I've been on 3 different occasions, because different people in my life wanted to check it out. I think the star of this place is definitely the atmosphere and decor. It's fun and unique & different from anything else in the area. It's good for any occasion!
But when it comes to the food I was expecting to be wow'd and I wasn't. It was all just okay or good enough.
The first time I went was for lunch with my mom. I got the BLDG5 original sandwich which felt pretty bland. It was definitely missing something, which was a bummer because when I read the description it sounded so good! I got a side of the Brussels sprouts and they were very spicy due to the excessive amount of red pepper flakes that were covering them. My mom got the short rib smash with a side of the broccolini & it was definitely the better sandwich of the 2. The broccolini was a little bland as well, but was good if you got a bite with the cheese. And we both got one of the seasonal lemonades. They were good, but definitely hit you with the ginger and jalapeño in these batches. I think they've since toned it down.
The second time I went with my husband on a date & we got the steak and potato board for 2. It was a big portion and pretty okay, but we both didn't like it too much. The carrots were hard, & we only found about 3 softer pieces in there. Some of the things on the board were bland & some were spicy but needed salt. Overall we decided we wouldn't get this board again, but if we were to come again maybe try a different one.
The third time, and the best time so far, I came for dinner with friends. We split the chicken karaage & the Brie and bacon jam vasi. The chicken was the best thing I've had here! bacon jam wasn't much of a jam. It was more tiny little pieces of seasoned bacon with a little piece of Brie melted on top. It was still enjoyable though! Just more crumbly than spreadable. One friend got a cauliflower soup & liked it! As well as the seasonal blueberry lemonade which she loved. It was one of the flavors I had had before that was quite strong, so I tried it and it was much better this time! I think they got the hang of it now! My friend and I both got side salads & I asked if there were raw onions in it, because I'm intolerant (they give me migraines). The waitress said no, but she'd write a note on mine just in case. Our salads came & my friends definitely had onions on top and mine ended up having a few hidden in it. Which for me isn't much of a problem for me, I can just remove them and be fine. But I thought I'd note it, because it could be a problem for someone else! I'm sure they would have fixed quickly though with no problem if I had asked them to.
And lastly my friend got a grilled veggie sandwich. She said it was pretty bland & was happy we had appetizers she could snack on.
All in all I'm not sure if their foods super consistent yet. For example we discussed our steak and potato board experience with friends who had gotten it before as well and we had completely different experiences. No hard carrots or random spicy or blandness.
I've had friends that have gone and absolutely loved it and said it was their new favorite restaurant, and some that thought it was just okay. But I think I can overlook the inconsistency for now. They've only been open a couple months and are still getting their footing and perfecting recipes. Those things take time!
I can confidently say I'd go again. I'm not rushing back for the food anytime soon, but I definitely enjoyed their space and would come back just for a fantastic place to hangout with people! read more