Vines Grill & Wine Bar

12/06/04

We really want to like Vines but ...

by dr.phillipsresident at Citysearch

... it's overpriced and the food doesn't deliver. We've been there several times since its opening to give this local restaurant/jazz club a chance to prove itself, and it's been a disappointment. Overall, the food is amateurish. Recently, the menu was strewn with typos, which further suggests there are amateurs behind the scenes and in the kitchen. The live jazz may be entertaining for conventioneers but for local jazz enthusiasts who enjoy (and long for) live jazz, the Louis Armstrong shtick gets old quickly. Those musicians sell themselves short.

We implore Vines to decide what it wants to be: a place for tourists to yuk it up on an expense account or a serious restaurant and jazz club frequented by locals and visitors alike for quality food and live jazz. We are rooting for Vines because they have a great idea but the execution leaves much to be desired.

• Pros: Parking