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| - We have been very excited to try out Spoonwood since hearing about it opening up! There isn't anything like it in the South Hills -- and we love a good craft beer and pizza, so this sounded perfect!
We went around 6:30 on a Saturday night when weather was pretty bad, hoping this would make it easier to get a table. Thankfully we had read previous reviews about the lack of seating system so we were prepared. While there was a staff member seated near the front who apparently was supposed to explain the lack of system, she did not address us nor anyone else that entered. All tables and the bar were packed full. We spotted a four-top wrapping up their bill so kind of hovered over them until they left - it felt very awkward and borderline rude to have to rush their table. In fact, we had asked a server who walked past us at one point what the seating deal was, and he even joked "You just have to get ready to tackle people to get yourself a seat!". He also told us the long tables and wall table are "communal", meaning multiple parties can sit at one table, whereas the low tables (mostly four tops -- maybe 8 total) were for parties up to four. Good to know! Maybe a sign would help clarify? Another point to note before you arrive -- as there isn't a seating system, it isn't really "first come first serve" as advertised. There is no list of who arrived first, so even if you've been there for 30 mins waiting for a table to open up, a faster person may beat you to that now open table who has only been there for a few mins... This is a frustrating and kind of stressful method for a patron. You better be hyper-aware of who is getting up next and ready to pounce! If they switched to a standard seating system, that alone would change my review from 3 to 5 stars!!
Anyway, we were able to get a seat after about 15 mins, which wasn't bad, but having to keep your eyes on who would be getting up made it hard to enjoy conversation in the mean time. Once seated, everything took a turn for the better!
We were greeted immediately and our server explained the beers and menu to us. We were disappointed they were out of their IPA, but all other beers we tasted were good. The Smoke and Oates was my favorite beer - it was really good and had a really smooth smoky taste.
We had the hummus appetizer and the pita was fresh made and served warm, and all three types of hummus were very tasty! I had the margarita pizza and added the caramelized onions (which were excellent) and was pleasantly surprised that their pizza lived up to its hype!! The fresh house-made mozzarella was delicious!! And the crust was nice and crispy!
Overall the beer and food were all really good - would say 5/5 for food and drink! But the nightmare seating system (or lack thereof) is what ultimately made me give this only 3 stars as it really detracts from the experience and makes me question whether I would return for dinner-time. Hoping they change that in the future!!
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