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| - Yesterday a friend texted, "Want to try Gaucho's?" I'll go anywhere and my hubs said people have been talkin' about this place so unbeknownst to what I was getting myself into, I agreed.
This place does not take any reservations. For that fact alone, I wanted to go at 3pm. Especially because it was Saturday. I said to my friend, "Only crazy people go to a good place during dinner time on a Saturday." Well - we turned into those crazy people. Not necessarily on purpose, but as the events of the evening unfolded, our party of 4 became THOSE PEOPLE who went to Gaucho's on a Saturday night. At 7pm-ish. And we wind up arriving to find a massive line around the block.
I have not stood in any line like this EVER in Pittsburgh. Correction - I have - just once - for preschool sign-up - but even still I was done with that in 20 minutes. This line? We waited in it for 1 hour and 50 minutes (just to order). In the rain. I mean we arrived, I saw this line, and I said to my friends, "What the hell have you gotten me into?" I had not researched this place. I did not see it's insanely long list of positive Yelp reviews. I felt like I was back in high school waiting for concert tickets. Fortunately, I wasn't yet hungry so I didn't care.
With all those details (long line, long wait, rain, etc) - I feel strongly there is no one other than me that had the highest of expectations for this meal. Did it deliver? Absolutely. And in exciting news, even though the wait was painful - the food was delivered fast after we were seated.
For the delicious food, I would give this location 5 stars. If there's no wait - read this review as 5 stars and then go. But for the insanely painful wait and the wish that they could figure out some better solution so no one has to wait 2 hours? That's why I subtracted a star. I mean, the way this location is set up, if you're waiting, you can see the people inside eating. And you're like 4 feet away from them. While we were in this 2 hour line, I saw a man inside take 6 minutes to eat his last bite of salad. Everyone else in this party of 4 was done eating and this one person WOULD NOT STOP TALKING and just HAD to finish the last bite of salad on his plate. Fine! But you know what? When people are standing outside in the rain, waiting to eat, we're giving you death stares from the window thinking, "STOP TALKING, TAKE YOUR DAMN BITE, and be on your way!" - The fact that any restaurant could entice this kind of emotion or thought process is why I subtracted a star. I mean - our party of 4 had a fun experience but sometimes you don't want an *experience* - sometimes you just want to eat a delicious meal.
So here's the summary:
5 star food
5 star employees
No reservations - so plan your time and hunger accordingly
BYOB - don't forget a bottle opener
FYI on those nights when the wait is insane, most people start drinking in the line ... one poor party of 4 ahead of us DROPPED THEIR BOTTLE OF WINE - it was terribly sad. Don't leave the butterfingers in your group in charge of the only thing that will keep you sane while you subject yourself to the weather and hunger games.
And if you so decide to be those crazy people who go on a Saturday night like us at dinner time, bring LOTS of BYOB but do yourself a favor, don't forget some plastic cups and/or class it up by have your pregame prepared with SOMETHING in a travel coffee mug. I can't even remotely condone public drinking - I would actually be scared to open beer or wine while in line (we waited until we were inside) but I regretted not having something in hand for 2 hours.
Oh yeah - and that peanut butter bread pudding dessert?
JUST SAY YES
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