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Comment Archives: Locations: Bars + Clubs: Music Venue: 2 Stars
Re: “Med Bistro”
Last weekend.... ate here but with:
poor service-a blonde waitress who was more interested in talking with guys at the bar than seating us/serving us. Food only mediocre...the guy singing as entertainment was SO loud we could not carry on a conversation at our table.
Finally, Miss Waitress brought the check...I was to get back a few dollars and change. She brought the dollars but not the change...too lazy to count out the coins and thinking SHE would be keeping the change as part of her tip?
She did NOT get a grand tip from me, far from it.
Last time here.
Re: “Triangle Char and Bar”
All you really need to know about Triangle is that it's for tourists. The prices are wrong for the type of food, the food itself is unimaginative, bland and often cooked poorly. The tacos are the one positive point on the menu. The out door area is nice, but it much more like a bar. Not the worst place, but I would never recommend it.
Re: “Salty Mike's”
POS bar with only overweight dudes everytime I have been there. Good luck.
Re: “Hippodrome”
Sara Jaroz and her band were fantastic. The rest of the evening left much to be desired. 7pm was the starting time of the concert, with an opening band prior to Ms. Jaroz. We arrived at 7pm and waited almost one hour, standing up outside in the heat...why could we not be seated, cool and settled for the concert? Slow at the ticket counter (only one)...another wait inside.
After 8pm we were finally admitted only to discover it was dark in the auditorium....
NO HOUSE LIGHTS to help find your seat. One or two staff were available but none of them helped anyone to their seat.
HOUSE LIGHTS are used to help people get seated SAFELY and so they can scan to find personal items prior to leaving...what is so hard about flipping a switch?
And then there was the alcohol...selling before the performance, no problem. Selling DURING a performance is cheesey...increase your profits, did you? Throughout the entire evening people were walking to and from the bar/restroom....right in front of the performers (SO RUDE) and the rest of us...very distracting.
Other than the performances, it was a miserable evening.
Re: “Smoky Oak Taproom”
Nanobeerz - you are correct regarding Smoky Oak's food. It is poor - pretty much everything on the menu is underwhelming. Among other mistakes: they use far too much sugar in all their cornbread, batter, etc.
The BBQ is poor to put it mildly.
But I find their beer selection pretty good - you kind of need to know which of the taps are new and which ones are old. But they have a nice selection of tall boy bottles too - things like Rogue Chocolate Stout, etc.
This pretty much sums up their food:
Last few times I have been to Smoky Oak to have a beer with friends, I stopped at Barberito's for a burrito first.
Re: “Smoky Oak Taproom”
Barbecue should stand on its own with seasoning/dry rub etc. It should not need to be lathered in sauce in order to get some seasoning. This is where Smokey oak fails. The meat on its own is tender, but flavorless. The bar, staff, and other food choices are good--the beer selection is fantastic---we go because we live close by. But the best bbq is in tennessee/kentucky.
Re: “Tattooed Moose”
My partner, a friend and I went to Tattooed Moose last night for the first time. The corn dogs were probably the best I have ever had and the smoky tomato soup was delicious. We got the Reuben, Cuban and duck club and they were all excellent. I loved the fries but I couldn't tell they had been cooked in duck fat. The aioli was a tasty addition.
So why the two-star review if I loved everything? The service was awful. After we seated ourselves a young woman came by and dropped menus. We asked for water while we looked at the menus and I asked about their beer list, which was on the back of the menu. She came back in about 10 seconds with the water and we asked for a few more minutes. She cheerfully said "Take your time" ... and she never came back. She brought food to tables near us and walked past a handful of times, but never even looked at our table and never stopped. Finally she ensconced herself at the short bar to the left of the door to the kitchen, staring intently at something on the bar and ignoring everything else around her.
The friend who was with me finally walked up to her to ask about ordering beers and food. She handed my friend the beer and said she would be right over for the food order. As my friend turned around the server went back to whatever she was staring at on the bar and never budged. My friend sat down, looked at her in disbelief, and said she was reading the menu.
