***2.5 stars***
after seeing the menu, and location, i was quite excited to try this place after completing my epic marathon in modesto. unfortunately, my post-race celebratory meal fell a bit flat...
parking wasn't bad, even though the dedicated lot was small, we lucked out and got a space quite easily. and there was street parking available as well, for those who couldn't get a space in the lot.
i came with my hubby and friend, and upon arrival, there appeared to be a few parties ahead of us, but no hostess, so we were a bit confused....apparently, we were supposed to seat ourselves and then someone would come take our order.
finding a table for 3 wasn't difficult - despite the fact that it was 13.00, this place was quite spacious inside, with plenty of tables outside as well. there were also a ton of runners who had just finished their respective races (marathon, half marathon, 5k) as i could see from the race tshirts and medals worn by other guests.
we ordered within a few minutes, and that's when the wait began....
my friend and i only asked for water, but hubby ordered a diet coke, and waited nearly 30 minutes for this cold beverage to be brought out...i mean, how difficult is it to get a diet coke??
while we waited, i was regretting not ordering a pastry or something simple that didn't require cooking since i was getting pretty hungry. even though i had some electrolyte fluids and a few snacks immediately after the race, i had just run 26.2 miles, and walked a few blocks, so i was getting pretty hangry (and it was nearing 3 hrs since i had crossed the finish line....if you're a runner reading this, you know what i mean).
the waiter came over a couple of times to inform us that our orders had not been forgotten, but the kitchen staff was just very busy, and backed up with the high number of orders. at one point, i actually ran out to the car and ate a bar b/c i just couldn't wait any longer and i didn't want to get lightheaded or deprive my muscles of much needed glycogen to begin the recovery process.
more than an hour passed before our food finally arrived...
hubby had ordered the cornerstone burger with tater tots, which arrived on a metal sheet pan...nicely presented, with lots of hollandaise. as for the taste, he said it was just average, and certainly not worth over an hour to prepare.
i ordered the brunch special, huevos rancheros with soy-chorizo. when i asked the waiter, he told me that this wasn't a spicy dish, but when i tasted it, i did get a kick, maybe b/c i'm a spice wimp, but i was a bit disappointed. the rest of the dish tasted fine, but i felt it was a bit small, and i was still a bit hungry when i finished - mind you i ate every bite.
fortunately, the bill came rather quickly, and we were able to pay and leave in a reasonable amount of time after finishing our food.
the restrooms, i will say, were well-appointed and clean...however, they were out of paper towels, so i had to tell one of the staff members.
it's possible we came on an off day, but i really was not impressed with this restaurant. slow service + mediocre food + smaller than average portions do not make for an ideal post-marathon meal. read more