I *want* to like Broadway Grill and Brewery. It’s clear from the packed house on Day Two that others want to do the same thing. And the hordes of staff – from bussers to waitstaff to managers – are bound and determined, in a kind of ‘grit your teeth and SMILE’ way, to *make* you like them.
BUT – the nickel and diming starts early on, with a .95 cent charge to substitute fries for chips with your sandwich. An extra 50 cents to bring a side of thousand island (oh, the humanity!) for the fries (someone up above was watching out for my foodie soul, as my waitress forgot the side and I had to make do with ketchup.) And my server was very careful to Make Sure I knew of the extra charges – which smacks of training that drilled fiscal management over, um, actually delivering what the customer requested (we never got water, either.)
The menu *looks* good – plenty of salads, two different soup choices, a bunch of burgers, and a reuben that finally managed to seduce me. But while the eye candy that appeared on my plate at first *looked* generously portioned, the pastrami was overly salty, while the rye bread suffered from being too thinly sliced, under-grilled, and ultimately – thanks to the whole bottom part of the sandwich, left to sit on the plate too long before serving – limp, soggy, prone to disintegrate in my hands, and ultimately unsatisfying (the parallels to my dating history left me tripping down a memory lane best left un-revisited.) The fries? I’d bet they’re courtesy of Sysco, and also less than stellar.
My frugal side shuddered at the prices for the children’s menu – my daughter’s $4.95 dinner included 1 lone pita covered with sauce and two cheeses, cut in wedges, and 1 glass of lemonade. There’s no such thing as a children’s dessert – instead, they list the regular desserts on the kid’s menu (on the placemat that’s delivered with crayons). This guarantees that your kid will pester you for a three dollar root beer float, or a promised brownie-ice cream extravaganza for $4.50.
And once you cave and agree to split the latter? You’ll be duking it out with dueling spoons, each fighting for more than five bites of brownie, covered with one measly scoop of ice cream, all nestled with room to spare – in a ramekin.
Sadly, I couldn’t bear to tell the manager – who stopped by our table to inquire about our meal – just how mediocre everything was (except for the beer, which I enjoyed.) She did, however, regale me with a bit of Epicure gossip once I mentioned the fact that we’d been watching the place for months now and asked about their ability to seat a large crowd.
She also said that a woman had shown up wondering if the new owners would honor the reservation she’d made for a large party months ago, since she’d put down a thousand dollar non-refundable deposit for the side room. Turns out, no one had bothered to contact her to let her know Epicure was now closed; the Broadway Grill manager gave her the information for the bankruptcy case instead.
Finally, the space division is, um, interesting. I think they’ve actually taken out tables in the front area, while they did manage to nicely carve up that once-cavernous back area.
So – I *want* to like the place. I’m willing to let them shake it out a bit more, and I’ll just have to figure out how to get more bang for my buck, is all. And I’m going to have to go back at least one more time once they start weekend brunches – they promise $1.99 Bloody Mary’s all day Sunday; I’ll have to, um, sample a few to see if they pass muster. Especially since I can then stumble home on foot afterwards….
Phone: (503) 284-4460.
Address: 1700 NE Broadway, Portland. OR. 97232 Google Map. (In the Lloyd Center area – the old Epicure location).
[Betsy blogs at her own personal website, My Whim is Law. She used to be a hell of a cook before she overscheduled her life, but now carves out room in the budget for dining out instead.]
We went here tonight. The space feels unfinised to me, with the backs of the booths like the Ivar unpainted furniture from Ikea. The lighting is pretty, and it’s not as industrial feeling as Epicure was. Unfortunately, it was on the loud side and a few TVs were adding to the noise.
The pluses: the beer was good and varied, the house salad with ‘homemade’ ranch dressing fresh and tasty. If you love garlic, the caesar is also good, but they’re not kidding when they call it ‘garlicky’.
The minuses: you’re so right about soggy sandwiches. I had the pulled pork, and ended up leaving the disentigrating bun almost untouched and used a fork. The breading on the halibut in the fish & chips was just weird. Tough.