Finally the bartender, Ryan, walked over and asked if we wanted to order food. From there the service was okay, but the damage was done. You simply don't pointedly ignore customers for 15 to 20 minutes.
Re: “Blu Restaurant & Bar”
We made a reservation for thanksgiving(party of 4). Wanted to seat us with two elderly people outside without heaters. When we asked for seating inside we got skipped by multiple parties of 2&4. No thought or flexibility. Then we get seated at two 4-tops crammed together with someone needing to sit on the crack. Overall food was what we expected, traditional holiday items were good. Oysters were old and dried out. Cheese and salad station was bargain average. Our waiter was attentive and did a good job. The hostess and her three minions gave us the eye the whole time. If we thought that we could have gone somewhere else to get turkey we would have.
Re: “Queen Anne's Revenge”
After not liking Queen Anne's Revenge since they opened, we went shortly after they changed their menu because we heard it was much improved. Wrong. Service was just plain abysmal. It took nearly 20 minutes to get drinks and the waitress reeked of cigarette smoke when she delivered them so it seems obvious where the delay was.
Of the six of us only one enjoyed her entree. My fish special entree was cold to the point the sauce had formed a skin. My partner's mixed seafood was tasty but salty, and the portion was tiny.
It has potential, but not so much that I want to go back.
Re: “Blind Tiger”
Have a drink, enjoy the courtyard, skip the food.
Re: “Hatchell's American Tapas Tavern”
We used to go to Hatchells all the time. Then they upped their "tappas" sized portions to meal size so you have to pay more and can't possibly order several to share, and got rid of Harp. We ate at Hatchells BECAUSE of the small portions and equivalently sized prices, oh yeah, and for the Harp, but don't see much reason anymore. I can get an average tasting too-big meal and no Harp just about anywhere in MtP
Re: “Fiery Ron's Home Team BBQ”
Home team's ok, it has good bands and the staff is friendly and efficient but:
1. Food: Doesn't come even close to Smokey Oak, in quality, quantity, or price.
2. Parking: Not enough, and your life is in danger in that back parking lot.
3. Prices: Charges admission, and too much for drinks.
4. But worst of all, this place is just not comfortable at all- the metal back chairs hurt before too long, and you can only see the bands from a few seats around the bar. Also, they tend to leave the doors open so the poison from the nicotine addicts gets in.
I'll go there if somebody I want to see is playing, but I usually don't stay very long.
Re: “Smoky Oak Taproom”
I don't do bad reviews. Not my bag. But, in this case, I need to share my experience from Saturday, maybe in search of some corroboration, or direction on whether to go back?
Good stuff first - Spinach & artichoke dip app was great. The pita chips, really freshly fried full-on pita wedges, slightly crispy on the outside & warm on the inside, were fantastic. Mac & cheese was also no slouch, mainly because they are generous w/ the cheese.
Unfortunately, the bad stuff is related to the 2 things I thought this place was known for: BBQ and beer.
Beer first. The menu had a few glaring errors, spelling or ABV-related, but that's OK, I'm used to it and can forgive easily. So I ordered a Big Eye IPA. I know, and love, this beer well. At $5.75/pint, it's right in line w/ other places in Charleston that put it on tap, no problem there. The problem was the beer was gross. Through some confluence of really old (not rotated) beer, and maybe a dirty line, they managed to turn one of my favorite IPAs into something barely drinkable. With 41 taps and a full room with only a handful of craft drinkers, you can't expect fast enough rotation to keep every pour fresh. That said, for almost $6, I want my Big Eye to taste like Big Eye, not like 6-month old Harpoon.
BBQ. Well, I just don't get it. My pulled pork was dry. Teeth-stickingly dry. Like the consistency of an overcooked turkey dry. I fully understand the "naked" concept, but good lord man, that doesn't mean you have to overcook the sh!t out of the pork, does it? That's OK, the sauce will save it, right? Every sauce, save the vinegar-pepper (a bottle of vinegar w/ one pepper in it), looked and tasted like it was 75% high fructose corn syrup. Cloyingly sweet, from the mustard base to the chef's red to the chiptole to the unlabelled one. This much sugar is not necessary in BBQ sauce, and it made them all taste basically the same. I did not sign up for pork-kindling with flavored syrups, but that's basically what I got.
