I'm going to start this off by saying, I understand where all the negative reviews for this place is coming from. I came in here with a very minimal expectation. Trust me, I was not a fan at first. I actually tried so many other times to eat here but every time we had to walk out due to the ridiculous wait. So this time we came prepared! I reserved our table a full week ahead for Norfolk's Restaurant Week. A full 20 minutes before our reservation time, I get a call from the hostess in an attempt to release our table to another customer. I called right back as we were walking up already. It was just a snafu, she did not mean to call me but another party. Just quite hilarious that the one time we did everything right, we were on the verge of quite possibly losing our reserved table. No big deal, we all laughed about it including the hostess who apologized tremendously for her mistake. Had we lost our table though, I would've considered it quits for this place completely. 456 Fish is suppose to be "high-end." I would say that they are just one of the more "grown up adult" restaurant on Granby, but by no means are they extremely upscale/high-end, jacket or dress attire, just look presentable and you will be okay. Lets move on...
We were seated close to the door, but it was not at all a problem since their entrance had a heated foyer and there was also a clear narrow wall separating the entry way. We were soon prompted by a tall bald headed wait staff who came with water and then immediately questioned if we were there for the Restaurant week and if we needed more time to look over the menu. We asked for a few moments and he then returned to ask what we were having. After my date ordered, I was asked if I was just having the same, as if to imply that we couldn't possibly afford to order our own meals. A bit snobby, but I let that pass. I proceeded with my order and got a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon to go with my meal.
We ordered the calamari and the crab spring rolls for appetizers. To my surprise, both were equally delish! The basil sauce for the calamari was a surprising treat. And the crab egg roll was deep fried adequately without it being too oily. Inside was a mix of Asian fusion with the bihon (rice stick) type noodle and real crab meat and minced veggies.
On to the entrees. My date had the grouper filet with the garlic spinach and fried plantains on the bottom. I had the opportunity to try that dish and it was pretty tasty individually. The spinach was perhaps my least favorite out of that plate. The plantains were good, not soggy. The creole sauce had a slight kick in the end, but I wouldn't say its spicy at all. I had the crab cake with a jumbo broccoli and homemade mashed potatoes on the bottom. Let me just say how OH SO good the crab cakes were! The two sizeable cakes were perfectly crunchy and textured outside with a well seasoned filling on the inside. There was very minimal filler, it was mainly crab meat, which to me is the only correct way to make crab cakes! The mash was probably the absolute worse thing in the plate. It just felt bland and had a weird "old potato" taste to it. Side note, after we left the restaurant I looked at the restaurant menu and there was a remoulade that was suppose to go with the dish that did felt a little too dry by its lonesome. Had I known there was a sauce that was missing on my plate, I would've asked for it.
The grand finale, the dessert of only 2 options. Cannoli and the cheesecake. They were equally good. The cheesecake however, was made well! None of that crust stuff that's just distracting from the tarty and mildly sweet cheesecake. It was a subtle end note, but I was satisfied with the meal in its entirety.
So in comes my minus 1 star, for the wait staff that was just mediocre at his job. Not once did he come by to see if the food tasted fine or if there was something missing from my dish (like that remoulade!) or if we needed anything else. Yes, he refilled our water a couple of times, but no reassurance of where our food was for the first 10-15 minutes after ordering. It was just awkwardly unpleasant. I didn't have any problem with him in general, but had he at least made a decent effort to check up on us a few times, I would enjoyed this place so much more!
Would I recommend this place? Yes, but it would not be my first choice. If I was ever in the need for some crab cakes though, its the only spot to go to! read more