Went to pick up food on Friday April 19 about noon. Parking lot appeared full but restaurant was not busy. Maybe 1/4 full, to be generous. I ordered off the lunch menu for takeout. Waitress was available but perfunctory. Just the basic. Fawning over what appeared to be regulars getting lit at the bar around noon. “Don’t you dare come back unless I’m here. Here’s my next shift “. Patrons Stumbled off. Food was average. Nothing extra, no particular care in presentation or customer service. No bread. No silverware. Just slopped in the styrofoam package and plastic bag for me to discover later. Just bare bones basics. It appears you are used to just dealing with the tourist trade. If that keeps the lights on, well, that’s your choice. Locals will go elsewhere. We were there when you first opened. Many years ago. I have a photo of my now 90 plus year old parents in front of your door. It was a big night to go to your establishment then. What happened?? In my opinion, your waitstaff should be more attentive and add extra value. Appear, if not actually interested, in our business. Don’t make me wait for a glass of water, “while you open wine for another table.” It did not appear that busy or that short staffed. Or, it this another just drunk tourists establishment? what a low bar for our town. I thought better of you. You can prove me wrong.
Athena Garza
We had a wonderful Birthday dinner 4 mom & daughter same birthdays. The staff was just as good if not better than the food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bruschetta, Chicken Piccata, Brownie with Ice Cream
Rhonda Scruggs
Update - the Flash Fried Spinach was so oily and over fried that I could not eat it. My husband ate it and had an upset stomach afterwards.The flash fried spinach is good, just wish they would use organic spinach. Both the flash fried spinach and spinach salad leaves a film on your palette.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Bobbie Brown
Excellent food and service. My hubby got the Rueben Sandwich. I had a nibble, and it was delicious! Had a little secret sweet taste to it. Fabulous!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bread Pudding, Meatloaf
It pains me to say this, bc I love the Gruene Door, but last night was bad; there's no other way to say it. The service was rushed and very abrupt (we felt as if we were being forced out for the entire meal), the steak was overcooked, and we found small bones in the Tuna. Moreover, our table was right in front of extra wine storage and a waiter workstation; as a result, servers kept moving around behind my girlfriend and me, bumping our chairs repeatedly and even hitting my arm at one point. Finally, whomever made the decision to change the waffle bread pudding recipe made a poor choice, as the old recipe was spectacular and the current recipe is average, at best.
Candi Delaughter
Food was delicious and waitress was on point. Only down side, we were placed in a back room that didn't have the same ambiance as the rest of the restaurant. Lighting plays a BIG roll in the mood and tone of a place. It felt like we were in an add on that wasn't quite finished. Very blank, empty room. Limited decor and VERY bright. This increased the volume of the room. It ended up being very loud. Other than that. Top notch. Definitely recommend.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
MARK BROWN
We eat at the Gruene Door anytime we are in the New Braunfels area. Excellent food with a laid-back atmosphere.
The food and drinks were amazing - steak was cooked perfectly and our waitress was very attentive. It was our first time here and it was much louder than I expected for a “date night” spot. I think the food was worth it so we'll probably just request an outside table next time.
tfos_1776 (Tim)
Food was good but had a limited menu on V-Day. Ordered a steak, bit over cooked, but super tasty and fresh.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Kirsten
This was our first time The Gruene Door but it won't be our last! We sat out on the patio and enjoyed the beautiful day. Our server was very informative and took excellent care of us. The food was superb from start to finish. So glad we found this place!
Gruene Door is a gem of a restaurant. Great food, attentive service, and understated ambiance. It's becoming our favorite restaurant for family gatherings, meeting friends or just a quiet evening for two.
Cari Woodward
Went here for an early valentines dinner. Food was amazing but the service was even better. My partner and I aren’t people who like to spend 3 hours at a table. The service was so fast, but yet didn’t feel rushed at all. We were able to get two drinks, an app, mains, and a dessert within a hour. Very attentive server who was friendly and still warm. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place really does read the allergy notes you mark on the app. I greatly appreciate that. The noise this time was a tad louder than last time but the food more than makes up for it. The waitress was really attentive and ensured we felt welcome
GSTozier
Our mains, Ahi tuna and pork chops, were fantastic. Crème Brûlée was very enjoyable. The only thing spoiling the evening was the saucers under the coffee cups were too small and the cup wobbled when placed on the saucer, tending to lean as to spill. Other diners had smaller cups that seemed to fit better. Lastly, our server seemed to disappear after presenting the bill, waited more than 10 minutes before he returned to collect the bill.
Wife and I went for Valentines Day, could tell they are very popular, only reservation we could find was a 4:45. But we are early eaters anyway. We we greeted and seated immediately. We shared a salad and both did the surf and turf special, filet and lobster tail. Both were perfectly prepared with side of potatoes and asparagus. Only complaint I had was they put the cilantro cream sauce on both the mashed potatoes and the filet... not a fan of sauce on my steaks so scraped that off of the steak and dug in... we really enjoyed the meal and the service was outstanding. We have never been disappointed in this place, food and service is always good... will return.
