“I use the freshest ingredients I can find that are indigenous to Texas and the area. Using local ingredients is the heart and soul of our food and we hope you enjoy eating it as much as we enjoy preparing it for you on a daily basis.”
—Chef Brian Olenjack
Olenjack’s Grille serves a Brunch Buffet on Sundays for about twenty dollars a head. It is well worth the price as it seems that most of the normal menu is spread out on several tables, plus classic breakfast fare. The French Toast was sweet and cinnamony and just chewy enough. The omelets were thick and fluffy and amazing. The small sausage links were crisp and flavorful. Good bacon. Wonderful grits, and I don’t like grits. And breakfast was only a small part of the buffet.
Olenjack’s Grille is located in Arlington’s Lincoln Square, just a stone’s throw from the Half Price Books. The restaurant has clean lines and the walls are uncluttered. The color scheme is black and cream, with large windows and subdued lighting. There is a nice waiting room with several couches and wing chairs, though there was no waiting on the Sunday we dined there. The service was fast and efficient, my Dr Pepper being refilled whenever it reached a low point on the glass. The soft sounds of Sinatra wafted through the room, completing the feel of a classy eatery.
My complaints for Olenjack’s Grille are small ones. There was an amazing seafood stew, steaming hot and filled with shrimp and grilled corn on the cob and all kinds of leafy things. The bowls next to this steaming pot of goodness were thin metal affairs, which instantly transferred the heat of the contents to your palm-if you were foolish enough to hold the bowl as I did. It only took a moment to shift my grip on the bowl, but it should not have been necessary for me to do so.
My other complaint is one of curiosity unfulfilled. The brunch buffet at Olenjack’s Grille was filled with amazing food, none of which had a name plate or any way to figure out what it was. I’m sure that the regular gourmets who frequent this fine dinning establishment can look at a Grilled Tuna Salad and know it instantly. I could not. There were wonderful dishes made with pork, chicken, and buffalo, but I would not have known it was buffalo if I had not overheard another diner ask what it was. I could figure out the easy stuff, salmon and Cesar Salad and a honeydew mellow carved to look like a turkey or maybe a swan. Other things were a mystery, like that amazing dessert next to the Cheesecake which was delicious-and unnamed. There were a number of salads, all wonderful and tasty mysteries. Olenjack’s Grille has amazing food, it would just be nice to know what it was.
This was like eating at one of the buffets in a fine Las Vegas Casino, the food was fantastic and you wanted to keep eating, even after you’ve had your fill. I don’t drink, but they seemed to have a nice bar with all the things you would expect. I liked the tables and the silverware. I have no complaints about the service, as it was a buffet and there is little to complain about someone carrying away your used plates and bringing you refills. I will definitely be returning to Olenjack’s Grille.
I found the restaurant under the Birth Announcement section in Food Arts Magazine.
Olenjack’s Grille 4 Stars
