How can what use to be a great restaurant start to falter? Like Patria, it starts by taking your patrons for granted. Used to be a favorite, now, not so much. Valentines Day dinner for two was a disappointment. Why does it take so long to get beverages from the bar. After about 15-20 minutes and an excuse, finally the glass of wine came. Had already tried the cold tasteless bread. Why bother? My partner and I shared the $14 spinach salad which was great, but we had to flag down the waiter for pepper, which they don't include along with salt on the tables. We finished our salad and resumed our conversation. After a lengthy wait and 3 other tables seated after us started getting their food, I asked the waiter what the problem was. He finally told us another server had taken our food and served it to someone else. He couldn't have come to us and explained that before? He said ours would be coming up next. That's fine but how will that mistake and inconvenience be reflected on the bill, I asked. I'll talk to my manager he said. We eventually got our food, both wonderful plates. Again, no offer of freshly-ground pepper. As we were eating the hostess/manager(?) came by to ask how our meal was. I explained it was good but the experience was hindered by the poor service. She went on make another excuse and blamed the waiter. Why ask how the meal was if you don't want an honest answer? In the end they offered one dessert, ONE!, at no charge. If we ever go back there, it will be too soon. Please learn about customer service and attention to detail Patria. You're losing it. read more

What can I say - This restaurant is the best one in town. I have never been disappointed by a meal and the Old Fashions are very tasty

I want to start by saying I wait a few weeks for "new restaurant" kinks to get worked out before I came here, but clearly there are still things that need to be worked on. I give 3 stars only because of the nice atmosphere and generally good food and I think this place has great potential. Here are some things I would expect from a restaurant like this, that charges what they do for food: 1) Answer your phone or call people back. We called on the afternoon we wanted to get a reservation for and no one called us back. it would have been fine if there were no tables available or only available very late, but no one called back. When we called again at 5:45pm we were told no tables were available but that we could come in and sit at the bar. When we arrived there were no tables available and we were told we could sit in the bar or the wine bar, which have different rules about what you can order. After about 15 minutes in the wine bar, a table in the same room opened up and we were allowed to move, literally across the room and order a full dinner - very strange. 2) There were free tapas in the wine room, which were fabulous - except for the raw garlic. There was a mixture of olives and herbs, which also contained raw garlic. I ate the clove whole thinking of the mantra "If it's served it's edible." Not true. How can you serve raw garlic to someone? I asked the waiter about it and he told me it should be eaten with bread. I don't see how brined olives and garlic should be eaten with bread - and there was NO BREAD SERVED. 3) I ordered the Wild Boar Parpadelle, and in general the flavors were good. The boar could have been cooked another 2-3 hours because it should just melt in your mouth, and it didn't. Some pieces were chewy. Additionally, the pasta should be under the sauce or mixed with the sauce. Some pieces were sticking out of the sauce and were drying out and hardening by the time the plate got to me. 4) I ordered a glass of house red wine which is supposed to be $6. It was served to me and I slowly drank the large glass throughout the meal. When we got the check I was charged the 1/4 liter price of $11. When I inquired about it I was told that the server thinks that patrons are disappointed with the size of the regular glass and usually order another glass, so he just brings out the liter size - and charges for it!? He said that IF I WANTED he would take the charge off. I can't believe that was even a question. Charge me for what I ordered, not for what you think I might want. I do want to say several positive things: a) the flavors were great. My friend got the beet salad and it was fabulous, the vinaigrette was great and the portion was very nice. My eggplant crostini was also fabulous. b) the place is really cute and the vibe is casual, but upscale c) the wine list is comprehensive and we got to see the cute house red wine barrels in the wine room d) free tapas in the wine room is a nice touch e) we didn't have dessert, the but options looked very scrumptous All this, and a few other things like the fact that the benches in the wine room are 2 inches higher than the chairs placed at the same table, making for an awkward dining experience for two, force me to give the place 3 stars. Restaurant staff - please take this review to heart and make some improvements. If you do, I'll be back to try more. read more

Have gone here various times--the food is consistently good! Make sure to call ahead for a reservation, they have been booking up early. The prices are also on point. The ambiance- great! I took 2 stars away because of the hostess- can someone tell her that her job is to make you feel welcome! She told us there was no seating available and forgot to give the option of waiting, or checking the bar area to see if there was anything available. She makes you feel like you're wasting her time-she has been attitudinal every time I've been there!! read more