I wanted to love this place. I'd been caught in the rainstorm on Folly. I was chilly, I was tired, and I was ravenously hungry. I wanted killer BBQ, and I wanted to gush about it afterwards. Alas, it was not to be.
Did I order the wrong thing? Is there another dish they have I should try? I'm open to suggestions. Barring that, looks like my visits will continue to be limited to their beer fests (which are great, btw).
Re: “Grindz Burgers & Brew”
I stopped eating there some time ago as there are better options in the area for similar dollars. It has the chance to be a good place with a few tweaks. 1) shrink the menu, specialize in something and make it exceptional instead of offering a huge walmart-esk menu where nothing is very good 2) Focus on being a Brew house (since it is in your name) and offer a better selection of quality beers (finding a way to separate yourself from the competition). 3) Train your wait staff to be better.
Seems simple enough, but they obviously don't get it.
Re: “Tommy Condon's Irish Pub & Seafood Restaurant”
Skip it. Food isn't good. Waitstaff is not attentive. Overpriced.
Re: “Blind Tiger”
I work on Broad Street, which doesn't have that many choices to grab a quick lunch. I've eaten here plenty of times, mainly because it's just a few steps from my office. Honestly, the food isn't bad, but it's overpriced. The service, though is horrible. I went in the other day to pick up a to go order and gave the young waitress a $20 before she gave me a check. I knew my food cost $8 (not including tax) and she gave me back $9 in change, still no receipt. I told her that my meal didn't cost $11 and she said "oh, I got confused. I meant to give you back $11." So, she gave me two more bucks, no change. I'm sure tax didn't total exactly a dollar. In the same experience, I saw the other waitress sneeze into her hands twice and not bother to wash her hands afterwards. I could go on and on about other times of bad service, which is pretty much every time I go in there. Honestly, after reading that other review about the chef not washing his hands once after handling various meats, I think I'm done eating there. However, I will still go to their outdoor patio to enjoy a drink or two because let's face it, that's the best thing about that place.
Re: “Mosaic Cafe & Catering”
Not great food but a great recovery!
In the Iron Gate Plaza on Hungryneck Boulevard is tucked a small, charming restaurant named Mosaic Café and Catering. Recently a friend of ours said it was her favorite place to take her daughter for lunch. She hasn’t steered us wrong yet, so we decided to give it a try.
The restaurant whose vision is to “effectively nourish the body and soul while preserving the highest level of quality and value” is warm and inviting. Our server, Lauren (who we also found out was one of the managers), was very knowledgeable and helpful.
The day we had lunch there was the first day for their February “monthly specials” menu. Lauren reviewed the menu with us and I decided to order the BBQ-ranch chicken sandwich which was advertised as a pan fried chicken breast tossed in balsamic BBQ sauce, topped with pepper jack cheese and cranberry cole slaw, on a Kaiser bun. My husband ordered a cup of white bean turkey chili and a Charleston chicken roller which was a wrap with grilled chicken, bacon, smoked Gouda pimento cheese, spinach, tomatoes and basil mustard. (This sandwich is rated as a Mosaic favorite on the menu.)
The menu itself is interesting. It offers a wide selection of salads, sandwiches, pasta and has an entire “fit” section where all of the menu items are 450 or less. It was difficult to chose.
The restaurant got busy but when we ordered it wasn’t and our lunch was served very quickly. We found the white bean chili to be very bland, but the Charleston roller was great. I again, had unfortunately ordered the wrong dish. The sandwich was as described and the cole slaw was an interesting “purple” (literally), but the sandwich was so overpowered by the taste of vinegar that it was barely edible. The pasta salad that I ordered as a side was al dente and then some, bland and tasted gritty. I had thought that by ordering one of the specials, especially on the first day would have be a win, but it wasn’t.
Lauren did everything she could to apologize. I usually temper my feedback if something is not great, but this time I found myself saying it was “simply awful”. She also offered to get me anything that I wanted on the menu, but we were on a time schedule and had to run.
