Boy H.
Yelp
Come for the Fish, Skip the Fries
We went to this restaurant thinking it would be a solid choice--the menu looked promising, and the vibe outside was good. The fish portion of the fish & chips turned out to be excellent. Honestly, some of the best I've had anywhere: scalding hot, perfectly crisp, and full of flavor. My wife's baked chicken, on the other hand, was fine--just fine. The kind of meal you forget about as soon as you leave. Beer selection was strong, and the patio was buzzing, though the inside was oddly empty, almost eerily so.
But here's where the whole thing went downhill: the fries. I specifically asked if I could get fresh ones, not the ones that had been sitting under a heat lamp. The waiter hedged, first saying yes, then backing off with a vague "I can't guarantee" excuse, even though the place was only about a third full. Sure enough, when the food came, the fries were the dreaded heat-lamp variety. Lukewarm, limp, and tasting like an afterthought. Meanwhile, both my fish and my wife's chicken were steaming hot, which tells me fries here are cooked in giant batches, dumped in a holding bin, and left there until someone orders them. That's lazy food prep, plain and simple. They might as well just serve potato chips and be honest about it.
In the end, the restaurant left me with two big disappointments:
1. A non-busy waiter who wouldn't commit to a simple request.
2. A kitchen that treats fries like filler instead of food.
It's a shame, because the fish alone was five-star quality. If they matched that care with the rest of the plate and service, this would be an easy four-star spot. As it stands, it's more like a two-and-a-half, saved only by one excellent piece of fish. Needless to say, the tip suffered.
Note to servers: Great tips typically follow great service (and food). I usually tip 20% if it's good, 25% when great, and 30% for terrific. For example, the waiter at Piecasso earned a 30% tip, while the waiter at Idletyme earned 15%.