And it’s a bit pricey for the stingy, potato-chip accompaniments — hey, what about a pickle spear, at least? But the salads were large for side salads.
The place was doing a brisk business with about 2/3 of tables full. On Friday night at 8:30, no one was drinking at the bar but about half the tables had young children. I think they’re going for the family business.
The menu is identical (with a few omissions) to the one at Old Market Pub, and that place is a success, isn’t it? Maybe they’ve got a formula that works for lots of people.
This all sounds dreadful. And that the best Betsy and Erin can say is, “good beer” does not bode well.
I will repeat what I posted her seeral months ago: that place needs a great — and I mean as in Elephants-great — delicatessen/fine foods spot. The neighborhood can support it. I live here, and would go ALL the time, because my options for deli food as of now are Fred Meyer (pretty bad), Safeway (remember that ptomaine-looking hot dog Homer got at the Quik-E-Mart? They have that, plus unspeakably gross entrees and salads, things that no one in his or her right mind would buy: potato salad gone puce, and holding a dead fly; chicken that looks like it’s spending its 33rd day under the heat lamp), New Seasons (fantastic, but at 33rd and Killingsworth, just a little too far), and Wild Oats, where absolutely nothing looks appealing and tastes worse. We have Foster & Dobbs, but it’s small; not the sort of place you do an (albeit spendy) shopping. I know a spot like Elephants is a huge undertaking; it takes scads of cash and a squadron of people who understand food and want to keep doing it right day after day. Any takers?
I’m with you Nancy.
But can we add good bagels to that mix? If this could be a good East Coast or LA style deli AND good bagel maker, I am convinced the curse of the location would be broken and the lines would be out the door.
Unfortunately I think will will need to import the “taker” from somewhere else.
Maybe I’ll put an ad on Craigslist NYC, LA, Montreal, etc. Begging someone to come to Portland and open a good deli.
Dare me?
How about I sign it with you. I might even be enticed to be part of such an enterprise. As for a bagel baker: yes. Yes. YES.
Nancy, word. Let’s do it.
I’ll be in touch soon
CBF
Oh man. This town so needs a decent bagel. I was reminded of that on a recent trip to (of all places) Jackson Hole. The bagels at Pearl Street bear a striking resemblance to Touch of Grace. Forget law, Mike, and open a damned retail store, would you? Or could you at least teach someone with more time and less work to make them?
Deli/Bagel Seekers:
1. It’s no secret that Ken Gordon and Nick “ExtraMsg” Zukin are looking for space in which to site a full-time Jewish deli. They want to expand their offerings to the entire range of east coast Jewish deli treats, but their one-day/wk operation is bursting at the seams as it is. Stay tuned.
2. As for the future of the Touch of Grace Bakery–
a. we will be @ Portland Farmers Market on Sat, 10/21 and again on the Market’s final day in December.
b. I am teaching a bagel baking class at In Good Taste on 10/29. The recipe is included for any of you ambitious diy types.
c. My current intention is to continue to work with Ken and Nick. One outcome involves a bagel baking operation that I would oversee.
d. I have been contacted by one other restaurant to see about supplying them with bagels. We will have to see how those discussions go.
3. Bear in mind that Mark Doxtader, the “gentle giant” (per the “O”) who runs the mobile oven that frequents the Portland Farmers Market and has been selling bagels at the Hillsdale Farmers Market on Sundays, was putting together a subscription list to supply bagels over the winter. Mark has a lot of fans. If you haven’t tried his bagels, you should.
On topic, I keep wondering why clueless types open bad restaurants that are doomed to failure by their own inadequacies. Not to say that this place is one, but it sure sounds like it. Bummer–for them and the public.
P.S.: Anyone heard more on whether the Demes/Jaurich (“Couvron”) team has really returned to town? Architechtural grandiosity aside, Tony could tear it up in the kitchen. I’d love to see him take on the “molecular gastronomy” niche. If anyone could pull it off, he could.
