AG
Alyssa Groeteke
Aug 14, 2026
My family and I went to Bristol for dinner to celebrate several big milestones—one birthday, a new job, and the first day of high school. There were eight of us total, and from start to finish, our dinner took about two hours. It ended up being a really nice evening of good food, great company, and celebrating together.
My mom started things off with a couple of dirty martinis served up, and she said they were both made to perfection. Most of the rest of us ordered from the prix fixe menu, which included an appetizer, a main course, and dessert.
We’re definitely a family of meat eaters, so it probably won’t surprise anyone that most of us ordered steak. Everyone chose a different temperature, from rare to medium to well-done, and every single steak came out cooked exactly the way we ordered it. That was definitely a highlight. The sauce on the steak was really good as well.
The side dishes were all over the place—in the best way! We had twice-baked potato, mashed potatoes, asparagus, Mexican street corn, and lobster mac and cheese. Bristol clearly believes there is no such thing as too much cheese, and honestly, we weren’t complaining! The lobster mac and cheese was especially delicious. My asparagus was good, although the ends were a little tough, so maybe it just wasn’t the best time of year for asparagus.
My daughter isn’t a big steak eater, so she ordered from the kids’ menu. She got two sliders and fries and really enjoyed them. The sliders come completely plain, with just the cheeseburger, so she added her own ketchup and was perfectly happy.
For appetizers, my mom ordered the lobster bisque and said it was absolutely perfect. Most of the rest of us went with Caesar salads, which were delicious.
Then came dessert, and the portions were HUGE! We had a gigantic piece of carrot cake, a chocolate mousse cake, and the trio of ice cream flavors. Everything was so large that we ended up sharing the desserts rather than trying to eat them individually.
The atmosphere at Bristol is definitely more upscale, but you can still easily wear jeans and a nice shirt and feel comfortable. At the same time, there were plenty of people dressed up in suits and dresses, so it really depends on what you’re celebrating and how dressed up you want to be.
I also want to mention the customer service because it was excellent throughout our entire dinner. We actually visited Bristol back in March for my birthday and had a less-than-stellar experience, so I was especially happy to have such a great experience this time. It really felt like a redemption night, and I appreciated that.
We don’t get to go out for fancy dinners very often, so this was a special evening for our family. Getting to celebrate a birthday, a new job, and the first day of high school all at once, while enjoying good food and spending time together, made it worth it.
For seven adults and one child, we spent around $650, so it definitely falls into the “special occasion” dinner category for us. But for a night when we wanted to celebrate and enjoy ourselves, it was a great experience, and I’m glad we gave Bristol another chance.