Came here with my husband last night & we were blown away by the place. The food, the ambiance, the wine & the service (oh and also the prices) were all on point. Came before dinner service started and had some of the Troublemaker blend wine from Paso & their cheese board. It had a good variety of cheeses that satisfied both our taste buds. For dinner we stared with the European Salad- different from what I was expecting but definitely yummy (he cleaned the plate- and isn't even a fan of salads) For dinner I had the AMAZING Eggplant Lasagna,not only vegetarian but gluten free, but oh so delicious and satisfying! He has the fettuccini which I wasn't a big fan of but he loved. Dessert was three chocolate mouses- milk, white & dark chocolate, which was a great end to our meal. Can't wait to go back. Definitely make reservations, the place gets pretty busy and packed and I overheard that sometimes they are booked a week in advance. So happy salinas finally has a place like this. Enjoy the wining and dining! read more

Very disappointed with this place. My husband and I have been coming here for years for dinner and cocktails. Today we decided to celebrate Mother's Day here. We walked in without a reservation but the restaurant was empty. The host took one look at us and decided to seat us in the very end of the restaurant, a table right next to the restroom in the bar area. I repeat, the place was empty. I don't understand their thinking or better yet, their ignorance. The service was nonexistent, we got checked on for our order and the bill. When we left we were still the only people seated in the bar area. This is the second time we receive this lack of service and discrimination. We will not be coming back to this restaurant. read more

Gave it a 3 star for many reasons since from other reviews I expected better service and food. No one greeted us when we arrived. There were other people waiting. Then we see a gentleman running around, ok more like walking fast, but he eventually greeted us when he saw us. There were plenty of tables but it took the guy a bit to sit us down. Our wine glasses had serious streaks of dried water and lint inside and out. The waitress didn't even notice until I pointed out to her that I needed a new wine glass and even the new one she brought out was still full of dried water streaks. Luckily one of my friends was not drinking wine that night so she gave me her wine glass so I could drink my wine. The wait for food was long. A table that came in after us got their food first and there were three of them and three of us so, we wondered how'd that happened. Portion size of the food was decent or average. The friend who gave me her wine glass got a salad and boy was that huge! Honestly, that salad could have looked better without the napa cabbages sticking out like wings. Well, I can't really comment on the taste because we were sooooo hungry by the time our food came out that we just wanted to eat. The cold bread and butter didn't help either because who serves cold bread and butter? The dessert was not that bad. Lesson learned, chocolate creme brulee is really, really chocolatey, so stick with the basic creme brulee next time. Will we come back the next time we're in town for work? Probably not. read more

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This place deserves 5+ stars. The only true fine dining restaurant in old town Salinas. Made reservations for my best friends birthday here on a Tuesday night at 6:30 with her parents. As we entered we were greeted right away by the owner and he took us to our table. Not even a minute later our server greeted us and started us off with water and bread. We couldn't really decide on what wine we wanted since we wanted to pair it with our food. Our server was very as knowledgable and helped us all choose the perfect pair! We all had different entrees but my favorite was the special of the night Alaskan cod, it was delicious and right in flavor! My mouth is watering just from thinking about it now. Throughout out the whole meal we had our water topped off and we were checked on constantly but not enough to were it bugged. After our meals we ordered dessert, we all ordered a different one. I tried and loved their cheesecake! It's a must try! Everytime I come to patria it's always right on point. Never a hit and miss. This place just keeps getting better and better. read more

The food is delicious, but if you are ordering online, make sure you have a backup dish, because it hasn't been updated recently. Just be careful! Even though the food is slightly on the expensive side, it tastes delicious. It is good for take-out, and decent for families. read more

We visited Patria for the first time this evening for dinner. We received a warm welcome and were seated in the charming "clock room". Our waiter, Aaron, took very good care of us and made some wonderful recommendations. Our party of 4 enjoyed an incredible meal that included lobster raviolis, fettuccini, pork tenderloin, and eggplant lasagne. Each meal was prepared to perfection. The meal, ambiance, and service were superb and made our Christmas Eve special & memorable. We will absolutely be back and we encourage Monterey County to give this new gem of a restaurant a try. read more

