April Good Dinner: Annie Gunns, 4/11

From the President:

I was excited when Sreenu chose Annie Gunns for our April dinner. I work close by and my co-workers are always raving about how great it is. I often purchase sandwiches and other goodies at their Smokehouse Market next door and they have some amazing selections. It's far west out in Chesterfield so I knew we would not have many of our regulars but we had a good group.

The atmosphere at Annie Gunns is unimpressive. It is dark inside and just looks like your basic pub. We were seated in a portion of the restaurant that was an enclosed patio which would have been much nicer had the weather been warm enough to open it up. Diners, however, gave Annie Gunns 4 spoons for a nice atmosphere.

I thought the service was great from our time at the bar through the dinner service. Our waiter, Bryce, was generously accommodating with special requests without hesitation. However, diners gave the service 3 1/2 spoons for fair to good service. I believe there was some confusion as the servers respectfully waited for us all to finish our first courses. We had a really lively conversation going so there was a delay before I realized and asked them to go ahead and serve the entrees despite the fact that I was still finishing my salad. I wouldn't rate the service at closer to 4 1/2 or even 5 spoons.

I had not realized it was really a steakhouse and that was about all that they had: beef, beef and more beef. I just did not feel like a heavy meal so I opted for soup and salad. A couple of additional options on the menu would have rounded it out perfectly for diners such as myself. Their "world famous potato soup" was okay as was the salad. Based on other diners' experiences, Annie Gunns does best with their focus: the beef. Other diners commented that their steaks were the best they had ever had. While drinking at the bar beforehand the bartender introduced me to his off the menu creation which was delicious. Diners gave Annie Gunns 4 spoons for good food.

Overall, Annie Gunns did not live up to my expectations. However, I realize that I put myself at a disadvantage by not giving one of their steaks a try. Also, for the pricing, I expected a more effort in the decor. However, other diners were impressed with the quality of meat being offered and we all certainly had a great time. Diners gave Annie Gunns a solid 4 spoons overall, a good restaurant.

What do you think of Annie Gunns? Please rate and review below!