–mcz
Ass’t Baker, Touch of Grace Bakery
4. There’s a bunch of local people trying to rent out space in the ground floor of the 1620 building on Broadway in Irvington for a community market that does just what you’re looking for, Nancy & CBF – I’ll have more about it in a few minutes over on Portland Metroblogging (read the update in the Hollywood Star & found two websites with info – it’s too long to offer it all up in a comment here, so I’m putting it there.) And they’re looking for investors…
The stress in this community market seems to be local local organic local local community local. That’s cool, but I also want French sea salt, and habenaro sauce from Jamaica, and hard-wheat flour from Nebraska, and Israeli couscous. We have an incredible breadbasket here in the NW, but the rest of the world is great, too.
I did not get excited by this market, as represented by the site. What will the place look like? What does it feel like? Who’s doing what? Why am I going here? The project’s linchpin is for the community to step up and take part–they cite several local businesses that have expressed “initial interest,” such as Broadway Books and Great Wine Buys (a store I can’t stand, but that’s another story)–which to me is extremely problematic. All existing store owners have to worry about their own operations; if another retail place says, will you join us? you might, but, what’s in it for me? And, how much help? And, how long before I reap the benefits? Also, who’s the captain? The About Us page gives the people heading this up some cute titles (Chief Ebullience Officer; Real Estate Ruffian), but there’s no dynamism, no dynamic leader, and zero specifics.
This may be the point; the site states, “Importantly, the goal is also to involve the community-at-large to make decisions about the services, product offerings, and other aspects of the market.” How do you harness this into something with a clear and brilliant and workable vision? In a venture such as this, I want someone to show me what he’s going to do, how he’s going to do it, and why he’s going to do it better than anyone else in town. This is how people raise capital and get things off the ground. Telling me they’re going to have a bunch of exisiting businesses maybe come on board, for a venture that will open if they can raise the money, which they haven’t, interests me not at all.
Nancy & CBF, you make me sad wishing there was such a deli in this neighborhood. Bagels, too. I like Foster & Dobbs and am glad they’re here, but they’re pretty much cheese, meats and bread and pantry items. No salads, nothing like an awesome stew or casserole that you could buy and heat up at home when you want something tasty and don’t want to cook or go out.
Betsy, I read the Star article too, but I have my doubts on the viability of the ‘neighbors’ coming up with $600,000 to support this. Or are there really 600 folks who have the cash and want the market as bad as we do? I think that they need to broadcast their plans more widely than in the Star if they really want it to work.
Oh, I forgot to mention the part on the back of the B’way Grill & Pub’s menu that explains how they realize that lots of restaurants have come and gone in the spot, but theirs is a seasoned business that knows how to succeed and is in it for the long haul…
Well, don’t forget that Whole Foods is still planning, as far as I know, a Hollywood location. I think they already have the land for it. Personally, I really miss Irvington Market.
That spot is cursed i tell you. First i noticed it was Corner Table. Then it was Epicure. Now it’s another mediocre restaurant in a spot that deserves a great neighborhood bistro. What’s the deal? Can a location really be cursed?
This all sounds dreadful. And that the best Betsy and Erin can say is, “good beer” does not bode well.
So, I feel someone here should speak for the beers. I, your humble Beerax, am happy to do so. I would love to see more brewpubs that put equal emphasis on food. Hell, I’d love to see a brewpub that married food and beverage and local produce so that the menu shifts with the seasons. But I don’t think it’s fair to judge a brewpub as a restaurant. And this brewpub gives more emphasis to the food than you do to its beers.
Judged against other brewpubs, the beer is about or slightly above (the very high) average for this city. The food is clearly better. As a sometimes sports fan, I appreciate the flat-panel screens, and also appreciate that they’re mostly unobtrusive, so I don’t have to watch. I think there was a reason the place was packed (as it was when I visited): it’s a better-than-average brewpub in a neighborhood that doesn’t even have a below-average brewpub (the McMenamins outpost excepted).
Am I the only one who used to call this space “The Coroner’s Table”?