I don't usually write reviews, but this place deserves it! The atmosphere is incredibly charming, the staff friendly, and the food delicious! Everything is homemade, lots of choices for gluten free, vegetarian, and organic! Everything I want in a restaurant! All this and reasonable prices! Wish we weren't just passing through! read more

I was impressed when I first walked in. The place is gorgeously decorated in a lovely rustic décor. Our waitress was also very attentive and nice. We were offered fresh warm bread which was delicious I felt this may be our new favorite spot. However once we got to the main course my opinions began to shift. I felt the menu lacked a variety. Most of the dishes were pastas which I try to avoid. I decided to settle on an eggplant lasagna. Unfortunately I almost had no eggplant and all tomato sauce! Needless to say I walked away still hungry. My husbands platter however was much more palatable. He ordered the special which was a cod fish which was perfectly cooked. This is definitely not my favorite place in town but I would be willing to try it again and hope I have a better experience. read more

just what salinas needs!! i have popped into the wine room twice in the past 3 days & each time Baldo has been our waiter - what a friendly guy!!! He greeted us by asking how our day has been so far& we even chatted about San Francisco, where i currently reside. anyway, i got a glass of the smith& hook cab sav - super tasty!! & the best part: come between 3 - 5 & you get to dig into their complimentary tapas bar! olives! salami! potato salad! meats that i cant even spell! hello?! how awesome is that. like pretty awesome so stop reading & come here already. tell Baldo i said hi! read more

Patria - best combo of my life: complimentary tapas & wine on tap! - Italian Near Me - Salinas, California

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Meh. Less than meh. This is an expensive restaurant with food that you would expect at a cheap place that doesn't know Italian. Ok, some of the stuff was OK, but this is not fine Italian cuisine. This is there's no where else to go in Salinas Italian food. The bread is no good. Um, Italian with bad bread! Service is a little snooty. My pizza was horrible. Like, Olive Garden is better. Desert wasn't bad. Did I mention expensive? That's about it. Wish I knew somewhere else in Salinas that's better, but for Italian, I don't. Save your money and get the semi fresh stuff at Safeway with the green lids. read more

This was one of the absolutely best meals I have had in a long, long time. AND I'M PICKY and I've been around." =) My friend and I arrived just before closing on a July 2014 Friday night. I wouldn't have been surprised to be be greeted coolly and told that we were too late for full dinner service. Point here, my friend and I are pretty happy, easy to talk to people. The hostess greeted us like we were their first customer instead of one of their very last. She was warm and seated us immediately. Our waitress (what a less-than-adequate word), Cortni answered questions about the extensive bar menu, took our drink order, and then, before leaving us to our menus, she SUPER politely let us know that she wanted to make sure that we get our order in before the kitchen closed in a few mnutes. Due to our late order, our food was delivered all at once (totally totally fine with us!!!) with apologies as though they were throwing us out into the street unfed. Just awesome people. So, about the food. Now I don't know fancy (aka pretentious) terms, so bear with me. Our drinks were top-shelf all the way! Appetizer - grilled artichoke with eggplant . . . um . . . chutney. Not the ordinary small grilled halves, these were large and meaty. The eggplant was cubed small, drenches in flavor and sauce, and was slightly warm. YUM! The bread was warm, yeasty, and smelled wonderful. Lasagna . . . um . . . followed by two Italian words that I can't recall =) OMG, sorry to cliche passe, but OMG!! Not some big slab of noodles, cheese, and sauce here folks so, if that's your thing, don't order this. This was a cheese-covered baked dish with slightly higher ratio of crumbled sausage to thick, tender noodle than half with sausage winning the contest - flavorful, comfort-foodie and the best lasagna I have ever eaten; BY FAR. My friend ordered Scallops of which I am NOT a fan. She made such . . . um . . . inspiring . . . noises when she put the first bite into her mouth, I had to try. Okay, yeah, they were amazing - I could eat a whole plate of THOSE scallops ANYTIME. Absolutely melt in my mouth. My friend was equally impressed with her bite of my lasagna. She also ordered a side of red cabbage which had that too-sweet, authentic flavor - both dishes she reported to be the best she had ever had. We had a marvelous time - were bid farewell when we FINALLY left like we weren't keeping them from going home at all. Hmm, I hope not too many (other) procrastinators read this. =) GO. Preferably at a respectable dinner hour, but GO. Our total plus a large tip to match the fantastic experience was way below $100!! We will absolutely be back on my next trip. read more

Delicious! This is easily the best restaurant in Salinas. I recommend the jaeger schnitzel, lamb pfeffer and pear strudel.

