I'm not Yelper. My first and only entry was about The Joint. I'm sorry, in light of a recent experience, I feel the need to amend it... I know that shitty reviews suck, so sorry ahead of time.
I gave a rave review several weeks back for being super duper helpful and seating me and 9 friends on a busy afternoon with no reservation. I was so excited to come back! I came in the other day with a friend (who I had to convince because she had more than one bad experience) and sat at the bar. She ended up winning that debate. Maybe the place has a different night crew because the vibe was COMPLETELY different, in a bad way. We were not warmly welcomed like before and that team aspect I saw before was not present in the least. There were practically NO smiling faces at all. The kitchen screamed "SERVICE!" and "RUNNER!" angrily and it made me feel bad for making them do their jobs. While she was efficient and knowledgeable, I felt like my server was just going through the motions. There was only one friendly face that seemed happy to be there and unfortunately she was serving a different section... Hey rockabilly bandana girl with the cat eyes, keep flashing that charming smile! Its contagious. Anyways, every other person who came behind the bar seemed either miserable, annoyed or faking it (badly). Also, it was pretty busy, not too bad, but they were all running around like it was the emergency room and lives were on the line. Which is weird because it takes soooooo long to get any damn thing. You even have to wait for the bathroom! You'd think with all that hustle, people wouldn't complain about the service so much. But this I can deal with...
Here's where I give the 2 stars... the owner/manger was the most unpleasant of all. She huffed and puffed to herself and bitched at every single person that crossed her path and they bitched in kind. It doesn't matter if you grin as you are walking a plate of food if your real face is a total grimace. The worst part was when she commenced the shit talking right in front of us... Hey manager lady, OB is small town so be more aware of what you say within ear shot. Turns out my friend knows a girl who works there and she complained very angrily and loudly, by name, about her and other employees that I assume were not there at the time. We heard everything she said and it was one of the most unprofessional displays I've ever witnessed. My friend was pissed and I had to convince her not to leave or say something. The visible and audible hostility made us (and the folks around us) majorly uncomfortable. We met this dude at the bar that was a regular and he wasn't surprised. He said you gotta put up with a lot of bull in order to enjoy the good food and libations and part of sitting at the bar is hearing about everyone's issues with the restaurant, their co-workers, their boss and life in general. He told us that one owner/manager straight up screams at the staff in front of the entire restaurant... Yikes
Drama aside and in The Joint's defense, I stand by my initial review... While the food does take FOREVER, it is really really good. Meh, pretty good actually. On round 2, I felt like the bill was not in line with the quality, quantity or overall experience. I'd go back (reluctantly) if someone else was paying, but I have little interest in coming back in on my own. I would probably be like my friend, saying "I told you so" as we walked out. Craft beer spots are popping up all over the place, so I hope at least the chef is happy because the food is their only saving grace. It takes more than good tunes and a fancy ceiling to be a great establishment. So, to the owner: check in on your staff bro, they aren't happy. Happy employees = Happy customers. To the staff: check the 'tudes ladies and gents. Due to your layout and size, you are all out in the open. That includes you bitchy manager lady... you aren't invisible.
PS: If you happen to have a great experience at The Joint, make a note of who your server was and maybe even take a glance at who is in the kitchen/making sushi and try to come in when they are there. Based on my experience, hearsay and several of the reviews below, service and quality varies tremendously. It shouldn't be, but some great places are just like that.
PPS: Since my last visit they started serving hot sake... so good job on that :) read more