I am confused. Is this place a brew pub (makes their own) or a pub or ale house (serves others’ product) ? I thought I’d heard that an outpost of a brewery in LO was moving in, but then I saw a ton of neon for Bud and other liquid fare that I don’t tend to associate with the “brewpub” moniker. Food aside, what’s up with the beer–as in, what do they serve?
Eva B. :
They are indeed a full brew-pub. While I have not been yet, the blogger over at Beervana has, and here is his report:
http://beervana.blogspot.com/2006/10/review-broadway-grill-and-brewery.html
I wanted to “like” this place as well, having endured the endless parade of failed restaurants in this location.
The verdict, after two sincere tries? Dreadful food, lousy bar, friendly, yet inept staff.
They couldn’t make a decent Margarita and didn’t have a clue about a Daquiri. I settled for a gin and tonic, as the wine choices were vile.
The food was also lousy, with nothing to recommend it. The second visit, the actually made me ill once I got home.
Sorry about that folks. You might make it in some distant town with no other choices, but not in Portland, Home of Great Restaurants.
Two thumbs way, way down.
THE worst burger I’ve had in portland! I wish them luck, but I will never go back.
You guys are too harsh. Does anything really satisfy you? I have been there several times and each time it has been consistent (decent food, beer and service). I live in the neighborhood, but maybe I am not as picky or pretentious as you want to be. This isn’t the Pearl or trendy-third you know. It’s more than pub grub and it’s a respectable family joint. Be happy that there is a cool place to hang out and watch a game, play pool, or dine with your family. It has been my experience that the service at BG&B is above average for Portland (no matter what prices you your paying). So eat, drink and be happy. Cheers!
Most of the food in the Pearl is mediocre; ditto, 23rd. As for pub grub that’s worth eating: try Horse Brass. And yes, plenty of restaurant food satisfies; how long a list you want? Pok Pok; Siam Society; Park Kitchen; Le Pigeon. Podnah’s; Lovely Hula Hands; Wong’s King, Por Que Non. At half these places, you can eat an excellent meal for between $7 and $15. Most people I’ve heard complain about Broadway Grill did so not because they didn’t think was trendy enough (come on), but because they thought the food was lousy.
Having lived at the Horse Brass for the better part of 12 years I will say: Unless things have changed drastically in the kitchen… The best choices are the Pot Pies and a side salad..beyond that..you’re in dangerous territory. Of course I haven’t been in quite some time.That said..The Brass is/was the best Pub in Portland. Barnone. Great beer and after a period of courtship..a great staff. Long Live the Horse Brass!I miss Mike Dooley!
Nancy, you just threw a nice little aside out there that frankly confounds me. “Most of the food in the Pearl is mediocre; ditto, 23rd.” I just can’t agree with that. Every place you list for satisfaction is on, big surprise, the east side. The west side has some pretty damn good restaurtants and I have to disagree that “most” of the food in either the Pearl and upper NW districts are mediocre. I think the batting average is exactly the same on either side of the river.
I haven’t been to 23Hoyt, which is supposed to be amazing, but other than that, I can’t think of anyplace on 23rd that I’ve eaten that’s been above average. I have been to only four of the higher-end restaurants in the Pearl, all of which I will decline to name, and have not been wowed by any of them. But that’s me, Hunter; if you love them, great. As for the eastside: yes, I live here, and have also eaten plenty of bad meals here. I mean, really bad. Still, I have found what’s going on on this side of the river, with the exception of Park Kitchen (perhaps my favorite of all) to be more to my taste.
Interesting point Nancy makes about which side of the river offers the best food. My opinion is exactly the opposite of hers, but then I live in the Pearl: I’ve had so many astonishingly good meals within a 10-minute walk of my house that I rarely feel the desire to to hop into the car and cross the river to dine (except, of course, to go to Ken’s Pizza, for which I’d happily crawl across a desert on my knees). Case in point: clarklewis. We dined there only once, almost two years ago, and had a great meal. Yet for some reason we’ve never had any desire to return to that out-of-the-way spot. I think it’s because we have so many really nice places to dine closer to home. (By the way, that’s one question I’d love to see Food Dude poll his readers on: Which PDX restaurant have you dined at and liked but never returned to?)