My husband & I just had dinner at Patria. We shared an order of the calamari. It was lightly battered & delicious. He had the veal scallopini & was very happy with it. I had the scallops and while the flavors were great, the muscle piece was left on the scallops. Very unpleasant & a lack of attention to detail in the kitchen. We shared the raspberry creme brûlée. Again, the flavors were good, but the custard had not set & only the center was bruleed. We also had the almond, hazelnut chocolate cake & it was to die for! A complete home run. All-in-all a delicious meal, with a couple of technical errors. read more

I have been here several times now, and will keep going back. They have a great selection of wine, and their food is delicious! Their menu has a mix of Italian, French, and German food. I personally like the pastas they have. If you're used to eating at chain restaurants, their prices may scare you, but it is worth it! A must try restaurant! read more

Mostly good but could be better without too much effort... First of all, I don't understand why some restaurants do not show their menus on line. If you have a website-- and in this day & age, you should-- it should show your menu. Anyway, I had dinner here recently with some friends. It is a very nice atmosphere. We had pretty good service and the food was mostly tasty. Our cocktails were a bit pricey but very good. The bread was cold, as was the butter. How hard is it to at least warm the bread? Our soups and salads, however, were excellent. My friends loved their entrees (salmon & schnitzel) but my spaetzel was surprisingly lacking in flavor. I'll probably come back some day. With a few improvements it can be elevated to a four or five star review. read more

This restaurant more than fills the void left by Spados and The Windfall. This is a proper restaurant with a sophisticated feel. The moment that you walk in, you feel that this is a place where food is cooked well. The menu is primarily Italian and Bavarian, with a generally rustic feel. Jagersnitzel and Spaetzle are both on the menu, as are Neopolitan pizza and Pasta al Forno. I had the Italian Sausage and Black Forest Ham pizza. The crust was just perfectly crisp, with Kalamata olives giving bright notes to what was arguably the best pizza ever made. A friend had the eggplant lasagna, and devoured it with great relish. We hadn't planned desert, but had some anyway. The chocolate Creme Brulee and the cheesecake... I've never had a cheesecake that good. Ever. It was fantastic. Truly fantastic. Sparkling atmosphere, wonderful food, and proper restaurant service: Attentive but not intrusive. I think that Salinas now has a new Best Restaurant. read more

wow. woooo whoooo! my excellent rock star wife's fantastic fettuccini, my luscious lasagna, her beautiful beet salad, my wonderful warm spinach salad, and our outstanding triple chocolate moose tonight were as good as it gets. our service was sublime, and gloria set us up near the piano again so that we could hear don pendergrass. my excellent rock star wife and i were very happy with our perfect repast. . read more

Was soooo good. Right as we walked in we saw the owner eating a lamb shank. It looked so appetizing that we ended up both ordering that. It came with peppers, eggplant and potatoes in a delicious sauce! Ordered the cheese plate appetizer which was delicious! There were some fun cocktails on the menu also so I tried two of those! Both hit the spot... the owner was very attentive as was the waiter! Loved the atmosphere and liked that it was quiet enough to hear the conversation. Nice ambiance! read more

Phenomenal!! I will drive from SF to come here again!! Truly brilliant decor and food!!

Patria has a nice & comfortable atmosphere. The risotto appetizer was worth the order. My pasta dish with prawns and homemade pasta was spicy and delicious. Friend ordered the rib-eye, said it was cooked perfectly, very delicious, as well as the sides. I had the orange mousse - wow! Friend had the ice-spaghetti dessert - yummy. We had an experience server - attentive, polite and friendly. Busboy paid attention to our water glasses. The only complaint I have is the bread - not very tasty (blah). Enjoyed the bar area after dinner. read more

My Grampa took me here for the first first time. Grampa visits often!! Oh my word what a great place. Tina was out angel of a waitress. Grampa had the schnitzel. My husband had the Sphetzel. I had the beet salad. we all cleaned our plates read more

