I thought I had rated this business before. Instead, I see a few photos, where I had, in fact ordered fish and chips about a decade ago. That experience would have made for 4 stars. I was happy to see that Newport Cafe was still around. I went in to look at the menu, sat down, and ordered. When the food came and I started to eat, I thought this would play out like another 4 star event.
Let me preface this by saying that Newport Cafe currently gets 2 stars from me, with the two words assigned to those stars being:
CHISELING CENTRAL
I ordered the meatloaf, which had a nice garnish vegetables, and the mashed potatoes with gravy. I also ordered lemonade.
I ate and asked for the bill. When the bill arrived, I saw that there was a $2 upcharge for a side of gravy, the same gravy that went onto the mashed potatoes. Rarely have I seen meatloaf presented "dry." It typically has gravy or a tomato based sauce on it.
Waiter #1, who took my order, was the nicer of the two guys. Waiter #2 brought me the check. I'm used to paying up charges for extra bleu cheese, tartar sauce, or tzatziki sauce, but not for pedestrian gravy and certainly not $2 at a roadside diner. Waiter #2 got testy when I asked him about the charge, told him that I've not seen meatloaf presented "dry," and I don't think I've ever been charged for gravy. His smart alecky answer before walking away was, "I can tell."
At this point, I just wanted to pay the bill and get out of there. I was able to get waiter #1's attention. I brought up the same issue since he was more affable and seated me. In fact, he and I discussed a sauce his grandparents would apply to their meat loaf! He said that the charges are listed and it's treated as a side. I don't think that a person would move from the dinner menu list ... to the backside of the menu to scour it for sides for gravy, like they would for additional vegetables or potatoes. I told him he could have also told me it was extra because I would have passed.
This isn't about being petty as much as it is about Newport Cafe obfuscating the situation. In a few minutes, it got even worse. The credit card used fee was obviously pegged at 4%, which might even be higher than what the credit card companies really charge them. This then starts looking similar to the subplot in the comedy "Office Space," where small rounding amounts add up to some moolah over a lot of customers.
It got even worse when they brought me the credit card point of sale machine. Upon entering my tab, I saw a much higher amount displayed. Waiter #1 told me it was the suggested tip. The tip was in the ball park of 25%! He told me I could change it. You can bet I did. (Upon recently having breakfast at IHOP, the available tip options were 15%, 18%, 20%, and other.)
With such a crazy amount on there, the buyer who is not the sharpest tool in the shed with numbers might accidentally tap the "accept" button. I changed the tip to zero.
I've done that less than a handful of times in my life. The math indicates that $2.00 for the pedestrian gravy and 84 cents for the credit card fee add up to $2.84, thus a 15% tip of the base in and of themselves.
I do think it is tacky to stiff a server. However I saw a boss do it and it was warranted. We were in a nicer Italian restaurant in Manhattan for work and, at the end of the dinner, my boss stacked a couple of the plates. The petulant Italian waiter - from Italy - at this pissy restaurant said 'No, no, no, you don't stack the plates at a nice restaurant.' My boss was insulted by this, and so was I, whereby an arrogant foreign waiter berated my white collar boss to give her a crash course on "executive charm school" manners. I bring this up because she entered a big glaring zero as the tip amount. With the flippant "I can tell" comment and $2.84 in fees, there's your tip.
The food was good, but not spectacular. It's basic comfort food. I remember liking their fish and chips more and how, some ten years ago, it was a benign and relaxing experience. It goes without saying that Newport Cafe's location and decor is interesting.
Thinking about the credit card usage fee, that means it's also applied to the already overpriced sweatshirts and other tourist paraphernalia they sell.
I could see the cooks hard at work when I went to use the restroom before settling in. It's too bad that this went south so quickly.
I watched the sea lions bark for about 15 minutes and got back on the road. I really would have liked to have eaten in Lincoln City, but Maxwell's is no longer around, and I didn't think I could hold out until Lincoln City. With that linear experience where they bring you tasty fish and chips, you pay normal prices, there are no weird upcharges and a preset tip that you have to undo gone, it's time to move on.
Again, I'm at 2 stars. I've already suggested the 2 words
CHISELING CENTRAL
to accompany the 2 stars. I could also go with the 2 words
TOURIST TRAP read more