Andrew Austin

Review of The Briarhurst Manor

I think the quality here has suffered over time. ...

I think the quality here has suffered over time. The carpet in our room appeared to be covered in dog hair. Lobster Bisque, one of my all time favorite dishes, had absolutely no hint (NONE) of lobster flavor or particles. I was told the chef over pureed the lobster, but that would have left some flavor. It was a tasty tomato bisque at best. My wife and I literally thought they gave us the soup du jour, which was tomato. Then to call it a bowl at $9! Absurd! 3 tablespoons of bisque in a large bowl MIGHT qualify as a cup. The truffle frites had excellent flavor, but the method of preparation (a very large pile of intertwined ribbon) made them very difficult to eat, the serving was overly large, and one couldn't help but make a mess trying to consume them. Would be better served as shoestring fries. I had the pork Wellington, not something I would normally try, but why not. Served with a tasty apple flavored sauce. The pork was cooked medium well, and the puff pastry never puffed but rather had slid off into a pile of uncooked dough. Should have never passed inspection for service. I tasted the wife's filet (substituted w sirloin at no fault to the restaurant due to Covid) but it hadn't been seasoned and the sauce was tolerable at best. The sorbets were excellent! My water remained unfilled for the second half of our stay, and my coffee was not offered to be refilled until we were ready to leave. The service timing from order through each course seemed a bit long for the entire meal. I believe our waiter was preoccupied with the 4 people in the other room. At this high end of a restaurant, I expected better service and food.