Cardwell’s Restaurant & Bar

Food was prerty bland and expensive, the restaurant was drafty and cold and the staff was not very welcoming, then the waitress never stopped by after our order and it took almost an hour to get dessert. The only positive comment I have is that the décor is nice.

Maybe we just caught them off guard, but so many things went awry.
I ordered a house salad w/​caesar dressing: nope. Came wth creamy Ital
Ordered Lobster WonTons. They served it with an over the top siracha sauce! Even in the scoop of wild rice? I could barely eat it. So I was offered soy sauce! So I guess a bowl of salt should wash down the spicy!
My husband ord an omelet! How do you screw up an omelet!?! It was dry and tasteless. Seriously, I wouldn’t waste my time there again.

Dreadful experience for lunch today
Waited 45 mins, mix up between kitchen and staff
Eventually I was served an ice cold meal which I declined and left
The manager on duty watched, did absolutely nothing to intervene
I entertain customers quite a bit, would have been an embarrassment taking them there. I certainly would not recommend evening dinners there
Have Heard goods things about the restaurant. I am putting this down to being uncoordinated first day after the holidays. Also the restaurant is cold and drafty inside, they need to fix the large gaps of broken insulation on the main doors

I would not recommend this place for private events. I just went to my 10 year high school reunion here where it was $ 40/​person and all we got was a bunch of fried bar food snacks. I’m not sure how much it costs to rent this place out but I imagine it must be very expensive. It was cash bar and there was a very limited selection and the drinks were served in plastic cups. The décor is very tired… lots of old paintings of fox and hound hunting parties and random pieces of unfinished wood sticking out of the walls :/

Upon arriving and at first glance we assumed the restaurant must be going out of business. It was 7 o’clock at night on a Saturday and there wasn’t a single customer in the entire restaurant. We went to the bar to have a drink while we waited for the other people that were having dinner with us but were told they were having some sort of event in the bar and then we couldn’t have a drink, but that we could go sit in the restaurant if we wanted. Instead we went across the street and had a couple of drinks while we waited for our friends.
When our friends showed up we went ahead and had dinner, and we were the only people in the entire restaurant.
My wife ordered pasta without the shrimp that was normally served in the pasta and was charged the full price even though it did not have the shrimp?
We asked for sides of béarnaise with our filet mignons and we’re told they couldn’t provide it because they didn’t have the ingredients to make it?
When we asked why the restaurant was completely empty we were told it was because they had very little walk in traffic? The restaurant without walk in traffic? Where would the where will the customers come from?
Overall the food was fairly decent; we had no complaints other than the pasta being flavorless and overcooked and of course being charged for shrimp that was not in the dish. We also asked for three separate checks but they put two bottles of wine on one check?
After finishing we decided to have an after dinner drink at the bar but when we arrived they told us they were no longer serving drinks and they were closing up… it was 10:15 on a Saturday night?
We would really have a difficult time recommending this restaurant considering the lack of ambiance, lack of customers and strange responses from our server whenever we asked for anything.
*I also want to make it clear that we’ve been to this restaurant on many occasions over the last 25 to 30 years so this was really pretty much of shock.

My friend booked a private room for a rehearsal dinner here. The room and service was excellent! The servers did a great job and the ambiance was very classy. At the end of the day, the food is the most important part and in my opinion, it was too expensive for the taste.
It might just be me, but these fancy expensive places always serve mediocre food. I feel like I paid for the service + ambiance, and the food is just whatever. If the food tasted better, I’d give this place 5 stars.
⁵⁄₅ private room, ⁵⁄₅ service, ¹⁄₅ food.

I’ve passed Cardwell’s a bunch of times since it’s close to my house, but never went here thinking it’s too expensive. So for Clayton Restaurant Week, a group of us decided to go check it out.
My first course was the gazpacho. This is a cold tomato-​based soup originating in Spain. Cardwell’s version of this was interesting, I guess. It resembled salsa more than a soup actually, as the consistency was very chunky and not smooth at all. I didn’t want to finish it since I felt I should be eating it with chips instead of a spoon.
The second course was a filet mignon served under a wild mushroom sauce. This was delicious except the meat was overcooked. Medium is typically pink or red on the inside, but this was well-​done and brown throughout. The edges all over the filet were a bit crispy even. The sauce was deliciously creamy though. Went well with my pinot noir.
For the third course, I chose a scoop of the sorbet. This was a delicious thick strawberry sorbet that didn’t have crisp to it that makes you think there’s more ice than ingredients. Great texture, flavor, and well-​executed. If only the rest of the meal could’ve measured up.

