This is not my first time reviewing Tyler's Tender, I actually discovered I reviewed it once before on 11/29/2009. Apparently, in 2009, Tyler's Tender got my seal of approval. Here in 2015, I find Tyler's Tender, Meh. I did the math and I figured out that at the time of my previous review of this business I only had one child, a then 6 year old boy. In 2011 I found the concept of this place to be fresh, unique, and creative. Again, that was in 2011. In 2015 the Tyler's Tender reminds me of Dave Woderson, that character Matthew McConaughey played in Dazed and Confused. Like ole Wooderson, Tyler's Tender is still dressing and presenting itself the way it did when we first met. What was once endearing and lovable now just feels desperate and tired.
Isn't it possible to change up the train set or add some new ones? How about adding an elevated train track, considering our proximately to Chicago. Bagger Dave's has one, Industrial Revolution Eatery and Grill has one. It could make it's rounds over top of the diners, no? In addition, the one dollar train ride is bogus. How about having the person running the the ride have a little enthusiasm or maybe just train hat. Let's act like we want to be there. Currently, the ride home to the dentist is more enjoyable.
On our latest visit, out waitress was training a new person. Even with two extra hands our service was extremely slow. Our waitress and her trainee might have actually worked faster and more efficiently if one had positioned herself on the shoulders of the other, like a "Mega-waitress."
The pizza in this place is god awful. I remember watching an old episode of Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmare's and hearing a cook at refer to food as fresh-frozen, meaning the food fresh when it was initially prepared, but because there was so much of it made at the time, they froze the rest, to be served at a later date. I guess it's possible that their pizza is fresh-frozen but it's more likely just frozen. Does anyone else find it insulting when they're expected to pay more money for a 3" frozen restaurant pizza than they would for a family size, grocery store frozen pizza. It's all about the experience right? Exactly. Step it up.
I will concede that our was server was very nice and polite but It appeared that she was completely overworked. It looked as though she was responsible for all of the actual customers, with no help. I did spot another three employees standing behind the lunch counter commiserating, while we died of thirst. They even ignored my empty cup that continued to be waved in the air like I just didn't care. Maybe that's what confused them. I should have just filled my own drink like my son suggested. I'm confident they would have been thankful, putting a pin in their conversation for to provide service to their patron's didn't seem important. To be fair, last night was the season finale of EMPIRE. Is there a manager at this place or...
All and all I won't return. It's a shame because I have no doubt this place could be so much better. The one Chicago feeling that Tyler's Tender seems to incoorporate is the one made most famous by the Cubs front office, "People will come, because they just will." If that's good enough for the owners then they've succeeded. read more