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| - I am a heat-seeking missile with new restaurants in my neck of the woods, so had to visit The Bourbon Cellar since it just opened mere weeks ago.
SO MANY PROS with this place! It has a great ambiance, nice bar, contemporary/rustic vibe, and good music playing. All is positive on the ambiance.
Chef came out more than once to ask us how everything was (HUGE PLUS!) Our waitress was nice and helpful. The service was great and welcoming in every respect.
9 year old daughter ordered oysters, apparently flown in fresh daily from Prince Edward Island. We are huge seafood lovers, and have spent quite a bit of time in Maine and the east coast, so we've had the best. The oysters did not disappoint, they were fresh and fabulous with plenty of traditional oyster fixins'. "Tasted like the ocean!" according to the child. I agree, but she only let me have one! She also ordered a creamed corn side, which she licked clean. I thought aloud, "Where else could we go in Phoenix to have oysters like this?" We came up empty, so if you want an oysters fix, this would be THE PLACE to go!
My other one had a nice shrimp and potato soup that she enjoyed. I had the scallops appetizer (2 scallops) plus a salad, and husband had a steak plus roasted potatoes on the side. All was great, and perfectly prepared.
Unfortunately, the prices are utterly insane and really puts me at more of a 3 star rating. This isn't Binkley's or even Ruth Chris. The ala carte pricing is crazy. Once you pay $44 for the entree and add a side, you're at $60/person before alcohol, salad, or a dessert. Add in two glasses of wine/cocktail per person and you're at $85. We are not strangers to ridiculous-over-the-top dinners, via places like Binkley's Cave Creek and Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas, so this is not a pricing complaint.
Only 1 out of the 4 of us ordered a proper entree. I had two scallops and a salad! One kid had a bowl of soup, that's it. And the other one had 12 oysters and creamed corn side. Bill with tip was nearly $250. A proper meal for each guest would total $100 for the entree + side + salad or appetizer, and two drinks.
I appreciate that the oysters are flown in daily, and I appreciate the attention to detail in the food. The food we had was fantastic. Maybe mix it up and have a few "lower priced" entrees with the higher end stuff? To justify this kind of pricing, you have to have a serious competitive advantage. Give the people some bread, or do something to give them a warm and fuzzy feeling -- like they are truly getting a special experience found nowhere else. I don't know what the answer is for this place, but austere ala carte pricing always makes me feel stressed out, and there is no way I could justify a $400 + tip bill for four people on any kind of regular basis. Maybe this is supposed to just be a special occasion kind of restaurant, and not geared toward locals or families. However, I just don't think it's quite special enough - yet - to garner just special occasion guests.
Please, please, please rethink your pricing and menu strategy. We DESPERATELY need a chef-driven restaurant up here, and the food is great!! I would be back in a heartbeat if the menu and pricing was revamped a bit. At this price point, though, I just can't see myself visiting again. I hope to revise my review soon.
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