I saw them from the street, and hungry, decided to drop in for lunch. A quiet and pleasant meal,…read morewith the joint seemingly enjoying the quiet before the storm. The place had the energy of sitting tight below the F-1 engines of a Saturn V booster: when the candle is lit, you know you're gonna get burned. The signage defines their clientele, I guess: "90 minutes maximum at the table", "a 17% tip applied to all purchases", "please check your handguns and machetes at the door", and some fine rap music on the box.
My server, Tiffany, was pleasant, polite, and helpful - yet she wore the "pre-shell-shocked" expression that hinted at the dinner rush yet to come.
Starting with the drinks. I wanted a Bloody Mary or a Whiskey Sour. Tiffany informed me that "they didn't have them", I could choose one of their known recipes from the menu (which wasn't even a menu! Scan the stupid code on your stupid iPhone and see the stupid short list of their stupid drinks). Yikes, my BP is elevating just recalling my feelings at the time! But it was a beautiful fall day, and neither Tiffany nor I felt like tilting at windmills. I let it go. Along with a star.
Snouting at yonder menu - the promise of Jambalaya had made me stop - accentuated the sadness of discovering there was no Jambalaya on the menu! Sorry - but with names like "Cajun" and "Boil" in the name, that's two more stars gone right off the top. I had come seeking Jambalaya. Their menu had a lot of other options that promise I'll return soon with my Bride, and gnosh on other seafoody delectibles.
Tiffany and I pulled some other options from the menu, and ended up with a "Jambalaya-like" concoction of pork, chicken, green peppers, onions, and rice that did the trick for me. Along with a half dozen oysters that really made the lunch a treat. The rice was maybe a "little tad" overcooked - nothing I'd bother anyone about, but some butter or a hint of sauce would have been nice. I can't place their cajun seasoning - it might be House Blend, but it was certainly good! The portions were generous, the oysters nice and cold and briny, the atmosphere quiet, and that rap music at EXACTLY the right volume to enjoy without it forcing itself at you. In a restaurant with all hard surfaces (why do they do that?!), that's a nice trick, nicely executed.
As I mentioned - I will certainly be back, mentally and physically prepared for whatever mayhem might await me. But I certainly emphasize with them, regarding their clientele which necessitates an "automatic 17% tip". If you've read others of my Reviews, I am wholly against tipping, unless the service is literally "above the norm", not slack, not lubberly, not bored. I simply do not have the heart to compliment mediocre performance. I've worked enough in restaurants and bars, living on a tipping wage. I earned every penny of every tip dollar through treating my Customers better than they'd ever be treated at somebody else's table. These youngsters with their entitlement had better pay attention, or the world will chew them up like a puppy toy. Not the czse here, I'm glad to report!
Buy hence my frustration today. It wasn't Tiffany's fault that they don't serve Jambalaya; she's not Head Chef. But she used the tools at her disposal, and a measure of inventiveness, to get me what I wanted. She did it politely and graciously, and once I'd been served, she had an excellent sense of timing to check on me. Her employer has "limited" tips to 17% (for what I guess are perfectly valid reasons). But they stuck Tiffany and I in the middle, by restricting our flexibility. I countered by adding the extra 5% I'd leave for 'great service" = 22%. I hope the bulk of that gets to Tiffany.
A note to Restaurant Owners Everywhere: I'm seeing more and more of this "Service Fee" nonsense, and it's pissing me off. Cajun Boil & Bar was honest enough to warn me right up front - signs at each table - versus trying to sneak it in somewhere. So I do not cry foul here, and add back a star for their fairness. But I am watching all of you: it should not be Tiffany's responsibility to ensure your margins are intact. That's YOUR job. If I find otherwise, it will be bad.
Reading other Reviews here on Yelp, it's evident that many of your Customers feel the same way about the automatic 17% tip. I had NO problems with the Service. Of course, I was in a good mood on a beautiful day, and greeted WITH A SMILE when I came inside. I can't speak to how cranky other Customers may have been... but I encountered nothing to give me offense. That speaks to what a joyless and nasty nation we have become with His Orange Puissance on the throne.
Overall, then, a nice pleasant lunch. The oysters put me a bit over budget, but that was me, and not a usurious venue. The food was certainly good, and when I have the 90 minutes (maximum!!) to sit again at their tables, I'll certainly enjoy one of their boils, and really dig in.