Clayton Restaurant Week 2015. We chose Cardwells this time ’round b/​c they had the most well-​rounded looking menu. Plus, I’d never been to the Clayton location and I was willing to look past the previous reviews hoping that maybe, service has improved.
Well, someone call Gordon Ramsey because this place is a hot mess!
Made reservations well in advance. Arrived on time for dinner reservations only to be met with a crowd of people wondering where the host/​hostess was. After what felt like 5 – 10 minutes, the hostess finally appeared and asked, «Who’s next?» Umm, OK.
We arrived at our table only to wait about 5 – 10 minutes to be served water. Water! Then our server appear shortly after asking, «So, do you know what you’d like?» She was perfectly pleasant, less-​than-​attentive, and scattered.
The atmosphere and energy is chaotic and kind of sad. Pay close attention and you’ll see dusty light fixtures, crooked paintings on the wall, an awkward layout, smudgy «office» carpet in the dining room, dated furniture (with scratches), stained table cloths, spotty (not dirty) silverware, other tables that looked like they haven’t been bussed for awhile, and if you’re in the «main» dining room – icky views of countertops where the staff collect bussed plates. Ick! And… you’ll also notice frazzled and weary staff.
In the end, the food was the only reason for the 3^rd star in the rating. Though lacking in presentation, it arrived hot, well seasoned, and simply well done.
Our selections:
1^st course: Beef carpaccio & Seafood gumbo
2^nd course: Braised short ribs (wish I had a little more reduction sauce on mine)
3^rd course: Vanilla bread pudding & Chocolate pâté

I was at the restaurant for dinner on Thanksgiving day for a mid afternoon reservation. Everyone looking a bit disheveled and weary, likely looking forward to the end of their day! Our waitress carried on the weariness but seemed ready to persevere. The buffet was laid out beautifully with scores of deserts tempting me even before I was able to get to the salad table. Everything looked delicious until I arrived at the «Deli style» sliced turkey breast! What in the name of our founding father’s were they thinking? TOTALLY DISGRACEFUL! Our waitress told us that the restaurant had over 200 reservations for the day. With that knowledge the kitchen MUST not run short of the real thing. SURELY they ran out before we got there!!! SURELY! HOPEFULLY? ???

It’s just not what it used to be. My wife and I went on our anniversary with a reservation at 8pm. Counting us, there were only four tables in the whole place. Kind of depressing. Plus, even though there were only four tables, the service was awful. The food was OK, but no longer worth the cost. We were here a year ago for our rehearsal dinner and it was great but it seems to have gone down hill. With all of the other fine dining restaurants in Clayton, I can’t see us coming back.

We dined here for Easter brunch. Very mediocre food. The roast beef was to tough to cut much less chew. I was lucky to get my glass of water filled one time. Pancakes were tough. Tough pancakes! Goodness.
The waiter even charged me $ 12.95 for my 20 month old. He did take it off when I asked about it. $ 79 for two adult and 2 kids, no alcohol. Way over priced. I have no problem spending money on great food. This was not.

Cardwells was probably quite something… about 20 years ago. Still, it appeared to be extremely popular at lunchtime so you may want to consider reservations. The atmosphere is «clubby» and most of the patrons were dressed very conservatively — full on suits & ties vs. business casual.
On the minus side, the food is «just ok» — the menu descriptions certainly sound better than what’s actually delivered. It’s also kind of expensive for what it is.
On the plus side, our server was awesome. He had a full section and a very large party and still managed to keep drinks refilled and check in with us regularly.
Great spot for a business lunch, not sure I’d make a trip there otherwise.

Very basic food, mediocre at best. Salty, fatty, uninspired. It is ok if you want renditions of old fashioned American food, but not if you want something innovative. Only reason why I’m giving 2 stars is because the portions are huge, and at least you’re not going to leave hungry.

Food is great. Service is not what you would expect for a dinner that costs 55. Had to ask for water to be refilled and for more bread. The décor looks old and tired. Bathrooms need to ve refreshed. v

We had our lovely Office Christmas lunch at Cardwell’s on Friday. I had never tried or even heard of this place so of course I was excited and anxious to see what it was like.
The first thing I noticed aside from the stuffy décor was that it was busy. I am sure there were more office parties going on. Not sure how they do on business during non holiday hours but the place was jammin none the less.
We were seated in a private room. It seated 14. It was a bit on the snug side but it was nice to be away from the stress in the restaurant. Our waitresses were very nice and attentive. The food came out very quickly. I thought the appetizers were good. It was an interesting mix of Toasted Raviolis and Pot Stickers. I thought both were delicious. The prices seemed reasonable with the most expensive dish being in the $ 13 range.
I had the Adobo Chicken Salad and thought it was just okay. Plain iceberg lettuce with corn, black beans, tortilla chips and grilled chicken. The dressing was a spicy ranch that was kind of boring.
Everyone else at the table seemed to enjoy their food with no complaints. I am sure other items on the menu probably taste better than my salad but i was playing it safe. I am curious about their dinner menu but not curious enough to actually come back.

