| rev:text
| - My wife and I were here this evening. We didn't realize that it was the opening night. I really don't want to write a negative review - but for the prices these guys are charging everything should have been spot on. I realize some growing pains in a new restaurant are normal - but again, things should be sorted out and spot-on perfect for opening night. (If it isn't, or can't be...shouldn't you/ wouldn't you wait? I would.)
We will go back in a month or two and give it another chance, at which point I will update my review but for now here we go.
The Good:
Decor looks nice. It's updated and has a much cleaner feel and look than the previous Blind Beggar Swill-Hole.
Staff is very courteous.
Service is fairly quick.
The Bad
Only some unnamed house wine on the menu along with soft drinks and coffee.
(we were told that the bar would be fully stocked in another day or two???)
Debit/Credit isn't available - cash only. (We weren't informed of this until the bill was brought to the table)
Prices are on the high side for simple cajun/creole food, nothing really stood out or "elevated" the dishes to the point to warrant the prices being charged.
Only one proper toilet in the men's room along with a single urinal. (given the seating capacity they should have at least one more throne in there)
Some weird electrical issues going on with the lighting while we were dining. (flickering/dimming/flashing really bright)
The Food:
I ordered the Jambalaya, with a side salad -
Salad was fresh, dressing delicious, goat cheese very goat-cheesy. All in all, a very nice little salad.
Jambalaya was cooked to the point where the rice had all but disappeared into mush in the dish. There were only 2 pieces of sausage and 4 shrimp in my whole thing. My portion size, despite being the "Full" more expensive size, was not very large at all. Was more like a larger side-dish serving. The chicken was fairly plentiful as was the onslaught of red and green peppers. The seasoning was good, not too salty as can often be the case with cajun/creole food.
When asked how it was I said it was merely o.k. and that I was rather disappointed.
The owner came to talk with us, (I'm assuming the owner) and mentioned that yes, he understood that the Jambalaya was mushy and he understood my disappointment. He then told me that it was like this because it was made yesterday and merely re-heated today.
EWWW - I paid $18 for day-old, re-heated Jambalaya? Ick. Major no-no in my book. Your entrees should be made fresh everyday.
My wife ordered chicken and waffles with a cup of bacon corn soup.
The soup was lovely. Smelled and looked delicious...judging by the way she wolfed it down it must have tasted divine!
Waffles were nicely cooked, however the chicken was not crispy and in fact was under-cooked. The batter was doughy and uncooked on the inside and the middle of her chicken was underdone. It could have used another 3-5 minutes in the deep-fryer, methinks. Suffice it to say - she did not finish her meal.
Again, the fellow apologized.
To his credit - he did offer us free dessert as a mea culpa. I think the whole meal should have been comped, but I'm not into making a scene or stamping my feet, so we accepted his offering with a smile.
We ordered the beignet. They were made fresh and brought warm to the table.
There were a LOT. We could have shared a single order and still had left-overs!
Warm and covered in icing sugar, if not slightly over-soaked in oil, and a little denser than I've eaten in the past. But not the worst I've ever had. Strongly middle of the road.
Overall impression:
A great concept. A nice look and feel to the place. But sadly, missed the mark on the entrees which is the MOST important part of a restaurant if you're going to be a sit-down restaurant and not just a tapas bar, or a pub.
LOTS of growing pains to overcome in the coming days/weeks.
I hope they last longer than 3-6 months so they can get all the kinks worked out of their menu, electrical, payment and bar situation.
Staff was very friendly and nice, and the owner was very genial. Frankly the staff's demeanour and the owner's attitude is what won us over.
We'll be coming back for a second try in about a month or so.
We're rooting for you guys! =)
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