Overall GrubGrade A-
The Breakdown:
Atmosphere: Grade B+: We visited 89 Fish & Grill on a Saturday evening. The restaurant is nice looking on both the outside and the inside. The décor is quite contemporary, with dark wood and big windows dominating the front of the building. The tables were nicely spaced, and 89 Fish & Grill was so clean we could have dined on the floor. The place was very busy, so it was a little noisy inside, which made it a little hard to hear our server. Other than that small ding, the atmosphere at 89 Fish & Grill was awesome.
High marks: Contemporary décor, clean
Low marks: Noisy
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Service: Grade A: Our server, Adrian, was phenomenal. This is why we are usually very harsh when we grade this category…we want to truly reward those servers who go above and beyond. Adrian did just that. Not only did he give us prompt, accurate service, but he also made some really nice recommendations on how to tweak our dishes. Plus, he gave me a definition and his honest opinion of the crustacean foam that was part of my dish. The courses were paced perfectly, giving us some time to enjoy some conversation (despite the background roar). The only negative with the service was that due to the noise, we had a lot of difficulty hearing Adrian when he asked us questions or explained something. We’re not sure if he’s a “low-talker” or if it was just too noisy.
High marks: Great recommendations and honest opinion, accurate service
Low marks: Hard to hear server
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Food/Spirits: Grade A: We started off with the calamari. It was lightly breaded, which was nice, but we found it a little too salty. In addition, due to the dim lighting it was difficult to discern the calamari from the banana peppers. Overall, it was good, but just nowhere near the best we’ve had. For drinks, Katina started with the Alpine Lemonade and finished with the Warehouse Old Fashioned. Katina really enjoyed the Alpine Lemonade…it was very smooth and went down nice and easy. That was not the case with the Warehouse Old Fashioned, which was all alcohol. Katina found it a little hard to choke down. I settled on beer for the evening. On the menu was the Left Hand Milk Stout, which was dark and thick like a Guinness, but went down a little smoother. It was a very nice beer and complimented my entrée selection perfectly. Speaking of entrees, Katina ordered the Crab Crusted Tilapia and I settled on the Bacon Wrapped Monk Fish. Both selections were cooked to perfection. Katina paired hers with the truffle risotto and I paired mine with the pea and parmesan risotto. Both risottos were so tasty that we could have just dined on mounds of both. My dish came with a whipped concoction called “crustacean foam” that I could have done without, but otherwise all of the food presented for our entrees was magnificent.
High marks: Amazing, perfectly cooked fish, unbelievable risotto
Low marks: Salty calamari, weird “crustacean foam”
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Value: Grade A-: We drained 4 drinks and had some primo seafood. Our total was just slightly north of $100, but the quality of food was well worth it. We were actually expecting $20-$30 more on the bill, so we were pleasantly surprised. We highly recommend you stop by 89 Fish & Grill. You’ll be impressed.
High marks: High quality food and drinks at a reasonable price
Low marks: Not for those on a real tight budget
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