Very well done basic food with lots of heart. A big space to fill, but doesn't quite pull it off just yet.
I have known for a while that this place decided to take the shoes of the former shady glenn, with decent reviews and a desire to try out new things, I made the trek to this location to give it a try.
It's not much of a looker. The area around it is worn down, parking spots are barely lined and the lights in the parking lot are in various states of function. There's some signs indicating that they are open, but the immediate curb appeal is a little limited.
The inside is pretty nice. They did a good job in making the space feel more open and inviting compared to the cramped space that shady glenn had. The single chef in his reds was hastily plugging away at his dishes, cooking feverously while also trying to man the front of the shop. Eventually he was able to go to our table and drop off a menu along with a basked of freshly buttered popcorn to munch on. A welcome treat, which was good but a little messy. the popcorn was popped plain and seasoned afterwards, which makes for a slightly soggier bite.
Eventually his backup staff came in, a single lady who was suppose to be holding down the drinks and front of house. She comes over and we order. I opt for the pork cutlet and mac n cheese, while the girlfriend opted for the pasta with meat sauce. We then proceed to watch the chef rapidly go from back to front, getting everything prepped and cooked up while we watched.
The chef really needs a very close-by fridge or cooler. the amount of running back and forth was tiring to watch. I am very glad that he was working hard for his guests, but there are easier ways. It also took our food a good 30 minutes to come up because we literally watched him make it.
By the time he's done, we get two pretty decent sized plates of food. The pasta was good, the meat sauce was very tasty. the beef and pork were very tender and the sauce was not overpowering but ever present. The mac and cheese was a little gritty, I suspect the sauce was starting to separate by the time things got served up. The pork cutlet was fresh and fried well. it needed a little more seasoning and it needed to be a little better trimmed. but it was a good cut. The carrot and cranberry slaw was fresh, sweet, and tart. It was way too big of a portion though. a quarter of that would've been more acceptable.
The price was incredibly affordable, the two plates coming out to about 24 bucks. I felt a little bad to get such good quality for so cheap.
I give this place a 4 because although the price is great, the service is good, and the quality is good, it's not much of a looker, it took a while for food to actually come out, and there was some execution errors.
What I would like to see happen here is that the chef features a few different dishes each night, but that's all he serves. No extensive menu, just a few basic options that one can select. As dishes gain in popularity, he can feature those dishes and build out his menu that way. Also by keeping his menu very light, it will help keep the food costs down since he won't have a lot of overhead. It will also build that reoccurring business by encouraging repeat business to try the "new thing". That combined with a strong social media presence and a constant stream of "Now serving" posts, they would be able to make themselves a strong dining option for the area.
For now, they are worth a try if you're in the area. The food's good, the staff is nice, and the ambiance is not bad inside. It's sparse, but in time I would imagine this place will shine bright read more