Went to pick up food on Friday April 19 about noon. Parking lot appeared full but restaurant was not busy. Maybe 1/4 full, to be generous. I ordered off the lunch menu for takeout. Waitress was available but perfunctory. Just the basic. Fawning over what appeared to be regulars getting lit at the bar around noon. “Don’t you dare come back unless I’m here. Here’s my next shift “. Patrons Stumbled off. Food was average. Nothing extra, no particular care in presentation or customer service. No bread. No silverware. Just slopped in the styrofoam package and plastic bag for me to discover later. Just bare bones basics. It appears you are used to just dealing with the tourist trade. If that keeps the lights on, well, that’s your choice. Locals will go elsewhere. We were there when you first opened. Many years ago. I have a photo of my now 90 plus year old parents in front of your door. It was a big night to go to your establishment then. What happened?? In my opinion, your waitstaff should be more attentive and add extra value. Appear, if not actually interested, in our business. Don’t make me wait for a glass of water, “while you open wine for another table.” It did not appear that busy or that short staffed. Or, it this another just drunk tourists establishment? what a low bar for our town. I thought better of you. You can prove me wrong.
We had a wonderful Birthday dinner 4 mom & daughter same birthdays. The staff was just as good if not better than the food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bruschetta, Chicken Piccata, Brownie with Ice Cream
Update - the Flash Fried Spinach was so oily and over fried that I could not eat it. My husband ate it and had an upset stomach afterwards.The flash fried spinach is good, just wish they would use organic spinach. Both the flash fried spinach and spinach salad leaves a film on your palette.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Excellent food and service. My hubby got the Rueben Sandwich. I had a nibble, and it was delicious! Had a little secret sweet taste to it. Fabulous!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bread Pudding, Meatloaf
It pains me to say this, bc I love the Gruene Door, but last night was bad; there's no other way to say it. The service was rushed and very abrupt (we felt as if we were being forced out for the entire meal), the steak was overcooked, and we found small bones in the Tuna. Moreover, our table was right in front of extra wine storage and a waiter workstation; as a result, servers kept moving around behind my girlfriend and me, bumping our chairs repeatedly and even hitting my arm at one point. Finally, whomever made the decision to change the waffle bread pudding recipe made a poor choice, as the old recipe was spectacular and the current recipe is average, at best.
Food was delicious and waitress was on point. Only down side, we were placed in a back room that didn't have the same ambiance as the rest of the restaurant. Lighting plays a BIG roll in the mood and tone of a place. It felt like we were in an add on that wasn't quite finished. Very blank, empty room. Limited decor and VERY bright. This increased the volume of the room. It ended up being very loud. Other than that. Top notch. Definitely recommend.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
We eat at the Gruene Door anytime we are in the New Braunfels area. Excellent food with a laid-back atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Seafood Trio, Artichoke and Spinach Dip, Crab Dip, 16oz Center-Cut Rib Eye, Shrimp & Grits
The food and drinks were amazing - steak was cooked perfectly and our waitress was very attentive. It was our first time here and it was much louder than I expected for a “date night” spot. I think the food was worth it so we'll probably just request an outside table next time.
Food was good but had a limited menu on V-Day. Ordered a steak, bit over cooked, but super tasty and fresh.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
This was our first time The Gruene Door but it won't be our last! We sat out on the patio and enjoyed the beautiful day. Our server was very informative and took excellent care of us. The food was superb from start to finish. So glad we found this place!
Restaurantji Recommends
Gruene Door is a gem of a restaurant. Great food, attentive service, and understated ambiance. It's becoming our favorite restaurant for family gatherings, meeting friends or just a quiet evening for two.
Went here for an early valentines dinner. Food was amazing but the service was even better. My partner and I aren’t people who like to spend 3 hours at a table. The service was so fast, but yet didn’t feel rushed at all. We were able to get two drinks, an app, mains, and a dessert within a hour. Very attentive server who was friendly and still warm. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place really does read the allergy notes you mark on the app. I greatly appreciate that. The noise this time was a tad louder than last time but the food more than makes up for it. The waitress was really attentive and ensured we felt welcome
Our mains, Ahi tuna and pork chops, were fantastic. Crème Brûlée was very enjoyable. The only thing spoiling the evening was the saucers under the coffee cups were too small and the cup wobbled when placed on the saucer, tending to lean as to spill. Other diners had smaller cups that seemed to fit better. Lastly, our server seemed to disappear after presenting the bill, waited more than 10 minutes before he returned to collect the bill.
Wife and I went for Valentines Day, could tell they are very popular, only reservation we could find was a 4:45. But we are early eaters anyway. We we greeted and seated immediately. We shared a salad and both did the surf and turf special, filet and lobster tail. Both were perfectly prepared with side of potatoes and asparagus. Only complaint I had was they put the cilantro cream sauce on both the mashed potatoes and the filet... not a fan of sauce on my steaks so scraped that off of the steak and dug in... we really enjoyed the meal and the service was outstanding. We have never been disappointed in this place, food and service is always good... will return.