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| - Am I first? Ok, here goes:
was invited for a soft opening. its bigger than expected. like 400 seats big. i ordered fish tacos (NOT breaded) the way they should be done. cod (iirc), tossed with chili powder and served soft w/ cabbage. however, my wife was dissapointed in the Waldorf chicken salad, which honestly tasted like cheap hot dogs. Processed chicken?
Servers seemed helpful, trying to impress new clientele. food delivery was prompt, service from the bar was quick.
my gripe: if you are going to be trendy and open a "gastropub".. you gotta be different.. the 52 taps, many common names, most patrons will see about 10-12 household names but to the craft beer lover, most the stuff on tap is what you could find anywhere really. I hope that more craft beer lovers come in to demand a better variety, and some seasonal/rare beer. after all, if you are just another mini yardhouse, why would I come in? I know that crescent crown distributes here, and they also distribute for the watering hole, but the latter's selection is world class.. and inside of whole foods, of all places.
food: mine was 3.5 out of 5. tacos were good - salty beans, seemed to be placed in a dish as an afterthought.
hers, 1 out of 5. that salad was a Wreck.
If you are in the area and want to quaff a quick "mainstream" craft beer, go for it. Not worth the drive if you are going to pass other craft beer bars like the Watering Hole, Boulders, Papago, Hungry Monk, Cuoco Pazzo, or Yardhouse (meh).
fwiw, during this soft opening you would expect the staff to work through some kinks, so this small review is only geared to help them see my perception of the kinks they could improve.
by all means, try the place if you are in the area. but frankly, it is fitting for the location.. a strip mall with a handful of mediocre restaurants, and not much else. i just cannot see them filling those 400 seats.
fwiw, iirc this is the third place that has tried surviving in that suite. time will tell....
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