Piñon Grill is one of Boca Town Center’s somewhat-hidden gems. Because it is in the same area as Grand Lux Cafe, The Capital Grille and California Pizza Kitchen, Piñon Grill is often overlooked, as those familiar brands stand in its way.
Upon my arrival, I was surprised to see how packed it was, especially for a Tuesday night. I wound up waiting an hour. Normally, I would have left, as the wait was completely outrageous. However, the management and wait staff were so incredibly nice, I decided to keep waiting.
I was seated at a nice booth by the window, which had comfortable leather pillows. The atmosphere is very chic and earthy, with lots of colored lights, an amber bar, glass art of Native Americans and piñon trees — hence, the name.
My waitress was extremely informative and attentive. But, best of all, she was funny. In fact, I found that all the wait staff had great senses of humor; they were often making jokes with the customers, which made the atmosphere very friendly. It is probably one of the friendliest restaurants in Boca Raton.
For appetizers, I tried the tuna tacos and the crispy crab fritters. Both were pretty delicious. The raw ahi tuna was served in a hard, blue corn tortilla shell, which I didn’t care for. The guacamole on top of it was very fresh. The crab fritters were tangled nests of crispy phyllo dough strips filled, with crab and shrimp meat. On top, the fritters were dressed with a lobster ginger sauce and corn relish, which had tomato and black beans. This was my favorite part of the meal. There were so many different textures and flavors going on, like a whole adventure in one bite.
At around $15 to $18, the appetizers can be as expensive as the entrees and sandwiches. However, a lot of the appetizers are quite big. The sliders were big enough for one person to eat as a meal, and other appetizers, like the spinach mushroom quesadilla, were big enough for two people to share.
The entrees took a very long time to arrive at the table. I wasn’t surprised that they were backed up, but I was still really disappointed. I went with a large crowd, so I got to try a lot of the dinner options Piñon has to offer.
The sandwiches were all very good, but the prime rib french dip was my favorite. The accompanying homemade horseradish was spot-on, but what truly made the sandwich delicious was its melted havarti cheese. It was very hot and had a ton of meat on it, so I definitely got my money’s worth.
The grilled chicken sandwich was my second favorite. I ordered mine without the havarti cheese and bacon, so all it had on it was lettuce, tomato, avocado and a light amount of basil mayo. The chicken was marinated really well and was not dry at all.
The fresh fish sandwich was not my favorite at all. The fish was obviously fresh; I could tell because there was still a bone in the filet. The fish was flaky but very dry. The remoulade that came with it helped with the dryness, but it was nothing special.
Another favorite of mine was the New Orleans Pasta which had shrimp, chicken, andouille sausage, tomatoes, and fresh parmesan cheese, all in a spicy cajun cream sauce. This dish may be too spicy for some people, but for me, it was just right. Plus, there was enough for me to take home for later.
Finally, I tried the steak and gorgonzola salad. The meat was perfectly cooked and seasoned, but the best part of the salad was the crisp green apples, which complimented the gorgonzola cheese really well.
There were also a nice variety of side dishes to choose from. My favorite was the mashed sweet potato, topped with bits of caramelized brown sugar. The peanut and ginger coleslaw was also really good. The most popular side dish other than the fries is the jalapeño macaroni and cheese. It is really creamy but a little salty. The main cheese is white American, which is a little bland, but the jalapeños have a very briny flavor which makes it less spicy and salty. It was tasty, but not my favorite.
The worst side that I tried was the shredded parmesan au gratin potatoes. Its name was very misleading. It tasted nothing like potatoes. When it arrived with one of the dishes, it looked like a small square of a quiche or casserole. It tasted like eggs and nothing else.
Finally, I brought home dessert. Their top sellers are the chocolate waffles and the white chocolate bread pudding with berry compote. I did not try the latter, but the waffles were amazing. It tastes nothing like a waffle. Think of it as a waffle-shaped chocolate cake, baked with sun-dried cherries, topped with chocolate ganache, vanilla ice cream, and raspberry sauce. Amazingly, this dessert is gluten-free.
Your opinion of Piñon Grill will likely depend on your patience and hunger: The food is great and the waiters are entertaining, but unless you book a reservation, be prepared to wait forever—even for a glass of water.
