Interesting fact: the servers here can't smile because it goes against their programming. About a year ago, a lone server smiled on a Saturday night and it caused the automatic glass sliding doors to the patio/entrance to short-circuit. Since that fateful day, smiles are forbidden.
Seriously, the pretension here makes me laugh :-) Get over yourselves people: this part of Queen West hasn't been "cool" since it turned into a chain-store strip mall! Drop the attitude.
I visit Everest at least once a year, but I'm not sure why I keep coming back because there are so many other places that look better. Usually it's a last resort when I'm with vegetarians and it's late, but I'd rather opt for Spring Rolls and save $$$ next time.
Without exception, everything on the menu is either over-salted or greasy. I always try something different but nothing I've had here is really passable or worth repeating. But like a dog running into an electric fence I keep trying new menu options and hoping that this time will be different; this time will be better. The butter chicken I had here last weekend was so salty that the next morning I woke up with cracked, chapped lips. The naan bread tastes dried out and almost crispy- more like pita bread actually.
I'm giving 2 (not 1) stars to Everest for the drink menu, which has some tasty (albeit spendy) options and thankfully omits the vile "gourmet" tequila and gruesomely overpriced vodka that seems to be infecting the other downtown establishments. The irony here is that this pretentious place is lagging behind the drink trends (in favor of my uncool tastes). Give it time and I'm sure we'll see some ridiculous attempt at tequila-based sludge.