After a somewhat disappointing trip to Pinnacles (long story) we had dinner here and found it was a real treat (and just what we needed). Super friendly service, great food, wonderful ambiance. It's hard to find real Jaeger Schnitzel in California! We also had great soup, delicious baby kale salad, and yummy salmon, cooked just right. The neighborhood also looked pleasant (seems downtown Salinas has had a big spruce-up in the last decade). read more

WHAT THE HELL ???? so my wife and i decide that we are going to try this place and make our journey to Salas ... not that we really love Salinas but we heard that this place was nice.. we get there at 8pm on Wednesday, only to find that they are closed ... yes at 8pm ???? there were a couple stragglers in the place apparently being rushed to finish meal ...apparently the Chef ( story from the bartender the next morning ) can decide to leave early any given night... the sign of a great restaurant and business ... YEAH ... I dont want to work a full shift... lets close early .. i got plans...!!! get ready to close permenantly.. . this establishment has earned my rating of ...uh, never again !!! read more

Ate here with friends and was amazed at change both in food and facility from prior occupants!! Staff was great food better $ value is outstanding read more

What a wonderful surprise in Oldtown Salinas! My wife took me to Patria for dinner tonight. The decor is well done without being pretentious. Italian farmhouse theme is subtle. Very clean. The wait staff is first-rate and efficient without being impersonal. Our waiter Mike was terrific. We wanted to eat french style: cheese course, fish course, meat course, salad course, then espresso and dessert. Mike was terrific and flowed right into what we wanted. The courses came well timed and on point. We shared each course in the middle of our table for two, except for the salads. Often, California restaurants aren't used to serving in courses (or the wait staff seems put-out to not do their normal turn-and-burn on the table) unless they are strictly French, but the Patria staff was on the mark with our wishes to share. We never felt rushed and Mike was terrific. The cheese plate was very good, I would only change it by adding some wafer crackers and maybe sliced grapes. Each cheese was well represented and shaped distinctly. The candied pecans were excellent foils. The fish course was superb- salmon in paper in a beurre blanc, really terrific with bright notes of small, sliced mushrooms and vegetable sticks. The vegetables were perfect, toothy yet tender. The beurre blanc was in a word, sublime. The meat course was the ribeye with excellent creamed spinach, which wasn't the least bit watery, and a fine potato and carrot stack that was au gratin. We asked for it medium rare, erroring on the rare side. It was precisely delivered with bone-in, frenched. Some bites were just warmed through yet juicy and others were perfectly rare and cool inside, with perfect carmelization on the outside of each and every bite. The meat was delicious, truly melt in your mouth--I wondered if they aged it on-site. The sauce was maybe a light bernaise, not cloying at all. The meat shined through. For the salad course my wife selected the spinach salad and I had the roasted beets. My wife brought her salad home, opting to save room for dessert. My roasted beet salad was the perfect set of notes to top of the steak. Roasted red and golden beets sliced and topped with creamy goat cheese, grapefruit segments that were bright and juicy, and frissee or some other peppery greens. The citrus was a wonderful foil for the sweetness of the beets and the creamy, mild tang of the goat cheese. A bit more goat cheese would have perfected it. For dessert my wife had the triple chocolate mousse and I had room only for a double espresso. The espresso service was exactly what you would hope for. The surprise of the night was the mousse, expertly presented in milk, white, and dark incarnations, each highlighted by fresh red raspberries and blueberries and so delicious. Light, creamy, and the accents were fantastic to look at and eat. I even had a bite of the mint garnish it all looked so good. Classic example of "if it looks good, it tastes good." One subtle thing really impressed me. During the cheese course, I clumsily knocked my knife to the floor in a clatter. The busser was a pro--on it in a heart beat, snatching the knife off of the floor and walking silently away with it. He didn't miss a beat and drew no attention to our table, nor did he acknowledge from whence the errant utensil was flung. Well done, Patria! Lastly, the men's room was clean and well supplied. What a wonderful surprise in Oldtown Salinas. Go go go! Oh, make a reservation on the weekends...the word is out. read more

This place is unbelievable! Like something you'd find in Carmel or Napa.... only somehow better.. The place has a great European ambience and the food is extraordinary. My girlfriend and I had dinner here on a Thursday night and it was the perfect place for a romantic date. I could not be more impressed. The owner was checking on all the tables and is clearly passionate about his restaurant and the food they serve. Best restaurant experience in a long time. read more

Great staff, great food, extremely welcoming, my wife loved the speitzel. Felt like home.

