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| - I am haunted by guilt for looking the gift horse of a generous work party in the mouth, but Claim Jumper earned the dental exam. First, our party of 40 was relegated to a chilly patio room where the tables were bolted to the floor, thus stranding groups of four on secluded little islands. I know the tables have to be sturdy to handle the hefty dessert plates, but the steel reinforcement is overkill. One expects slower service with a party this size, but I guess we were out of sight and mind. The appetizers and desserts were especially slow in coming, and adding insult to injury, those who ordered their desserts to go were served a good 10 minutes before those who wanted theirs served. The entrees arrived in such a haphazard fashion that one out of each table wasn't served for a good 5 minutes after everyone else, resulting in a few uncomfortable minutes while we politely waited as our plates cooled and our mates drooled. Injuring the insult with ickiness, the lobster was a rubber-bandy glop of shellfish gone wrong, and the petit filet, not much bigger than a petit four, was tough as cowhide. The sweet potato cakes on the side were dense and delicious with a creamy salsa topping. Had there been more salsa, I would have soaked my entree as well in some sort of liquid as it was painfully desiccated.
Speaking of overkill, the desserts will easily serve three average-sized diners. The red velvet cake with buttercream frosting was outstanding. It lasted four days in the freezer. Claim Jumper is just the place for chain lovers who find oversized portions and dizzying prices patriotic and who require steel bolts to rest their elbows safely on the table.
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