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| - This place is ok, not great, and I'm afraid does not set itself apart from the other great burger places in the Valley. First off, the good: almost everything we ordered was tasty, from the calamari to the burgers to the milkshakes. Good selection of wine and draft beer. Overall we thought the food and drink was about what we expected at this price point. Now, the not so good: it feels like this place opened a few weeks before it was ready. Hosts and service were harried, disorganized, a little confused about the menu, and though they appeared to be trying their best they left something to be desired. The kitchen doesn't seem to get the menu yet, as more often than not the food that came did not match the description.
And finally, the biggest issue: the space. Other reviewers called the atmosphere nice, or trendy, or classy. We do not get that at all. The space is a very cheap makeover from the previous tenant McCormick & Schmicks. It kind of feels like it was thrown together with little regard for how the room flows or atmosphere. There's no music or what is being played is too low for the cavernous space and loud diners. Frankly, it seems like a fake restaurant built for a commercial where they "surprise" diners with a menu item being switched with something downmarket (e.g. "see what diners said when we switched notorious burgers for Carl's Jr's Six Dollar Burger"). Throw in a mafia "theme" that has you ordering food using infamous mobsters' names and it just seems cheesy for a place where you're looking at $25-30 per person for an a la carte meal with a drink.
Overall, while there were some service/kitchen problems and the atmosphere was non-existent, the food was good enough thst we'd give the place another shot in a couple months and see if the kinks have been worked out.
UPDATE: after posting this review I received a message from the owner asking about my complaints about the atmosphere and and asking if I was in his shoes, what changes would address the issues I raised. I told him what I thought, and who knows if the suggestions will go anywhere. But I do have to respect a business that listens to feedback, good or bad. I'm definitely going back and I hope when I do, I can add a star or two.
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