Nice restaurant on the way back from team offsite, had filet mignon and chocolate creme butlee are really good

I'm not sure what to rate this.....because the kitchen shut down at 7:30 on a SATURDAY night?! I'm sorry? what? We walked all the way over to have dinner here and for some reason they sat us. Then the server came over and said...."sorry, our kitchen is closing. I can put an order for you right now if you want". We had JUST sat down. So we left. The decor looked cute tho. read more

This is one of those places where it's a nice, cozy place to have good quality dinner but the portion sizes aren't as obnoxiously large like most restaurants or ridiculously small like at a typical fine dining restaurant. I ordered the half chicken and my date ordered the Jaeger Schnitzel + side of mushrooms and salad. It might be because Salinas is a lettuce capitol but we were so surprised by how fluffy the lettuce in the salad was. Both entree dishes were delicious and the proteins were cooked to perfection (dry chicken is not a good thing so thank goodness). I didn't finish my chicken so I took it to-go and ate the rest with my date again later that night. Price tag wise, it's one of those places you would go to for a slightly special dinner date night but without having to break the bank (especially if neither of you drink wine nor order dessert). I put down a 5 stars because it's one of those places I would not mind going to again (if I'm in town). read more

Patria - Half Roast Chicken - Italian Near Me - Salinas, California

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We got off to a rocky start here at first. We were greeted by the hostess and gave her our name on the reservation list. She said she would check on our table and never came back up to us. We were just left standing there. After about 10 minutes, we sat down. She sat several other parties. Another 10 or so minutes, I went up and asked her if she had forgotten us. She said we were next. Then she sat 3 more parties. So, 40 minutes after our reservation we were seated. I heard her tell other guests that she was checking on their table and left them standing too. If she were to explain to customers that they were backed up it would've been much better. The food was FANTASTIC! The clams were great and the broth they came in was excellent. The prawns were cooked perfect and were served over a delicious bean salad. I ordered the salmon and a side of spätzle, it was excellent. My other half ordered the pork and my grandfather order the schnitzel. We were all very pleased. Highly recommend this place. read more

Wonderful. Every single time. Service is top notch, menu interesting, I usually try to stick to the specials...varied and creative. I little piece of paradise. read more

came here for my husbands birthday dinner, and we were very impressed. Everything was wonderful. Great food, great service, nice atmosphere and great variety. I am a vegetarian, and there was lots to choose from. We live in Los Angeles and wish it was closer to home :) Can't wait to come back! read more

Terrible. Kitchen closes an hour early due to lack of customers.. Good thing for us because the whole two customers there didn't look very satisfied with their food lol read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Salinas, my husband and I have been here a few times both as a couple and with family and friends, the food is good (he always orders the Jaeger Schnitzel), and the servers are as well. We have both traveled in Europe and this little restaurant reminds us of being there. My only feedback, and this is simply constructive criticism, is the last time we dined there (which was recent), the owner / manager seemed quite aloof. Instead of greeting us warmly as the hostess did, he grabbed the menus, took us to our table and promptly left without saying a word. He walked by our table several minutes later not noticing we had been sitting there for a while with not even a beverage...thankfully the service staff saved the day as I was honestly about ready to leave (the restaurant was not that busy yet). Ironically, we saw friends dining the same night and they mentioned later that they noticed the same thing. I do enjoy this restaurant, so I would ask that the management keep in mind that you are in direct competition with several restaurants in town and in Monterey, and as such patrons can choose to dine elsewhere. If you want to keep a quality restaurant, then quality service as well as making your guests feel welcome comes from all staff, upper management is not excluded from this simple policy...I am hoping for a better experience the next time we visit and that this was just an off night. read more

Came here on a Saturday Sep 12 for my birthday, early afternoon, hoping to enjoy some good food due to the great reviews. My boyfriend and I drove here specifically to try this place out. The place looked empty, we walked in and no one was there to greet us and sit us down. I caught someone at the bar spot us but never offered to help. We looked at the menu, hoping that he would of notified somebody and they would be on their way, and still no one helped. We decided to leave, maybe we will be here another time and review the food, because service, blah. read more