A friend asked me to join her at Cullinary Dropout. From my experience, it is pretty clear to see…read morethe dropout part, as this is pretty run of the mill food. I think it likely gets "new kid on the block" bumps on ratings, as it should not have this high of ratings. Or did I just have a bad night to come there?
First, this is a chain restaurant. I don't hold that against it, but I find chains tend to lack the attention a local restaurant, where the owners are in the place, tend to be better overall in quality, service, etc. Second, this place is WAY overhyped. The concept is very neat, so give kudos, but, in the end, it comes off like most chain restaurants and lacks the soul to make this a great experience.
The atmosphere is cool. It is very open, so a bit noisy, but that is usual for restaurants these days. Arrived early, so got a seat at the large bar. Tried to convince her to just sit down and enjoy the bar, but she wanted a table.
Service was average. Nothing to complain about, nothing to rave about. Kept on top of things, so can't complain.
The ribs are fine, but way oversold. Fall off the bone, so not my favorite, as I like a little pull. I won't fault them for that, as some people like the meat uber soft. Not really fond of the sauce on it. Again, that is a preference thing. The menu makes them far more appealing sounding. THe star on the plate was the slaw. I am so-so on slaw, but this was my favorite part of the meal.
The fist & chips were overbreaded. Fries were limp. Her fish & chips was definitely the low point.
High point was on the Mississippi mud pie, which was a highlight. Not enough to kick it up a star, but definitely enough to keep it above dropping to a 2.
I did like the drinks, so if she ever wants to venture for cocktails and appetizers, I will certainly give it some thought. OUtside of that, I would rather hit Drake's (another chain).