Idylwood Grill

Review summary

1. R

   Renz Oliver

   Washington DC

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   WORST VALENTINE'S DAY DINNER I have never felt the need to write a thorough review of a restaurant until now. Our experience at Idylwood Grill & Wine Bar on a Valentine's Day was nothing short of a disaster. A complete failure in service, management, and basic hospitality. We arrived at 2120H for our 2130H reservation, expecting a nice dinner. Upon arrival, there was no one to receive us immediately, despite a number of waitstaff at the bar/counter. When a staff member finally acknowledged us, he did not seem accommodating at all. Still, we proceeded with our reservation, knowing ahead of time that Idylwood was only offering their $79 three-course meal for the evening. We placed our orders promptly, around 2130H. At 2205H, we overheard the waiter asking the table beside us if they had ordered and received their appetizers which they hadn't. They arrived before us. At this point, we noticed other tables looking around, exchanging frustrated glances because, just like us, they had been waiting for too long. By 2220H, we had been sitting for nearly an hour with nothing-no appetizers, no questions, no explanation, nothing. I was hungry, exhausted, and sleepy, but we still gave them a chance, thinking surely our food must be coming soon. 2230H, still no food. That was it. We got up and told the manager or head waiter that we had no idea what was happening, but we are leaving. An entire hour had passed, and we hadn't even received our first course. Idylwood may pride itself on its "contemporary American dishes infused with Italian, French, and Mediterranean flavors," but what does that matter when they can't even serve an appetizer within 10 minutes? What's the point of a special Valentine's Day menu if they clearly weren't prepared to handle the evening? This was, without a doubt, the worst dining experience I've had in years. Valentine's Day or not, this level of service is unacceptable.
   

   Idylwood GrillResponded 1 day ago

   Hello again Renz! We have responded to your review on two other platforms (Yelp and Google). We hear your frustration, we have admitted our shortcomings, we apologized and we sent you a private message asking for you to get in touch with us to find a way to make it up to you. We can't take back what happened and we also understand that you are just letting out your frustration on multiple online platforms. Reach out to us at 703-992-0915 so we can try to amend the situation to your satisfaction. We are all human and we all make mistakes, but a good dialogue can resolve most issues.
   

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2. O

   OMAR

   Washington DC

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The food was delicious and service was very friendly!
   

   Idylwood GrillResponded 1 day ago

   Thanks for your review Omar! We're glad you enjoyed the service and the food when you visited us on Valentine's Day. See you again soon.
   

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3. D

   David

   Washington DC

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 3

   The experience was nice, our food was delicious, however the restaurant was understaff and they took longer than usual to serve our food, the person serving us gave us an extra bottle of wine as an apology which was really great, we had a really nice time, they just need to be more prepared next time to have more servers and be ready they had a lot of demand for tables and menus. Our Valentines day menu was outstanding.
   

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4. L

   Leonard

   Washington DC

   3 reviews

   3.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 2

   Restaurant was extremely overbooked despite regulations. This was Valentine’s Day. We arrived 10 minutes early. The restaurant sat anyone with an earlier reservation before us no matter how late they were. We got a temporary table crowded in behind the hostess stand that was freezing because door was open with those waiting for their reservations. After seating we received bread 30 minutes later. (We had to ask hostess- waitress still hadn’t showed) Actual utensils and napkins 15 minutes later after they were delivered to an empty table and we grabbed them. Water in another 10 minutes. Hour and 15 minutes later we ordered food. Already out of some desserts by this time on the price fixed menu we reserved. They finally moved us to another table and our good found is. Food was good but never go on a holiday.
   

   Idylwood GrillResponded 3 days ago

   Leonard, this Valentine's Day was not the typical experience our guests receive from us. We sincerely apologize. Sounds like we tried to correct the situation for you by moving you to another table further inside the restaurant and looks like things were better after that. We have already started the process to correct the reservation system as well as other failures that occurred. This will not happen again.
   

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5. A

   Andrew

   VIP

   Washington DC

   42 reviews

   5.0

   42 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We really enjoyed our Valentine’s dinner at the restaurant. From the appetizer to the desert, the meal was excellent. The service was a little slow at times but it was packed with people!
   

   Idylwood GrillResponded 3 days ago

   Thank you Andrew for taking the time to write about your dining experience. We're glad you enjoyed the menu selections. We will definitely review the staffing levels on busy days to ensure a faster service. See you again soon!
   

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6. J

   Joanne

   Washington DC

   24 reviews

   5.0

   24 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   Delicious food. Service was good. Crowded, but noise was manageable
   

   Idylwood GrillResponded 3 days ago

   Thank you Joanne for dining with us on Valentine's Day. We're glad you enjoyed the food and the service. This is what strive for each and every day with every guest. We hope to see you again soon!
   

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7. G

   Gordon

   New York City

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 1

   At a 1 pm lunch the restaurant was empty when we arrived for our business lunch and it remained empty througout. The menu did not reflect an Italian food other than a few pasta dishes on the back side of the menu. The food was just pasta floating in oil (one green and one yellow). I'm not sure who wrote the great reviews I read online but I serously thought I had the wrong place. I now see why there were no customers, it is not worth a try. Sorry but I cannot recommend anything about this place.
   

   Idylwood GrillResponded 1 day ago

   Thank you for your feedback Gordon! We accept the good with the bad and it sounds like your experience was not what you expected. We are disappointed that the pasta you ordered was not good. Your feedback has been shared with the chef and will be addressed. If there is a way to make this up to you, please let us know.
   

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8. JT

   JunT

   VIP

   Washington DC

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on 9 February 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Fantastic food and service. We went there for a birthday celebration. Serving size was great and quality as well. Kimmie welcomed us and attended to our every need
   

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   Idylwood GrillResponded 1 day ago

   Thank you JunT for celebrating that special birthday with us. We're glad you enjoyed the food and the service that Kimmie provided to you. We look forward to the seeing you again soon for brunch, lunch or dinner!
   

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9. A

   Argelia

   VIP

   Philadelphia

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined on 9 February 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 3

   Very good food and service. Really good seafood linguine and marguez
   

   Idylwood GrillResponded 1 day ago

   Thank you Argelia for dining with us and for writing about your experience. We're glad that you enjoyed the food and service. The Seafood Linguini is definitely a fan favorite and we're glad it lived up to your expectation. See you again soon for brunch, lunch or dinner!
   

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10. B

    Bernie

    Washington DC

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 8 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    This is our favorite neighborhood restaurant. It's homey and comfortable, like a quaint French bistro, and the food is always spectacular with generous portions. I had a fabulous mixed grill with steak, lamb and duck - a red-meat trifecta - with great potato and vegetable sides. They also had an affordable Restaurant Week deal, and I started with Mussels Meniere with German Chocolate Cake for dessert. The ambiance is lovely with paintings and French music (with accordion!) in the air. For this tucked-away gem (in a strip mall in back of another larger strip mall), it's an unassuming place with solid service, excellent food and lovely decor. We've been a number of times and we have never been disappointed!
    

    Idylwood GrillResponded 1 day ago

    Thank you Bernie for your visit during Restaurant Week and for writing such a thorough review about your dining experience. We like your phrase towards the end: "an unassuming place with solid service, excellent food and lovely decor." We could almost use that on a marketing campaign. We're delighted to have you as loyal customer and look forward to serving you again soon!
    

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