Took Dad here for his 83rd birthday. Spent over 230 for 3 people.
Now, my steak for the price, was not as tender as I expected. The "Oscar" on top of my steak was just basically flaked crab, hard stalks of asparagus and absolutely did not see nor taste any Bearnaise sauce at all.
The Yorkshire pudding, (basically a hollow pastry that you add liquid to, to pretend it's a pudding," with the prime rib, was a cheap addition to justify the price of the smaller cut of prime rib, which was even smaller than the pastry, and since I worked in many places that served prime rib, both as a cook and a server, and I understand the weight is "before" it is cooked my guess is that it is 10 oz, not 12 oz, before cook time, that both my father and my brother got. The pastry was as large as the meat and is worthless in the scheme of trying to look fancier. (Felt like Tiny Tim was behind Dad, saying "God bless us everyone," when throwing something that sounds great but obviously was used to feed people in poverty).
Bread was extra, and it was tough and chewy, and not worth the $ 5.95 bucks we were charged for it, so don't get it!
The menu boasts the hashbrowns, and yet they said something had been recalled so they didn't have them? At 6 pm.
Which makes me wonder
The Brussel sprouts and the asparagus, which we asked to please cook longer, and I mean it was emphasized to the waiter, when we first ordered so that dad, who at his age, has a tough time with, could at least chew them, had to be taken back when we got them.
Which I know wasn't either told to the cooks, or they ignored the request.
But what really interested me was the mashed potatoes being in a smaller bowl which was to be family sized verses the Brussel sprouts bowl, which of course the bowl wasn't full with the sprouts.
The mashed potatoes were the one really good thing, so when comparing the bowl it seemed as if we were cheated by putting something that makes no sense when as someone who worked in a restaurant, potatoes in the scheme of things are by far one of the cheapest things to make, and yet, smaller bowl? For 9.95 extra? (And please don't justify that the Brussel sprouts and asparagus were 12.95 each, when we all know the price of both are more costly than the potato is.
And to have mashed but not hashbrowns. Sincerely, it's not tough to shred potatoes.
The waiter seemed put out to go get Dad a dish of ice cream to celebrate his birthday. You know, like everyone lives to be 83?
When he brought it out, he said, "Well this is all you get," cheapening a day that should have been special for Dad, like because it was the only complementary thing, it was such a hardship or a waste of time and energy, to do it.
Dad and I have eaten at other ala-carte places, including other casinos. But this was the first time, we really felt the place verses what was advertised, and what we got, just wasn't worth it.
And sincerely, I believe Jack Binion's in this case, cut corners, while professing to be something special.
Hope Dad lives to be 84 so we can find a better place to eat.
The only way I would recommend this place to anyone, is if comps help pay for it and I mean most of it.
All in all, it was not at all, what I expected for the price.
And we are not hard to please people, but someone needs to ask some questions about the cutting corners and claiming to be one of the best. I would have rather seen a full 12 oz prime rib on Dad's plate without the pitiful pastry, than what he got there.
By the way, the few potatoes we split between the three of us, were added to Dad's plate. If you click on the picture you can see the comparison to the fork that Dad is holding.
Update**** Talked to the manager today, His name was Chris.
He asked why we didn't address the issue there at the restaurant. He said that staff shortages were requiring them to take shortcuts, including getting already peeled potatoes delivered that are cryo packed. Yeah, let's call that fresh shall we.
By the way between 6 and the time we left, never saw hair nor hyde of "Chris", walking by the tables asking how service was. They weren't busy at all last night, so where was the manager at all?
I understand staffing shortages. I was a manager of a full service restaurant.
I tried to explain, it was Dad's birthday, he picked the place, and I didn't want to make Dad upset by over complaining,
And he asked me why I didn't call out the lack of Bearnaise sauce on my steak.
Well Chris, we were already sending stuff back. It should have been an immediate hint that things weren't right.
So, if we really wanted to address it all, it would have been ALL OUR DISHES. The less than 12 ounce prime ribs, the lack of sauce on my steak and the vegetables.
The hard bread, which leaves only the mashed potatoes that turns out are not as fresh as people want to profess. Should have just left the food where it sat and just left! read more