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| - Some of my favorite spots are confusingly three or three and a half stars on Yelp, so I'm up for giving these places a try. But with Junior, things just did not pan out. Junior, this review is out of love for you and food and diners. I want it to be a success! My best guess as to why our experience was such a flop? I suspect the chef quit. The guy cooking our food in the semi open kitchen was wearing sweatpants...
I came in around 6 on a Saturday and there was only one other table. A little concerning, but the layout and decor of the place seemed promising!
Our waitress promptly came to our table and apologized for not coming sooner because she was outside smoking. She honestly came so fast I can't imagine how she could have come sooner. And no matter how long it took, customers probably don't need to know it was for a smoke break! She was super friendly, though, and helped explain the menu and gave recommendations. Maybe back on track?
My husband ordered a beer that was pretty good, but my cocktail tasted like cheap gin mixed with pineapple juice. I'm no cocktail connoisseur, but this was just so simple and cloyingly sweet.
We ordered the ribs and the shrimp/noodle dish, which is where it really fell apart for us. I'd read on Yelp that the ribs were dry, but (unsolicited) the waitress assured us they wouldn't be. But then they were! We only got three ribs with bones, the rest was just little dry bits. The sauce had decent flavor. The noodle dish had puny shrimp - not seared or anything - and just generally had no flavor beyond bland veggies. Not to be a snob - I'd totally eat this food for take-out at a significantly lower price. But it seemed like a mean trick for the price and vibe of the restaurant.
The only customers to come in the whole time were two friends of the waitress. And we left at a little after 7 on a Friday!
I really wanted to get a taste for Filipino food and am a pretty open person when it comes to new foods and flavors, but this food and dining experience was just not good at all. I sincerely hope they can turn this place around!!
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