For the record, some Pearl restaurants where I can count on having more-or-less terrific meals pretty regularly, beside Park Kitchen, include: D.F., Hiroshi, Fenouil, Cafe Allora, Fratelli, Olea, Oba, Andina, Silk, and Sungari Pearl. Oh, and I think the Kobe burger served at the Rogue brew pub is the best in the city.
I think the underlying theme is one I’ve been espousing for some time…it’s all subjective. I can’t agree with Nancy that one restaurant on the west side is “above average”, but that’s her take. I am literally on the other side, I hear so much hoopla about what’s “going on” on the east side, only to be repeatedly disappointed. Both sides have good and bad, it’s all up to the tastes of the consumer.
Papaki, “Oh, and I think the Kobe burger served at the Rogue brew pub is the best in the city.”
Honey, you just blew your credibility.
Well, it’s certainly the best I’ve had around here. Since I’m a reasonable guy (and — more important — since you called me “Honey”), I’m willing to entertain the possibility there might be better ones I just haven’t discovered yet. As Hunter says, “It’s all subjective.” Suggestions?
“suds sister:
Papaki, “Oh, and I think the Kobe burger served at the Rogue brew pub is the best in the city.”
Honey, you just blew your credibility.”
How so? In the words leading up to this statement Papaki lists ” D.F., Hiroshi, Fenouil, Cafe Allora, Fratelli, Olea, Oba, Andina, Silk, and Sungari Pearl.” all of which I would agree are more than “mediocre”
I would also add Bluehour and Girogios… I would also highlight that 21st and 23rd both have IMO more than “mediocre” food, Bewon and Paley’s for example.
So Papaki likes the Rogue Burger? Subjective. I can’t see how that blows the credibilty of Papaki? Anymore than my differences with some of FD’s reviews blows FD’s credibilty. And obviously I am in disagreement with Nancy’s broad dismissal of all of NW Portland, but that doesn’t mean her credibility is in the gutter either. Although that Horse Brass praise has me concerned…
If you are just going for a burger, really the best in town IMO is Cafe Castagna. If you want a burger and great beer, go to Higgins.
Don’t get me wrong, I love, love, love Rogue’s beers, but their food is just awful. And pricey: the Kobe hockey puck at Rogue is about $10.
You can get a much better burger at almost anywhere else in town for around the same price. My advice is to grab a pint or two at Rogue and then have dinner at the bar at Bluhour or Wildwood, even. Both have great burgers.
I’d forgotten this place was even reviewed until I saw this latest stream of comments. I recently moved very close to the BB&G and have been there twice. I’d put it about on par with McMenamins. Food is roughly equal, beer is worse (my wife ordered some apple flavored monstrosity the last time we were there), but the service was better.
See this is where preferences vary wildly.
Had the Cafe Castagna burger on Saturday ($11.00 served with lots of super crisp skinny frites). I’ve had it before, but this time I was with a dining companion who is always on the hunt for the best burger.
So we split it (even though we asked the kitchen to cut it in half for us but annoyingly they decided not to), and talked about it so I was really able to focus on what I liked and didn’t like about it and frankly it is not my favorite burger in town. It’s perfectly fine – cooked properly and with high quality ingredients and everything. However, the grind is coarser than I like and I felt the bun was pretty eggy for my taste. I think Higgins has the best burger (although sadly no fries), Bluehour burger is also great, Doug Fur Burger has also been fantastic and a bargain at happy hour, and for a while there the Slow Bar had a stellar burger but last time I had it was not as good.
So, to each his own. If the man (or woman) likes the Rogue burger, then good for them.
Yes, what happened with Slow Bar’s burgers? They were so good, and then, not so good.
A second thumbs-up for Higgins’ burger.
Hear there’s also a great burger at the Pigeon.
