Is everyone who eats at this establishment drunk? I know their alcohol menu is substantial, but I must be missing something.
We have lived in this area for 8 years now, and have ALWAYS been curious to stop and eat at The Wheel Kitchen. We often see a lot of cars parked near the restaurant. Maybe this idea that it'd be good was built up in our minds too much. Maybe we need to start drinking alcohol to enjoy their food. I'm not sure.
PARKING: There are a few spots on the side of the building and many parking spots past the building on dirt/gravel. We found an open spot at the side of the building and took it.
CONFUSION: There are signs for a hair studio. There are signs for yoga. There is nothing to direct a first-timer to the restaurant door. We went to the back of the restaurant first. Nope - that must be for parties or something. We went to the other side. We felt like we were walking through the dining area which felt awkward as people stared at two confused people. We saw a door. Nope - that was Yoga. We saw another door. Luckily a waitress walked through and held it open, making it seem like we should enter. We stood inside the door like idiots for a moment wondering what to do next. They have no sign saying to "seat yourself". I walked up to the food counter and a lady told us what to do - "Seat yourself". So we did. Someone brought out a bottle of water and two mason jars, and a basket with salt, pepper, and utensils, and walked away. I guess we pour our own water here. Okay. I noticed a QR code tied to the side of the chicken-wire basket. I assumed that was the menu. No explanation - just figure things out on your own. It was the menu. Whew! Glad we got past the hard part.
SERVICE: Our server came to the table and asked if we wanted drinks. I asked if they had any sodas. Nope. We both just drank water - which was, at least, filtered. She asked if we were ready to order, and we asked for a minute to look at our phones (menu), but before she left I asked a question about the menu. I just wondered if the dishes were served with sides? And if so, what. She gave us a confusing answer and left us. She later took our order. It was brought out to us by someone else. Then we never saw our server again until our food was finished. She never checked on us. She never asked, "How's the food?" She seemed very.... not great at her job.
FOOD - WHAT I GOT: The menu seemed like a good variety, and it sounded tasty. But alas, that was an unfortunate mirage. Our food came out, and GUESS WHAT? There were (sort of) sides. I got a whole three-quarters of a roasted red potato (I'm assuming that due to the red-potato shortage, they couldn't give me the other quarter #sarcasm). I also had some spring mix of greens that MAY have had a dressing, but I couldn't taste it. Just rabbit food. My sandwich almost looked good, but the braised pork was very SCARCE! Oh, and the menu makes it seem like you are ordering a plated meal - NOT a sandwich. Guess what? It was just a sandwich. For $16, under the "STANDARD FAVORITES" section of the menu (which should read "SANDWICHES", I had a good bun, with MAYBE 3 oz. of braised pork shoulder, some cheese, two VERY thin slices of pre-packaged-like ham, and a 1/2 teaspoon of chimichurri sauce that I could not taste, and thought was omitted from the sandwich. That sandwich was so dry! I choked it down (with plenty of water). I left hungry, still.
FOOD - WHAT I EXPECTED: This is EXACTLY what it says on the menu, "Braised pork shoulder, brioche bread, smoked ham, cheese blend, chimichurri". It sounded like some sort of a plate with nice chunks of meat, some ham, maybe some cheese melted on the top? I assumed I'd have a 2 oz. cup of chimichurri to add to my liking. I wasn't sure how the brioche "bread" would be incorporated (notice it didn't say "bun"). I hoped for a good 5-6 ounces of meat. something to fill me up. Am I crazy? It was $16.
FOOD - what my WIFE got: She ordered the "Mediterranean chicken sandwich" which reads: "Warm focaccia bread, roasted chicken breast, almond spinach pesto, bacon, caramelized onion, cheese blend." Sounds good, right? Sounds like another lovely plated dish. NOPE - it is a sandwich, and there was nothing Mediterranean tasting about it. Just call it what it is: "A chicken & bacon sandwich with cheese". She said it tasted fine, but she, too, was very disappointed. There was no visible "almond spinach pesto" nor did we see "Caramelized onion". None. Just a big disappointment.
AMBIANCE: It was your typical mismatched tables and chairs in a "cute" atmosphere. Wobbly tables, etc. They have indoor and outdoor seating.
So sad! We wanted to really like this place. We won't be back. read more