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| - OK. False advertising! It's not a pub, and it's NOT premium! You can TALK in a pub without having to scream over the insipid "DJ", and premium implies that this place might somehow be different than the dime-a-dozen, beer-and-wings, drunk -fest meat-markets that are Charlotte ubiquity.
We tried more than once, and initially were pleased, but like so many places like this in Charlotte, it only took a few times to see measurable decline. In short, save your money. In long form:
The first time I left saying I'd Yelp this place, i didn't. I buckled. I just figured it was an off night and that the place certainly wouldn't always be that bad after starting off so well. The first experiences we had were great. They had just transitoned over from Blackthorne though. The server couldn't have been better (the taller brunette bartender with kind of wavy hair), and she fooled us into believing that the place didn't stink on ice. Went in late (after 11) the food and service rocked. Couple of weeks later, same thing. Even the same waitress. Thought we'd end up regulars.
Next time in, a little off. The service was just OK (slow), the food was meh. For example, the coleslaw was room temp (not too good). Came in around 10 after a show, and the manager (the blonde manager accurately described in a previous review), hit us with a "kitchen closes at 11" as we come in the door. Seemed like hello or welcome might have been more appropriate, but I'm not in the restaurant business, so what do I know? Nice way of letting people know that you no longer serve food past 11. Guess you can do that in Charlotte while you serve booze, right? Left a little more than disappointed as I said.
Did it again.
Why try it again, you ask? Foolish and hungry. The great Ballentyne isn't exactly the bastion of restaurants, so we gave it another shot last night. Went in after another show (10:30 again) to grab something quick, and could barely hear the hostess over the music. I did manage to get the question asked and answered if we still had time for food..."Oh yes, the kitchen doesn't cut off until 11."
We were seated at a high top in the bar, and the shorter brunette bartender came over to take our drink order. She saw that we had menus and were looking them over, so you'd have to know we were planning to order food. She started to ask if we had any menu questions and walked away in the middle of asking the question. Literally in the middle of the word question. Strange, but whatever. A lttle chaotic, and a lot loud, so whatever. Moments later, she came back and dropped off drinks, said she'd be a moment. SHE DIDN'T COME BACK TO OUR TABLE FOR 25 MINUTES. That's right at 11 o'clock kids...remember the kitchen closing time? She strolls casually by and literally asks how we're doing. Not "did you decide on anything from the menu" mind you, since that would have been pointless. Even if she DID ask, who would want food from a place this slack that you ordered at just the last minute? Worse yet, she was just walking around from the kitchen to the bar mostly...even though it seemed as though one of the hostesses made a gesture towards us as though she was maybe forgetting something. Yeah, customers. We tabbed out and left.
Now understand, I'm not some old grandpa that got grumpy at that new-fangled noise and just wanted to gripe. I like a good bar as much as the next person, but that's all this is, a bar. As a restaurant or PUB, it's a king-sized fail. It has that "burning a little too much in the back to get the job done out front" feel that too many of these places in Charlotte do.
So if you're looking to hook up with some of that sweet I don't-want-to grow-up 30-something yuppiness that Charlotte is soooooooo famous for, you might try this place...maybe you'll get lucky if your income is good enough. Otherwise, keep looking, and drive on by. I know we will be. Shouldn't have to think about it more than 6 months or so unless the booze keeps the doors open.
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