A family member, who hasn't visited for a year, recommended this place to me, and I decided to stop by with them on our way to Tahoe. I was excited to try the homemade onion bun, as I am always drawn to anything homemade.
Food Experience:
They ordered their usual and opted for onion rings, which they had enjoyed during previous visits. However, they found that the onion rings were not crispy or fresh, and were instead dry and hard (I even sampled them myself). The batter was also strange and not up to their expectations. They noted that the sandwich bun was thin and odd, unlike what they had experienced before. While they understand that changes may be made in an effort to improve, these changes did not meet decent standards. The food seemed to be cooked with a lack of enthusiasm from the chef.
A friend of mine joined me for lunch and ordered a BLT sandwich. Unfortunately, the sandwich was not prepared well. I also took a bite and found that the sourdough bread was really dry, and there was very little bacon. My friend was disappointed with the food as well, especially considering the price of the sandwich. We both felt that it would have been better to make it ourselves. This was their usual order, so the experience was particularly disappointing.
I decided to order a burger with a homemade onion bun, garlic cheese fries, and a cup of tea. The tea was fresh and satisfying, but the burger was disappointing. Although I initially enjoyed the burger, I discovered a long dark brown hair embedded in it that did not belong to me. My hair is black and short, so this was concerning. The fries were mediocre at best, as shredded cheese was thrown on top without being melted, leaving me with cold cheese shards all over my fries. The only redeeming factor was the homemade onion bun, which was light and had a pleasant taste. However, after finding the hair in my burger, I was unable to continue eating.
The Service:
On a quiet day with only a few customers, we experienced poor service at the restaurant. The blonde waitress appeared disinterested in her job and lacked empathy. Initially, her service was adequate, but when I showed her a hair in my food, she did not apologize and simply asked if I wanted another tea before walking away to bring the bill. While she did give us a discount, her attitude was indifferent, and I felt unwelcome. Although I understand that mistakes happen, I have never encountered such a cold response from a server before.
As I walked past the kitchen, I overheard a group of young chefs laughing. While it's perfectly fine to have fun at work, the way they were preparing the food gave the impression that they were only there for the paycheck. If you don't have a genuine passion and care for food, it may not be the best choice of career. Perhaps fast food would be a more suitable fit.
I'm disappointed that I didn't visit this place sooner, as I had heard such great things about it. Unfortunately, it seems as though the original team is no longer in charge, which is a shame as it may lose its charm, particularly for the locals who don't have many food options close by. While I hope things improve, we won't be returning for the time being. I would suggest saving your money or looking for a new spot. However, it might be worth checking out their amazing beer, so we still left a generous tip.
I am giving 2 stars instead of 1 as it is not too terrible. Perhaps we just came on a bad day. However, there are still some homemade items available, and the atmosphere is quite cool. read more