I was heading for home, but it's a gorgeous afternoon I was mulling over stopping in at a place with outdoor seating for a drink.
Spoiler alert: I'll never go to the The Moonlighter again. Everybody who's worked in a bar/restaurant knows there's almost always somebody surly who for some reason thinks customers are just a hassle...this is no exception.
I passed by The Moonlighter a couple of blocks later and the patio looked great, so I decided to stop in. I was in a good mood, and psyched to end the day outside with a cold beer.
When I walked up, I wasn't sure if I wanted to sit inside or outside because, though it was just 6 pm, the outside are was in shadow already. Plus, there are really large openings from the outside to the inside bar area, so it had an outdoor feel to it as well.
The outside was largely empty, and there were plenty of open seats inside as well. I asked if it was ok if I just took a look inside before deciding, and the host said sure.
I walked slowly in and stood just inside for a moment, checking out the vibe and seeing what soccer game was on the screens. It was really loud inside, and I didn't really like the music, so I stepped back outside thinking that would be nicer. Dangit, speakers out there right by the tables, and just as loud there.
At that point a guy came up to me and asked rudely "Where are going?" (or it might have been "What are you doing?". I was so taken aback I don't even remember exactly. He was obviously very annoyed for some reason.
I stood for a second, a bit stunned at how needlessly obnoxious he was, then said, "Trying to see if I want to sit inside or outside."
He replied curtly "Well let them know!" and gestured to the host stand, and turned and stalked off as I said "I already talked to them", but he kept on going.
Wow.
At that point I didn't want to stay in either space, in or out. I let the hosts know what happened, and was frustrated when I said it. I did make clear that I wasn't upset at them, b/c I'd was pretty animated when I walked out.
The reaction was basically...shrug. "Ok."
There are TONS of great restaurants, bars, and breweries all over Logan/Palmer Square.
Scofflaw, Giant, GO Tavern (one of my favorites), Parsons, Solemn Oath, Bungalow, C&J's Lounge, Weege's...and I could go on and on, all within 4 blocks.
Pro: great outdoor space, and nice vibe, nice design/space, felt good inside and out.
Pro: there are so many other places within a 2-5 minute walk, many with outdoor spaces.
Con: the dude who decided to be an a*$, and host who likely was intimidated by said a*$, so pretended not to care.
Con: Loud music, and not good. I know, very subjective...but I have a pretty wide range, lean toward garage rock & punk, but also like a lot of many other genres, and usually either like the music or don't notice, unless I really don't like it. Or it's very loud.
Conclusion: it's not surprising that almost all the bars/restaurants nearby have a much higher rating than this place. In the hospitality world, customers matter. Go somewhere else, where you can actually enjoy it and not have a $hitty experience. read more