And here’s a question: where can you get a big good sloppy burger on the cheap, meaning essentially, a counter joint or drive-through?
I’m with suds sister on this one. I wouldn’t be my choice to eat Rogue’s food again, but I would drink their beer. I feel the same way about the Horse Brass, which sucks because I love that pub.
Horse Brass qualifier: I’ve only eaten the fish and chips, but thought they were really, really good.
Nancy, what are your qualifications for judging whether or not the fish and chips are good at the horse brass? How dare you! Just kidding.
As for the Slow bar slow burger. Maybe the savant burger making chef left, or maybe they were losing money on it, or maybe they just got lazy. Too bad though, because for a while there it was an awesome burger at an awesome price.
For counter-joints/drive-ins…I remember Giants in Lake Oswego fitting that bill, and some people like the Skyline Drive-in although I’ve never tried it. Also, what about the burgers at that Burger Bar on Sandy Blvd – you know the place near NE 42nd that looks so 1940s from the outside. Anyone have any opinions on that place?
Man, I was going to do nothing but rice, fish and veggies today – but I must have burger now. With cheese. and fries.
Burger Bar is an amazing throw-back. Fries are lackluster and the burgers are good (but not stellar.) Malts hit the spot. I wish someone would open a place with the same sort of feel and a slightly better burger. We hit Burger Bar occassionally, but mostly because it’s just so cool.
The chef that was making such good burgers at Slow Bar left some time ago. Hasn’t been the same since.
Interestingly enough, that chef who made the slow bar burgers used to cook at Marche in Eugene. Another alum from Marche is now the chef at District (the old vanguardia spot). His food is well worth the visit (and the $8 price tag for everything)….including the burger. Might not be the best in town, but it is head and shoulders above 90% of the stuff out there. (The crab cakes are the winner in my eyes!)
Wow – look at the resurgence here! Spring arrives and we all think of…burgers…?
To get back to the original criticism for a minute – boggie seems to think that food and price are irrelevant; it’s good service that ought to win out here. That plus a family-friendly vibe and pool, I guess (I promise – I’ll get back to burgers soon…)
Um, sorry – I also live in the neighborhood, but I don’t own one of those nice Irvington houses. And trendy – uh, my kid will dispute you on that front.
I just want to make sure that I’m going to get my money’s worth at the end of the day – no matter where I end up. So I’ll splurge for ribs at Podnah’s ’cause they’re loaded with meat and done incredibly – even though I might find cheaper bones at a Tony Roma’s, for example. Or I’ll go to HIggins if I want a really excellent burger.
For *me*, Broadway Grill lost out ’cause the food was mediocre, the portions skimpy, and the vibe unfriendly (what with all the nickel & diming.) It had nothing at all to do with the ‘trendiness’ – or lack thereof. I haven’t been back – and from the look of things, I’m not the only one who’s not showing up any more.
Now, back to burgers – I keep hearing good things about Red Coach downtown. I can’t ever get there myself – but would that fill Nancy’s sloppy burger void?
Umm….no. The Red Coach, or “roach” as it’s known downtown makes a good burger dirt cheap, but it’s no sloppy burger. I’d vote for the Giant in L.O., the Helvetia Tavern, Stanich’s or the Nob Hill.
I’m not a fan of Stanich’s, but every once in a while I need to trek out to the Helvetia Tavern and have one of those burgers. Nancy, I do think this is probably the sloppy burger you’re looking for. Don’t know if it is worth the drive out into the hinterlands for ya, but it will definitely satisfy that sloppy burger urge.
Jill-O: I’d been in Portland about two days when we did that burger crawl, and had zero sense of where I was driving, but I think we did hit Helvetia, yes? And I did like it. But it’s too far! As for Stanich’s: it’s six blocks from Ristretto, and I do confess Din and I have made the walk about a half-dozen times. Not bad, and helped along certainly by the no-frills, working man’s atmosphere. It’s the sort of place which seems as though, there should be one on every other block, and I guess there was, in 1971.
