Duvall has four, count them, four teriyaki places. That's about one teriyaki place for every five residents. So you would look forward, at least one night a week, of having something other than the usual teriyaki chicken and rice. You won't get it, though, at the Duvall Grill. \r
\r
The place has great ambiance. Tall ceilings, large light-filled windows, and nice enough dining furniture. The people running and staffing the Duvall Grill, however, simply don't care about other human beings, let alone food.\r
\r
We've eaten there twice, the second time just to test our initial disbelief. I had the BBQ ribs. The recipe must have come from the former BBQ place that occupied the site and is now Teddy's BBQ up the road (former Duvall Cafe). I'm from Kansas. I know BBQ. This was not even related to BBQ. There was supposed to be a cornbread muffin with the meal, which never came (much like the waitress who never came except to take the order and give us the bill). My wife had the salmon, which was overcooked. Here in the Pacific Northwest, it is illegal to overcook salmon, but I finally talked my wife out of calling the cops. \r
\r
Second time, we wanted lunch and so thought, how badly could the Duvall Grill screw up a hamburger? As it happens, pretty badly. It tasted, if you can use that word, like cardboard. Dry. Fiberous. Chunks kind of broke off in my mouth, much like, I imagine, a dog bone would. There really was no taste at all, except for the ketchup or whatever you put on it. \r
\r
We really shouldn't have to drive to Redmond or Woodinville or Seattle to get a decent meal. We should, by all rights, have choices other than which teriyaki do you want tonight. After bawling our eyes out leaving the Duvall Grill, we languished for another year until we heard of a new restaurant, the Grange Cafe, opening up with a locally-grown cuisine. Our hearts lept! And then we actually ate there, but that's another sad story.\r
\r
Pros: Good ambiance
Cons: Horrible food, lousy service
more