My wife and I visited here on Saturday evening. Since we like doing reviews, we will give our best…read morereflection of our visit.
Let's start with the positives, the place was quite busy during what many will agree would be the prime time college football hour. Therefore, there were lots of Football watchers and bar sitters cheering on their favorite team. There were TVs in every direction.
Overall, I would say the service was okay. Overall, a little slow than we like, but the servers were all working their legs off trying to serve everyone in a reasonable time. I believe had it not been for all the football watchers, including myself, the service would be awesome.
The food was delicious. We did not order off the Happy Hour Menu, as we actually wanted a real meal. However, the selections on the Happy Hour menu was a large variety of appetizers and beer. The prices for these look rather reasonable. My wife and I ended up splitting a Greek Salad, a fish and chips entree, and a hamburger entree. We also ordered one draft beer each, which was a Sam Adams Octoberfest. We then split a 3rd Octoberfest to complete our meal. The food was very, very good. Cooked well, and prepared to our liking. Our food was brought to us within 15 minutes after ordering.
Now, here is the downside. Since we are huge Chanticleer fans, We want nothing more than these establishments like this one, who promote CCU, to do well. However, paying $75.00 with tip for a dinner and three total beers for two people is way off our budget. Let's be realistic. We are looking to pay about $50 for this meal anywhere else.
FYI, The other Chanticleer sports hang out, Tongy's, that we have recently visited, is a little less expensive, but not nearly as clean. The food offerings are not as conducive to a real meal as Coastal Ale, but one that parallels sports food.
Yes. I would recommend this place to others, especially during game day. However, brace yourself for a little sticker shock.
The other downside is the parking lot and front of store. While we are huge animal lovers, having cats hanging around the front door is not a good look. The plaza management may want to invest in some landscaping as well, as the bush in front of Coastal Ale is a collection for trash and debris. We think it may be a better look to just remove it. While the restaurant may have less control over the exterior appearance, it is still a reflection of the overall restaurant.
Nice job guys! Of course, if you can explore ways to lower your meal and drink cost, that may be a plus for those like us, who are on a fixed income. That being said, you may be catering less to the older clientele and more to the college population.