I wish that Yelp would allow for half stars as I consider this place to be more like 2 1/2 stars.
Willoughby's on Park is on its second incarnation. Originally, the owners took over a defunct TGI Fridays and created Willoughby's Bar and Grill. That eventually closed and they rebranded themselves as Willoughby's on Park with a new concept as an upscale restaurant.
I had had my eye on getting here for a while but it was only on this last trip to the area did we go.
We were here on a Tuesday night around 5 p.m. Business was slow then but gradually picked up a bit. One thing we noticed is that the customers tend to be older folks (with some being older than us).
I did like the decor here. However, the lighting was very dim. In fact, we had trouble reading the menu! Our waiter pulled out his phone to provide some lighting for my husband. Another thing we liked --- service was excellent from start to finish.
To start, we ordered drinks. I had a caipirinha which was very well made. My husband had a Bloody Mary which he said was made from a mix and he found it to not be good at all.
For our first course, we ordered soups. I had the lobster bisque which was mildly flavored and had just enough salt. There was no sherry at all in it but I enjoyed it as it was creamy though a bit stingy with the lobster.
My husband had clam chowder. He found it to be bland and said it had more potatoes in it than clams. It had him wishing he could have Legal Sea Foods' version.
We were given a basket of bread along with some whipped butter, which was decent.
For my main course, I chose Salmon Piccata which consists of: "pan seared salmon with a lemon caper butter sauce, risotto Milanese and vegetable du jour" (which was zucchini). This dish was a real letdown. The salmon was overcooked, thus dry. At first, I couldn't find the "lemon caper butter sauce". However, as I dug in, I discovered that it wasn't put on the salmon, rather it ended up on the side. The risotto, while properly cooked, was very bland. The zucchini was julienned and sauteed plus it turned out to be tasty.
My husband had the 8 oz. filet mignon. It comes with the vegetable du jour and the potatoes du jour which were Yukon gold mashed potatoes. He said the steak wasn't very tender but on the positive side, it was cooked to his liking. The potatoes were nothing to write home about.
All this cost $95 + change before the tip. At that price---especially at a restaurant that brands itself as upscale---we expected much, much better. Would we go back? No, we won't. If we want upscale dining when in the area, there is another spot that does it much better. read more