I’m sensing a mission here. My specs for a great burger would be, the sort of place you can say, on the fly, “Let’s grab a burger.” No tableclothes, no waiting; no $12 per. If you have to eat standing up, outside, or at a sticky table, that’s fine. There should be some char on the meat, and a bun that gets soggy but not instantly. Lettuce? Doesn’t matter. Onions? If they’re grilled. Special sauce? Um, yes please. And on the side, crisp thin fries, hot and oily, or onion rings, freshly-fried after being dredged in flour, not dumped frozen from a plastic bag.
Nancy – sounds like you’re talking about In and Out Burger, almost (I don’t remember much in the way of char.)
But as you may know already, the nearest one’s down south in Redding…!
Yes, In-and-Out. After a particularly grueling weekend in Baja, which included eating practically nothing because where we’d wound up, everything was so toxic, Din and I crossed back into the US and pulled in at the first In-and-Out we saw and ate, without doubt, one of the five finest meals of our lives. Have I ever liked an In-and-Out so much before or since? No, but at that moment, it was so damn fine, we just kept looking at each other and saying, “This is so good… it’s so good…“
In terms of burgers…I’m a big fan of the burger at Rose & Thistle…just really well executed, no fuss, no muss burger.
Or maybe I’m just biased because the cook there makes really really good fries. :)
This is a neighborhood joint for me. My wife and I have had mixed luck at happy hour, at the sidewalk tables. Sounds like a good idea, but its hard to talk with the Tri-met buses blasting by on NE Broadway. Seasonal beers where interesting! I’ve also tried them for lunch. My son and I went in for hot dogs and a drink. Service was slow, food bland, and even my beer flat. By my count there have been five different restaurants there since the late 1990s. Is this location cursed?!
waitresses are too busy socializing to work. One even stopped pouring my beer midway through to squeel and run from behind the bar to hug and talk to some friends. Lovely, nice and professional. . .
Our waitress was friendly and professional.
Then she overcharged us by $6.00. There was nothing about the math that would lead me to think that the overcharge was an accident.
When we called the discrepancy to her attention, she immediately told us, “OK, we can fix that” WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING to see what the discrepancy was or ask what the difference was. It made us wonder if this is routine for her.
Keep your eye on your bill. Check, especially, when your credit card tab is split between two or more that your figures add up to what is on the check.
Mar: You posted this on Craigslist under Rants & Raves, didn’t you?
“We liked you and thought you were professional and were planning on tipping you well on Saturday afternoon. Why did you have to overcharge us? We could tell from your reaction when we called it to your attention that it wasn’t an accident, and mathematically your $6 “error” made no sense.
We still tipped you 20%, but we also know what you tried to do to us. We would have tipped you even better had you not overcharged us.
It creates ill will in the world when you pretend to be nice to someone and then try to rip them off. :-( And I mean it.”
http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/rnr/1578642500.html
I’ve never had a problem with this at the Broadway and I’ve been there a few times. But this is rampant in the bar business in Portland and that is a fact, and sometimes it is at the behest of a manager or owner. I know this from having been on both sides of the bar in many a place and having lots of friends in the bidness.
In this economy you can’t mess around. Heck, even Oprah is telling people to tip 10%.
It’s a shame if somebody or a business gets their reputation tarnished for what could have been an accident, but ya know, there are a lot of servers (and owners) out there giving other servers a bad name. I
Tim,
I sort of agree. It is common in the business but is usually not suggested by the owner, who would have much to lose if a reputation got around.
Often it is a cooperative deal between the waiters/waitresses. What happens is that somebody pays in cash. The waiter/waitresses will pocket the cash and then tack that onto someone else’s credit card total. I don’t know if that’s really what happened in the case of Mar, but I can tell you that the owner would not be pleased if they learnt that a waitress was doing this.
The Broadway Brewery and Grill is what it is. The pros are that is reasonably priced place, has passable beer that is better than Mac Menamin’s watery stuff, and is in a neighborhood with few other options. The cons are that the interior is very non-descript and that they sometimes have to resort to hiring less than the best in terms of waitstaff.