A few minutes later another manager came to the table. She explained that the cole slaw and the BBQ sauce both had balsamic vinegar (no kidding), so that must be what I was tasting. I mentioned that I liked the vinegar, but it was just too much.
She really did a nice job apologizing, offering me a different lunch option – anything that I would have liked. But THEN she did something that was really unnecessary, and to me, somewhat over the top. She comp’d my sandwich AND she gave us a gift card to come back. Often times when a meal is bad the manager will comp an item but I’ve never had a manager give us a gift card to insure we came back and gave them another try. What a great recovery!
We will try Mosaic again. They really want you to have a great dining experience and it shows. I am certain next visit will be the charm.
More info at http://diningaroundcharleston.com
Re: “FIG”
Let me start by saying I'm a self-admitted food snob. I won a scholarship from Food Network to attend culinary school just so I could learn more. I even choose vacation destinations based on the food scene. It doesn't have to be fancy, it just has to be excellent. Awesome tacos served from a makeshift stand make me just as happy as Michelin stars, and I've had both.
I have lived in downtown Charleston (Wagener Terrace) since 1997, and have dined at every restaurant worth noting. I fell so in love with McCrady's, Cypress and Charleston Grill that I just never made the time to go to FIG. I finally did so recently, and it was a disappointment. The hype simply didn't match the experience.
The service was barely adequate, the food uninspired, and the atmosphere abysmal. It was elementary school cafeteria floors, wait staff dressed in white T-shirts and ankle-length black aprons, and 80's-era paint on the walls. The food portions were adequate, and everything was prepared well, but there was no "wow". We were seated next to the service station in the back so I expected that it would be hard to be ignored. I was wrong. There were long waits between courses, and lengthy periods with empty water glasses.
I get Chef Lata's point of view and I appreciate his finesse and attention to detail. When I'm spending $140 per person on dinner I expect to be wowed. I wasn't. I found myself comparing it to what Sean Brock, Craig Diehl and Robert Carter (formerly of Charleston Grill) were doing in 2006. They have long since moved on, but I find Chef Lata firmly rooted in the past. It's undeniably delicious, but as a culinarian it's just not all that interesting to me.
So if you're a foodie and you're looking for an inventive and inspirational dining experience, don't go to FIG. If you just want to have an excellent meal and can get past the too-casual-for-the-price-point and slightly rundown decor, it's a fantastic choice. Personally, I'll save my money for McCrady's.
Re: “Montreux Bar and Grill”
A few months ago I went to Montreaux for lunch. The place was empty and it took a very long time to get our meal. I was pleased to see that there was a booth at Summerville's Taste of the Town last weekend. The food was good and they were handing out coupons for lunch specials.
Today my partner and I stopped in for lunch. Again the restaurant was empty at 1:00 pm. I noticed the specials on the board walking into the restaurant. They were not listed on the interior of the restaurant. We ordered the special, the meatball sub. Had I the opportunity to study the special, I would have skipped on it because it came with a side of pasta, which was tasty but I try to avoid starch when I can. I mention it because it seemed that they must have had to boil fresh water for the pasta, because it took over 20 minutes to get our food. I ordered the special because I figured it would be quick. The portion size left much to be desired. It was a $8 6 inch.
We sat at a table and were served by the bartender who was very friendly and attentive. Given that she was the only server, I concluded that I was mistaken in believing that the restaurant had seriously committed to a regular lunch business. Another gentleman came into the restaurant and got his order much quicker than we did. Apparently I should have ordered a quesadilla.... I want to support local businesses but I do not have the time to risk another slow service at Montreaux anytime soon.
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Re: “Montreux Bar and Grill”
Unless your a smoker, there's nowhere in this bar to just hang out and chat/drink with your friends. Two bands, one in front and one in back on a Saturday night. We used to go here often but the atmosphere is just going downhill. The menu has few worthy dishes but there are far better places to eat. They cram people into this place like sardines. Its No wonder fights break out every weekend. Most of the bartenders do not know how to mix drinks. It really is a shame, this place used to be classy but now it's classless.