We came in hoping for something simple and delicious. We were pleasantly surprised to find seating…read moreupstairs, and I completely understand that with full service and a nice view, you're going to pay a little more. The view was nice once our table was cleaned, and the service was friendly and attentive overall.
The reason for three stars is really the food. Nothing was terrible, but unfortunately, nothing was very good either.
As a longtime restaurant owner, what stood out to me was the lack of attention to detail and the overall quality and quantity of the proteins and ingredients. I have no problem paying $15 for a simple sandwich if it's executed well. But little things add up: a tiny bag of chips, a very small pickle portion, minimal meat, minimal kraut, minimal sauce. It felt like every possible quarter was being shaved off the plate. I understand how difficult it is to make money in restaurants right now, but at some point the guest notices.
I ordered the hot Reuben. It really wasn't hot, the bread wasn't crisp, the cheese wasn't properly melted, and the meat quality was fairly lackluster. There simply wasn't much meat, kraut, or sauce to make it feel like a satisfying Reuben.
My wife ordered the chicken, artichoke and pesto sandwich. Again, the execution was the issue. The pesto wasn't spread evenly from edge to edge, the cheese wasn't melted, the sandwich wasn't particularly hot, and there were only a couple small pieces of artichoke.
That's probably what disappointed me most. These are relatively simple sandwiches, and simple food can be fantastic when the basics are done correctly: crisp the bread, melt the cheese, distribute the condiments evenly, use enough filling, and cut and plate the sandwich with a little care. Those small details make a huge difference.
We also had two non-alcoholic beers at $8 each. That isn't outrageous, especially in a tourist area with a view, but $16 for two cans of NA beer still feels like it's pushing the upper end of reasonable.
The service was good, the staff was friendly, and the upstairs view was enjoyable. I just wish the same level of care had gone into the sandwiches.
I don't write reviews every time I'm disappointed, but after owning a restaurant and responding personally to customer reviews for more than 12 years, I tend to notice these things. Hopefully this is taken as constructive feedback, because the fundamentals here are very fixable.
