If you're wanting my quick review of the "new" Baily's Grill in a word? "Meh..."

So sad is it to see the once stunning restaurant now look like it's the midst of a move-out. The tables are bare, chipped and odd in the room without tablecloths The nice chairs now seem out of place. The room is stunningly painted but now it is without a "heart". The bar area is still fantastic as are the (now closed) private dining areas at the back and very front. Seeing what it "used to be" makes it only harder to dine in what feels like a "spare room".

Not helping, the cold front moved into the DFW area earlier in the day. The heater was not yet pumping warm air in the dining room and cold air flowed through the few times the front door opened. We ate with our jackets on and zipped up. Still we were freezing. That did not bode well for our visit.

Now for the good news! The salad (just $2.50 with an entree) was a pleasant surprise. Nothing fancy yet it was COLD and CRISP and the honey balsamic vinegar dressing (yes, you read that right) was really really really good on it. The rolls were warm from the oven, served with softened butter, and were light and crisp on the outside and hot and tender on the inside. Great first food impression.

Now for the bad news. The meatloaf was dry, crumbly, and just "okay". The brown gravy tasted as though someone had spilled an extra cup of salt in it. It was served on some fairly good 'skin-on" mashed potatoes. Unfortunately no vegetables come with this entree. It was much like you would get from an average diner or good hospital. (Ouch!)

Their servers were "fine". They were cheerful and pleasant, but not attentive. I had to get up to refill my own tea when my server hadn't even been in the same room for over ten minutes. (Did I mention that the gravy was extra salty?)

Note: Why is it that the fewer the customers in a restaurant the less attentive the service?

To their credit, the very nice, cheerful and engaged manager heard of my mention of the saltness and offered me a complimentary dessert to eat now or take with me. That was the right thing to do, and earns them a return visit from me so that I can make a second pass at this place.

If I owned this place I'd turn it into a really wonderful buffet-style restaurant and put an elaborate buffet right down the middle of the dining room. (Think The Bellagio's Buffet restaurant.) This place could really sparkle and shine and attract a crowd with the right concept, management and cooks. It has all the potential to be something great. But, right now, it is having an identity crisis. I hope the owner will not just "write this off" and instead embrace it an our community and make something great out of Bailey's.

Okay. All that said, try their inexpensive lunch items and tell us what YOU think. I think I'll try their burgers next time. I hear they're pretty good...

A group of friends dined on Thursday evening. The atmosphere and service were great. 4 of the group ordered the salad and I was surprised to see a huge salad which was very crisp and the dressing was delicious.($2.50 when added to the entree) We enjoyed delicious french bread(crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with a buttery garlic butter). The short ribs were served beautifully on mashed potatoes and a sauce to die for. My friends ordered pork chops, mahi mahi and fried shrimp. Everyone was pleased with the food and also the portions were generous.

We ate at Bailey's last weekend. The experience was very inconsistent and underwhelming.

The salad was iceberg lettuce with a few carrots. Iceberg, rather than field greens, at an establishment that is aiming for a better clientele? One star automatically deducted from their ranking. Also, there were no crackers or any sort of bread offered with the salad.

The mahi entree was an excellent, well-conceived dish. Unfortunately, whomever did the prep that night was VERY sloppy and there were pieces of shallots that were more than 1/4" square in the sauce. The roasted potatoes that came with it were perfectly roasted but plain.

The salmon was also very, very good and the creamed spinach was outstanding.

BBQ Chicken was just average roasted chicken with sauce poured over it.

The drop bisquits that came with all of the meals were really disappointing. They had good flavor but had been so over-handled that they did not raise properly and were halfway to being hockey pucks.

Our server was not nearly as good as she thought she was. She had been at the restaurant since before the changeover and still had the "5 star steakhouse" mindset. I'd hate to be the one to tell her that we've had better service at Saltgrass.

It is a shame that Bailey's made the mistake of putting a restaurant in the area. Bailey's Prime Plus aims to compete with Chamberlain's, Pappas Bros Steakhouse, Bob's Chop House, etc. Obviously, the original concept did not work in Cedar Hill so they are scrambling to fill the space with something else, but they are not succeeding.

My husband and I tried the "New" Bailey's and it is still overpriced for what you get.

I am not sure why this restaurant keeps changing but they need to change for the better.

My experience at Bailey's changed restaurant was just okay. The service and atmosphere are still great but the food is still just okay. It is a little pricey still for the portion.

Maybe they need to change the cook.