My sister and I ate at the Trump Grill for the first time. Our $120 meal was a decent deal, but the food felt forgettable.
- My sister and I spent $120 on lunch at the Trump Grill in New York City.
- The restaurant was elegant, and it wasn't too crowded when we visited.
- I was a little disappointed in the food and I'd only return if I was already in the area.
Trump Tower on New York City's Fifth Avenue has always intrigued me.
Though I've walked past the property — which was purchased by former President Donald Trump, now the Republican presidential nominee, in 1979 — I only recently discovered that it has restaurants tucked inside.
Since then, I've wanted to try the Trump Grill, a spot that serves daily lunches and Sunday brunch. The restaurant is marketed toward both business professionals and casual New York diners and specializes in traditional American dishes like salads, sandwiches, steak, and burgers.
After a recent morning of window shopping with my sister, we decided to head to the Trump Grill for a midday meal. Here's what our experience was like.
We decided to have an early lunch on a Wednesday at 11:30 a.m., about 30 minutes after the Trump Grill opened.
When I entered Trump Tower, I was impressed by the interior's luxury and extravagance. We were initially confused about where the restaurant was, but we eventually saw a giant Trump Grill sign by the escalators at the end of the hallway.
As we walked in, we saw only one or two other seated parties at the restaurant. We chose to sit in an area separate from the main dining room that had an outdoor feel and lots of potted plants.
We wanted to start with an appetizer, so we got the boneless Buffalo bites ($14), which came with sauce, pickles, and blue cheese on top.
The starter arrived quickly, and the chicken was hot and crispy.
Unfortunately, we thought the Buffalo bites came with too much sauce. It took away from the juiciness and flavor of the chicken, which should've been the star of the show.
My sister and I decided to order a few different entrées so that we could try a little bit of everything.
The New York burger ($29) was cooked to a perfect medium temperature, just like we ordered, and the fries were hot, crispy, and salted to perfection.
Still, I thought the burger toppings were lacking. The burger came with tons of cheese and onions, but we barely found any of the mushrooms and horseradish listed on the menu.
When the shrimp scampi ($29) arrived at the table, I thought it looked like Cajun pasta, as it had lots of spices and a darker color than I expected. But when I took a bite, the dish had a mild, delicious flavor.
The pasta had a great balance of garlic and heat, and the shrimp was perfectly cooked. However, as the dish sat, we noticed that the sauce started to separate, and a pool of oil formed under the pasta.
Ultimately, the dish felt too heavy for me to finish it.
We thought the Caesar salad ($9) we ordered as a side dish was underwhelming.
The creamy dressing was good, with all the right umami, salty, and tangy flavors, but thick shavings of cheese competed with the pieces of lettuce, which I thought were a bit too small. I also wished the croutons had been bigger.
Still, having a crispy, fresh-tasting side for our heavier entrées was nice.
Before the end of the meal, we decided to try the restaurant's cappuccinos ($7.50 each).
They arrived hot and strong, just how we like them. We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon jolt of caffeine and hoped it would pair well with our dessert.
The Brooklyn blackout cake ($15) looked beautiful, with distinctive chocolate layers and a generous dollop of whipped cream on top. When it arrived, our server poured hot chocolate sauce over the slice.
But, in my opinion, the blackout cake just wasn't good. It lacked the depth of flavor I wanted from the chocolate and tasted overly sweet.
We had a couple of bites but couldn't finish the dessert.
After tax and before tip, our bill reached a reasonable $120, which I thought was a decent price for a meal with an appetizer, two entrées, and coffee in New York City.
Still, the food was pretty average. The service was great and Trump Tower had lots of old-world charm, but I'd only return if I were in the neighborhood and hungry.
Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to dine at the Trump Grill.