Before you read this review. I want to preface this with, I have only been there once. EVERY…read morerestaurant in existence has had days where things they cannot control happen.
I will definitely go back, and eat from their food menu, and take pics. I didn't take any pics, because our experience didn't seem to align with all the 4 and 5 star reviews. which signals to me, that our experience may not have been a normal experience.
We had never been and had not heard much about it. I checked out their website first. Which is a fun looking website. It appeared to be a diner that also sold ice cream.
We pulled in, there were outside tables set up under shaded canopies. Lots of space for kids to run around We noticed the front had a walk up and order Ice cream window. Past that was the door to the restaurant part.
The restaurant inside area was small, The menu sounded amazing. Chili dogs, fried hot dogs, they had some interesting hot dog ideas, as well as Hamburgers, fish plates etc. shakes, Ice cream. Very laid back atmosphere.
If you have kids, it will be a super, affordable win. It definitely has its place in Lodi, and I do see they are a big success with Ice Cream and take out. Which is what I wish we did.
The first thing that hit us when we walked in was the smell of fish, it was a super strong offensive odor. I looked to my right and saw a few people at the table with fish baskets. I thought to myself, that must be where the odor was coming from. But wondered why they smelled so bad.
We sat down, ooh'ed and ahhh'd over the menu, but still nose crinkled over the odor of fish. We decided that the kitchen must not have good ventilation either and we were smelling every fish fry they had cooked that day, and maybe even more days. I do not recommend eating inside.
Then we noted the flies. We were swatting left and right. I know restaurants have flies, it is hard to keep them out of the kitchen, and they are expected in outdoor seating, but inside the restaurant. Nope! That's even a Big Nope for me. Little miss outdoors.
We decided to leave the indoor seating area, skip lunch, and ordered Ice cream outside at the window. Dessert for lunch felt a bit naughty, in a fun way. Yes, I heard it too. I am an adult, that doesn't like adulting. Haha!
We ordered soft serve twists. Our rational being that just the soft serve machine needed to be clean. So there was no chance of flys landing on it. We are not weird germaphobes, but once your brain starts down that rabbit hole, sometimes you just cannot find your way back, that was us. We were down the rabbit hole.
The Ice cream was really good, ALL of the employees were very nice. We felt no judgement leaving the table and going outside to order Ice cream.
While we were waiting for our ice cream, the wind shifted and the odor was just disgusting. This was outside, we took a look around and we found a Porto-potty on the side of the building. Just around the corner from the Ice cream pick up window, and next to that was a Dumpster. So take your pick on what caused the odor.
While we were in our car we decided to play a game of what we would do differently, if we owned it. This what we came up with.
1) Deep clean the inside eating area
2) add ventilation to the kitchen and dining area.
3) add a mesh, magnetic fly door.
4) make sure employees are also swatting and disposing of flys.
5) move dumpster to front left side of parking lot.
6) buy a portable- potty trailer, those will need magnetic mesh fly doors on those as well.
