I've been here at least 6 times so I think I'm qualified to have an opinion.
Food: The food ranges from decent to sub par. I've had some pretty good entrees (pork shank, sea bass, papardelle with mushrooms, half chicken) but none were good enough to make me crave them later. However, I just had the fried chicken and it was terrific. I will come back it.
The burger should be a home run for a place like this with the oak grill and 8 oz of 80/20 beef but it's just average. The meat texture is almost chewy, like it's been overhandled or came from a Sysco package. I think they season it with a heavy hand, which shouldn't be necessary for really good beef and an oak grill. The bun, something that can't make a great burger but can destroy one, was dry and not helping the cause. Not a terrible burger but not terrific, like it absolutely should be here.
Apps: okay but again not great. Pizzas are uneven - good crust but margherita has a ketchupy sauce. Wings were a little rubbery and the sauteed mushrooms were in a watery marsala sauce.. The mac and cheese however was very solid. Overall the app menu needs to be more modern for this place. This feels too much like a dated sports bar selection (nachos? c'mon).
Desserts: some are okay (like the mousse) but most feel like they are from the foodservice company. Really weak, actually and no sign of espresso or good coffee.
Bar: A fair number of taps but most are wasted on the tired offerings that are EVERYWHERE (Blue Moon, Firestone DBA, Stone IPA, TapIt (horrible), Figueroa etc). I wish more bars had the courage to forego these cliches and offer unique ones. The spirits selection covers the basics but is limited. Only interesting bourbon is Blanton's and no rye at all. No interesting gins and their tonic gun was out of adjustment early on and was way too sweet. They really should woodshed their bar skills.
Service: the staff is always terrific - very nice and attentive. It really helps with the overall experience.
Summary: This place is both a jewel for the Village and falling way short of its potential. The menu is all over the place with Korean short ribs, carpaccio, Hawaiian pizza, crabcakes, pasta, burgers, steaks, chili, salads, cured meat plate and nachos. They need to develop a food identity then focus. Reduce the menu items by about 50% and then completely nail what they decide to keep. Otherwise the novelty will fade and they'll be an average place doing an average business. read more