I have been a Me n Ed's fan since the mid 80's where there is a location next to a good old Pool Hall in Long Beach, CA.
I have been a fan of Blast & Brew since finding a newer Me n Ed's in Nipomo that had been taken over by the same group.
Being a "beerhead", I really enjoyed the mix of local standards along with their own mix of B&B brews.
In Pismo, I met the gentlemen responsible for their brewing and truly enjoyed visiting many of their locations.
I have lived in Atown, part time since 2016. In June of 2025, my wife and I moved here full time. I love this area and was ecstatic when B&B moved into the old Santa Maria Brewing facility.
Being from this area, there are many Breweries to choose from...we are blessed!!
With that said, I have come to the Atown B&B on many occasions. My wife has recently joined me since the addition of the Smash Burger....yummy!
I had been talkin up the place....
Smash Burgers and Expresso Martini Slushes....OMG.
The staff, mostly bartenders as I always sit at the bar, have been exceptional!
Most recently, I brought my inlaws and my daughter's family (husband and two beautiful grandchildren) to the Atown facility. This was a rainy Saturday, after my daughter brought her whole crew up her for the weekend. With the rain, our choices were limited, but we ended up at B&B after a couple of hours at the Bounce House.
The outside area @ B&B was closed because of the wet weather so, we had six adults and two young children at a booth, waiting for food, while the adults waited for alcohol.
I needed a beer!
The waitress, I will not name but could based on the receipt my wife brought home, brought out the waters and non alcoholic beverages as we pre-ordered food for the hungry children.
I tried to be patient...
We had just seen our waitress walk in the door as we parked. I knew she had just started her shift. So, being a long time restaurant employee, I did not want to start her shift on a wrong note.
I tried to be patient...
As I watched her and her bartender catch up. A few minutes later, I left our table, checking to see if the outside area was dry enough to let the kids play.
I spent a few minutes pondering over the drying patio, as the sun had just come out right before we arrived, thinking maybe I should ask the manager if it was dry enough to take the kids outside. Instead, I turned back towards our table and saw that the waitress and bartender were still conversing. I knew the only thing between me and my beer was my waitress, and the bartender she was talking to.
I needed a beer!
My next move was to approached our waitress with the intent of asking if I could grab my beer while we waited for the sun to dry off the patio. She saw me heading her way and met me before I could get to the bar. I asked her if I could could please get my beer?
She said, "What beer would you like?"
I said, "Didn't you just take my order...I wanted a German Lager."
This is where I felt the response got out of hand....
She said, "Oh, yes...your beer is on order and I will bring it to you when it is ready."
The response was snarky and I really wanted to respond with a similar tone. But my years in the restaurants held me back and I instead turned around and headed back to our table.
Almost all the way to our booth and my anger elevated. I did not stop at or table, but left the restaurant, thinking I would walk it off. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got.
Next thing I knew, I was in my car headed home. Our family had arrived in three cars, so I knew my wife would not be stranded. I quickly texted my wife and lied to her, saying I did not feel well. When in reality, I felt fine, should have been with my family but was headed home, too angry to face our server again.
I could have easily kept this to myself, but thought I might share as a means to relieve my angst.
Although a fan B&B, I have decided to stop visiting the Atascadero location.
There are many other places in Atown to enjoy a craft beer, with a server that wants to make the experience pleasant.
I will end with, this poor experience was probably one in seven or eight visits here.
I have had some great experiences here and may try again in the future. But this one bad experience was enough to steer me away for awhile.
Cheers! read more