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| - Took my Harry Potter nerd to this spot and it wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. But it could be great with a little better institutionalizing of the cooperation between the back and front of house and more attention to detail.
The gimmick is cool. Cozy spot, nice decor, but way WAY too cramped for brunch. There are only 5 tables and a high top. 3 of the tables are 2 seats but they try to stuff 5 people on them. The real magic here is figuring out how to eat without jamming your elbow in your dining companion's eye socket at every bite of eggs Benny.
The bar needs to be stronger. For the "Better Beer" (tasty, btw) they use old antique cocktail classes, which is cool, but don't seem to want to wash them properly. Using the bar rail rinser is not washing a used cup in my book. Also I saw the bartender make a "Lockhart Caesar" and it was a lazy one. Just vodka, Worcestershire sauce, sriracha. and Walter's mix with a couple picked carrot sticks on top. No salt, no horseradish, no guff. I feel like if you're going to name a drink after your bar, there should be something unique about it. Using Walters is kind of a shortcut. Food presentation is a bit, uh.... spartan, but the food itself is good.
The serving staff are very nice and as accommodating as possible. I think they are doing their best to manage the reality of being in a hole in the wall sized place while learning the ropes of owning a restaurant. It's a tough biz. They know they need a bigger dining room but i fully understand that it's easier said than done, so can't really fault them for that.
Although the above review probably sounds harsh it's meant as constructive criticism. I think Lockhart could be a top brunch spot in the city for those looking for a little magic in their day.
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