

Feel free to skip this place.  Clearly since i'm the third post since 2012, most of you have.

I had forgotten it existed. Between this thread and Ancora, I feel like we've got things covered today.

Does anyone remember when macho steakhouses advertised "48-ounce steaks," and these were sometimes the third or fourth largest offering, with the larger cuts claiming to be 60 ounces and even more if it came bone-in? Two things come to mind:

1) This was a total marketing scam - yet, because of this:

2) It's a really bad idea to advertise a 6-ounce petite filet.

On an unrelated note, Tadich Grill is still planning to open in 2014. Del Frisco's is from Kansas, but Tadich is from Frisco - in their pots and pansas, they surly both use Crisco.

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I had forgotten it existed. Between this thread and Ancora, I feel like we've got things covered today.

Does anyone remember when macho steakhouses advertised "48-ounce steaks," and these were sometimes the third or fourth largest offering, with the larger cuts claiming to be 60 ounces and even more if it came bone-in? Two things come to mind:

1) This was a total marketing scam - yet, because of this:

2) It's a really bad idea to advertise a 6-ounce petite filet.

On an unrelated note, Tadich Grill is still planning to open in 2014. Del Frisco's is from Kansas, but Tadich is from Frisco - in their pots and pansas, they surly both use Crisco.

Del Frisco's is from Dallas:  the original Del Frisco was Texas' best steak house in the mid and late '80's.  Eventually it was sold to Lone Star who took it national.  Sometime in the early (?) '90's the owner of Del Frisco's helped set up a couple of friends in Orlando with a Del Frisco's clone.  That's an original Del Frisco's clone.  On Lee Road.  This is the best steak house in Florida and has nothing in common with the Lone Star Del Frisco's which are a cloned national chain.  Returning to the original Del Frisco's in Dallas in the '80's:  it was special.  I had a half dozen dinners there during several conventions and loved the place.  Honestly felt it would go one on one with Peter Luger.  Today, Dallas still has a Del Frisco but it's not the same.  Actually, Dallas has a bunch of steak houses and a couple are legitimately excellent but I'll let KMango report on them.  Hint:  Bob's and Pappas Bros. will have an opinion...

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Having just a few minutes ago finished a meal at Del Frisco's in Santa Monica, California, and notwithstanding a nice view of the sunset over the Pacific, I can declare the food dreadful and ridiculously overpriced. The starter was the "DFG Roll" - an attempt at a sushi roll with spicy tuna and avocado and cucumber wrapped in seaweed and rice with pistachio chunks all over the outside. The rice was abominable, and the execution was terrible. The main was a $60 trio of filet medallions each sauced differently, and the sauces tasted like ones that would receive failing grades in the first semester of culinary school. The accompanying sautéed mushrooms were loaded with grit. I can't remember a worse $100 cover I've ever eaten in my life.

The manager has been at this Del Frisco's for 9 months, having moved there from Fleming's where he worked for 9 years. He's overseeing the Del Frisco's expansion through Southern California - the next one is going in Irvine. I realize that this topic is about Del Frisco's on Pennsylvania Avenue, but I'll never again voluntarily set foot into any of them.

It appears that expansion and growth are the priorities over quality. Where is Gordon Ramsay when you need him?

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Where is Gordon Ramsay when you need him?

I was with you until the final sentence (hence, the Like). Gordon Ramsay isn't exactly a non-sell-out himself despite his macho image, so I'm not sure he was the best example to use. But, point well-taken, and thanks for the warningupdate.

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I was with you until the final sentence (hence, the Like). Gordon Ramsay isn't exactly a non-sell-out himself despite his macho image, so I'm not sure he was the best example to use. But, point well-taken, and thanks for the warningupdate.

This wasn't as contextual as I had hoped. I was thinking of the start of each episode where he tastes the menu offerings, spits most of them out, then goes back in the kitchen and rails at the cooks for their laziness and indifference. Inevitably he asks "have you tasted the food?" That's what I was conjuring....

I could have had a superior meal at Sizzler for a quarter of the price, and I'm kicking myself as I head for LAX this morning....

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Very pleasant service from both waiter and manager last night, truly awful food.  Deviled eggs that were way past their prime, steak salad that was inedible from salt and too much grated "parmesan", grits that were cloyingly sweet.

But what surprised me was when the waiter said the company was opening a more upscale branch soon (believe the name was Double Eagle?) next to the new Marriott Marquis at the Convention Center.  Yes, it was a Monday night, but a Monday night during restaurant week and Del Frisco's was only 1/4 full.  I can't imagine paying even more for the upscale version of the food we were served.

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But what surprised me was when the waiter said the company was opening a more upscale branch soon (believe the name was Double Eagle?) next to the new Marriott Marquis at the Convention Center.  Yes, it was a Monday night, but a Monday night during restaurant week and Del Frisco's was only 1/4 full.  I can't imagine paying even more for the upscale version of the food we were served.

Well, it happened. :)

The last time I can remember walking out of a restaurant because I didn't get served was at Gabriel (or whatever the incarnation was at the time).

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