Grand Cafe At the Emerson Inn by the Sea

Under new mgt and so disappointing. We used to love to go the the Emerson inn for dinner. The food was usually good, the tables not crowded close together and the people pleasant.
That was not our experience last Saturday night when 6 of us went to dinner there. First everything was delayed because there was a wedding earlier in the day so our 6:00 reservation was pushed back by about 15 minutes which was not a big problem. However when the hostess went to seat us, the other hostess became very unpleasant and told her she couldn’t seat us first because another couple had gotten there earlier. The other couple was seated in the lounge area having a quiet drink and did not seem to be concerned with being seated first. We had to wait while our hostess went over to get them, gather their drinks, and move them along into the empty dining room.
Once we were seated it got worse relative to the food and drinks. The blue mojito was undrinkable and the martinis were ill prepared, neither shaken nor stirred. Just flat and room temperature.
The food was about 40 minutes late and as the bread was just unappetizing doughy white rolls there was nothing to munch on as we waited.
The appetizers were average — Caesar salad and tacos. The short ribs were fatty and not particularly flavorable. The fish dish was also bland and poorly presented. The lamb chops were the best meal ordered, but not good enough for a return visit.
The one bright spot was our waitress who was very sweet. I felt sorry for her as she kept apologizing all night long.

I went here with two friends. There views and environment were great, we had cocktails we really enjoyed, but the service was very poor. There were five women working that night, very few people dining, but no one came to wait on us. Go for the ambiance but not the service.

The Grand Café in the Emerson Inn by the Sea is absolutely wonderful! (To see a review for the Inn alone, please see the separate review) We ate here twice during our stay. First evening upon check in, we ate from the casual fare menu and chose the burger and the Caesar with chicken. The salad was wonderful. Crisp, fresh lettuce with perfectly grilled chicken and a homemade dressing that was packed with flavor. The burger was enough for two! It was delicious, but the real star was the crispy potato wedges that were on the side. I have no idea how they managed to get a «noisily» crisp exterior texture while maintaining a fluffy not over cooked center. Incredible! On our second evening, we enjoyed a fine dining experience off the regular dinner menu. We ordered a bottle of a simple sparkling Californian Dry Brut, classic shrimp cocktail, the Seafood stew and the Filet Mignon. The sparking wine was ordinary, but if you are looking to throw down, their wine list was chosen as one of the best by Wine Spectator for 2014. The shrimp cocktail was very cold (perfect!) and pair with a VERY zesty cocktail sauce and fresh lemon. The shrimp were huge, and there were four all together. The seafood stew was a masterpiece complete with mussels, clams, calamari, and shrimp. The filet was served with an herbed risotto and grilled asparagus. The filet was cooked to a true medium and was absolutely succulent. The risotto was slightly over salted, but not enough to ruin its delicate flavor and texture. The asparagus was perfectly grilled and had a nice bite to them. For dessert we had the molten chocolate soufflé. It was piping hot, paired with vanilla ice cream. The service was very friendly, but very slow. There was a large group in the dining room (14 or 15 people) and it slowed down our waitress and the kitchen considerably. The waitress was adorable and we liked her very much. Her wine service skills left much to be desired, but she was so charming and we were very relaxed that it did not matter too much. We like to take our time, but it took us just over three hours to have our meal. I do believe it was due to the large group (who seemed picky and demanding) and not negligence. The décor of the restaurant is very elegant and clean. The color scheme is navy, white and burgundy. The Grand Café over looks the ocean which is absolutely the highlight! The food here is really very special, and the atmosphere is grand! Hopefully you will be lucky enough and have a better experience with timing and service than we did.

I had an early brunch at the Emerson Inn in November. The inn and grounds were beautiful even in the winter. The coffee was good and strong, but the salmon bagel plate wasn’t too special. It tasted like a store bought bagel and cream cheese. The stuffed french toast was average, I wouldn’t hurry back for it. I’d come back for the Bloody Mary bar and jazz on Sunday morning. Also think the prices should come down by a few dollars.

Lots of great sea food selections as would be expected at an Inn by the sea. A big portion of Sweet and Spicy Calamari (Thai chili glaze and watermelon) started us off. I recommend the enormous, eye-​popping Lobster Pot Pie! I am sure this will become a signature dish at the GC. It has a light, buttery, puff pastry covering a super generous portion of lobster filling. The Artisan Cheese Board reflects the high standard of the GC kitchen as it is varied, selective and local, we shared it as an appetizer, but you could have it for dessert too. The dessert menu is fun. It has something for everyones taste. I love wine and the wine list offered me a variety of budget and exclusive wines to pick from including a selection of half-​bottles. I will go again and try to Raw Bar next time.

Great Place! Chef Ben knows how to do it right! Food was amazing, fresh and seasoned to perfection. The waitstaff was very attentive and personable. The Mediterranean platter is a must have, the homemade humus was smooth and creamy with a hint of garlic, very pleasing to the palate. I highly recommend the Grand Café. You will not be disappointed.

yummy stripped bass… good wine selection… good service and beautiful surroundings… great place to visit… also had the breakfast… lots of choices and all fresh!

We just spent $ 65 on a Sunday breakfast buffet that had no food! Literally no food! When I asked for food she said that it was too close to 10:00 and the chef wouldn’t be making anymore!!! Horrible…

Good food and friendly attentive service in the dining room. Surprisingly child friendly too.

Awesome restaurant chef Brian is amazing! The seafood chowder was to die for. Had the lamb as well it melt in your mouth. The service was amazing as well. Kristina, Miranda, Mitch every will take good care of you.

Really inattentive waitstaff in the parlor — did not even look to refill my iced tea during the 1.25 hours we were there, and the food took forever to get there. The chowder was fine, but a bit bland. The portobello mushroom stack and house salad were good, and the lobster Mac and cheese was OK. I waited 10 minutes for them to run my credit card, to no avail, so left cash and split.