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| - I've been to Pickle Barrel at this location several times.
Food Quality & Price: Everything on the menu is similarly priced between $10 - $18 for entrees ($20+ for beef). Appetizers around $10+. One reason I like the Pickle Barrel is for their extensive menu. Their portions are large which means I always have to take home food. The quality of the food is decent, no complaints but not spectacular. I enjoyed their pasta but my husband felt that the steak had too much fat and gristle.
Facility: Ambiance is nice, decor is nice. From what I can see/tell the eating space was clean. Chairs were well maintained as were utensils and napkins. Pretty typical of a chain restaurant.
Service: Complete hit and miss. The first few times we came to this location, our service seem kind of "empty". Everyone seemed robotic and rehearsed. I requested lunch portions outside of lunch hours (dinner time) and the results were always inconsistent. First visit, my request was accommodated without an issue. Second time, apparently it caused all hell to break loose in the kitchen, the floor manager came out to see us to tell us it cannot be done. Hey, I just wanted to be honest and not let food go to waste. Third time, my request went through without issue. From them on, though, I didn't bother but it DID affect my overall opinion on the establishment.
Waiters/waitresses (as I noted before) used to be pretty robotic. But our last visit was great, our waitress was kind and funny (but not flirty - as handsome as he is, flighty servers annoy me). Our waitress was young but knew all the cues (when to leave, checking in at the right times/paces etc).
Overall: It's a good place to go to explore the large menu options (downside is that since there are so many items on the menu, they are generally mediocre). Don't expect "excellent" service or the same quality of experience twice. The over theme seems to be "inconsistency".
I will probably return (out of convenience) but personally, and as others have said, I think I prefer the Yorkdale location.
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