We waited at the front door for 5 minutes because the sign clearly said "Please wait to be seated."…read moreMultiple staff members saw us standing there and did nothing. No one came over until we finally walked into the restaurant ourselves.
Once seated, we were immediately rushed because the kitchen was closing in 10 minutes and the bar was already closed.
The food was where things went completely off the rails.
The steak was flavorless, unseasoned, and brutally tough. I needed a serrated steak knife and a full back-and-forth sawing motion, so long I honestly thought the restaurant might reopen the next day before I separated a bite. What finally came loose was a fibrous, nearly raw rope of meat that was simply not edible.
We told the server plainly that the meat was not tender and had no flavor. He went behind the bar, where we could clearly see him talking to the chef, who could also clearly see us. A few minutes later, the server returned and said the chef was willing to offer 20% off the steak.
I said I wasn't eating the steak. I wanted to pay my bill, but I asked that the chef come out and speak to me directly. Knowing where this was headed, I recorded the conversation.
I asked the chef if he genuinely believed it was acceptable to send out a $40+ steak, then offer about $8 off for something that couldn't be eaten.
His response: "Yes, the steak is good."
I told him I couldn't cut through it with a serrated knife.
He repeated: "The steak is good."
Over and over.
At that point, I told him he was an idiot.
I paid the bill -- and only later noticed I wasn't even given the 20% discount that had been offered. I still tipped the server 20%, because this wasn't his fault.
As I left, I told the chef I would never be back, that I would write a review, and encouraged him to learn what good food actually is.
It's painfully obvious this business is not in a good spot. Serving food of that quality, refusing to remove it from the bill or remake it, and instead arguing with a customer tells you everything you need to know. That's not confidence -- that's financial stress.
Don't expect this place to be around much longer.
If they are somehow still around, they need to start by getting rid of the Napoleon-complex, man-bun chef with the bad attitude, tiny vocabulary, and an objectively inferior palate. Arrogance doesn't tenderize meat, and confidence doesn't replace seasoning, skill, or basic competence!
