First time back to our local Milestones in years. What I liked is they have upgraded the decor a bit, and the $4 Happy Hour wine price is attractive. I also like that they take reservations.
However, when I compare Milestone to it's immediate local competition, Cactus Club, here is what I notice.
-Everyone at Cactus (C) greets you with a smile and welcome. At Milestones (M) the busy hostess did not great us right away, and then simply said, "I will be back in a minute." At M we did not see our server for 5 minutes and then she came by to say she would be with us shortly.
- At C, it is hard to find a poor table. In the bar and dining room all the tables are comfortable and have a good measure of privacy. At M the booths look much better then they used to be, (when they had unusually high table tops that made you feel like a kid.) However, if you don't get a booth you get seated in the center of the restaurant where they have the very uncomfortable and weird ergonomics of having two 3 foot diameter tables sharing a 10 foot long bench seat. If you have 4 people at the table, 2 people get comfy chairs, but 2 sit on the bench. The bench has a 2 foot deep seat and a straight back. So if you sit back to get support, you are miles from the table, and if you sit forward to eat, you have to share the small portion of the table that comes close to the bench. And by the time you get 4 people's cutlery and drinks on the small table, which has it center filled with a big pepper shaker, drinks menu, happy hour menu, and appy special menu, you are running really short on space. And because 2 of these types of table share the same bench, there is a real sense of lack of privacy between you and your neighbors. The couple that was seated next to us, changed positions around the table once to try and get more comfortable. As that did not improve things, they just left. Milestone's management/designers really need to go back to the drawing board on this one.
As to the food, one out of our party of 4 liked her Mediterranean Chicken bowl. However the rest of us did not enjoy our meals. The calamari appy was less tasty and half as big as what you get at Cactus. The fish/crab cakes were dry. And the California burgers simply did not come together as a dish. In my burger I tasted the mayo, the raw onions, and the beef, which was not actually juicy and well-seasoned. There is no comparison between this burger and the Bacon Cheeseburger or Feenie Burger you get at Cactus.
As we left the restaurant, no one said goodbye or held the door for you. Small but pleasant things we experience every time we go to Cactus.
Bottom line, for half the price I can get tastier food at White Spot. For the same price, I can get far better food, better service, and far better (and more comfortable) dining environment at Cactus Club. read more