Cardwell’s wasn’t really the first choice when I decided to meet up with a friend in Clayton. There wasn’t any particular reason. Parking is atrocious in most of Clayton, (especially during lunch) the meter maids do not detour from their 6 block radius. Cardwell’s booth tables seem like an upscaled Denny’s. Ouch, I know. The steak I ordered was a sub-​par cut. It was super chewy and tasted old. I have to say it at least was cooked medium well the way I wanted it. Plus it came with fries. Usually a more upscale place (even if it’s lunch) doesn’t have fries. If they do, they have «fancy pants» fries with truffle sauce or aioli. Something! Again… upscale Denny’s. This had quite a few people from the local businesses here meeting clients and such. Maybe I just haven’t hit the «older» age yet, to appreciate this establishment.

I came here earlier this week with a party of about 10, and we were able to reserve a private dining room for dinner. We ordered the Appetizer Platter to start, which consisted of calamari, smoked shrimp, and crab cakes. The calamari was nice and tender, and it came with a really yummy dipping sauce. The crab cake was also really good, but the smoked shrimp was slightly overcooked and hard to chew.
For my entrée, I ordered the Mahi Mahi special. The fish itself was cooked perfectly, but the seasoning just did not please my palate. I really don’t know how to describe the taste in words, but I just know that I didn’t like it very much. The sides of mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts, pickled cabbage, and spaghetti squash were also fairly mediocre. I did, however, greatly enjoy the bite of New York Strip Steak I had from my friend. The steak also came with heavenly scalloped potatoes, so I would definitely recommend that entrée. I also had a bite of someone’s Penne Pasta, which I thought had a little too much cream.
We ordered several different desserts to share. I really enjoyed the Chocolate Lava Cake and Raspberry and Vanilla Sorbets.
Overall, we had excellent service, but the food was just mediocre for me.

Hadn’t been to the Cardwell’s in Clayton for a while. Stopped in for our 20^th high school reunion and the place was crowded. Before I realized that there was also a 30^th high school reunion taking place in the same restaurant, I thought to myself… «Damn I look good.» Needless to say the place is big and the patio very nice. Eventually found my group in the back. The food was served buffet style. We dined on sliders, pasta and one other item I can’t remember. The food was overall good. I’m sure much better when ordering off the menu.
I do think the Cardwell’s at Frontenac Plaza is more elegant.

I think this place would have been a lot better under different circumstances.
My boyfriend and I came here for Clayton Restaurant Week 2012. Jason made the reservation on the day of and they told him that it would be just fine to arrive at the time scheduled. When we got there, the place was packed to full capacity. We ended up waiting for about 15 minutes to get our seat.
After being seated, we continued to wait for another 5 minutes before seeing our server. Instead of a server bringing us our water, the manager finally walked up put our water glasses on the table without saying a word to us… not even a ‘hello’.
Our server finally approached our table and handed us our menus with the select menu items we could have for the Restaurant Week. With the Restaurant Week deal, you can order a 3 course meal for $ 25 — an appetizer, entrée, and dessert.
Appetizer — I ordered the mussels. They come in a garlic-​saffron type broth and grilled sourdough bread to use to dip in the sauce. I really liked this. It was not too filling but just enough for a good starter.
Entrée — I got the short ribs topped with fried onion straws, garlic mashed potatoes and a side vegetables which had zucchini and asparagus.
Dessert — Crème breulee.
We received our entrees about 45 minutes after having our appetizers. I think that was a bit too long wait. Our server was running crazy trying to deal with the patrons. As mentioned before, it looked like the restaurant was up to full capacity. We did not feel the restaurant staff were fully prepared for what business was going to be coming through the door that night. Our server pointed out that they only had staffed one bartender for the evening, and drinks were backed up too. Cardwell’s really did not have it together.
I undoubtedly loved all of my meal. Everything was delicious and just wonderful. However, if I knew the service was going to be crap, we would have gone elsewhere. I hope next time will be better than this one.

When I first walked, in, I was greeted by the manager of Cardwell’s. He was very friendly and walked me and my colleagues to our table. The service was friendly– I think we could have had a bit more attention from our server, especially since it was a Tuesday night, but they were professional. The food was well-​prepared. Nothing too special, but it was presented well. I ordered a filet mignon– medium. The filet was very thin and it was cooked throughout. I would have sent it back, but we were in a large group and it didn’t taste too bad. Their wine list wasn’t too impressive…
They do have outdoor seating and the area seems nice. I probably wouldn’t return for a meal, but perhaps a drink outside next time…