Emily R.
Yelp
I've visited this restaurant for the past 3 years to see a friend of mine perform in one of the Sunday drag brunches. The first couple of years were ok, expensive, but the atmosphere was so much fun and the food and drinks were well presented and tasty. This year however, the rules for entry have changed and frankly I am both angry and disappointed about my experience there. The remodel looks great and as always, the talent is entertaining. However in order to enter you are required to a) be on time or you will be denied entry (this seems silly unless it's a full house, which it was definitely not, the show also started late). b) you must buy an entree or they will add $15 to the price of your ticket. c) there is a 4% charge added specifically for the chef and an automatic 20% charge added to the bill specifically for the drag brunch which is disclosed in fine print on the menu and nowhere else. Ok, sure, doesn't make a whole lot of business sense to me coming from the food service industry myself, empty seats for late attendance don't make any money, but hey COVID has been hard on this industry.
Here's where it gets frustrating, so I ordered an Americana breakfast for $23, the eggs were comparable to Denny's, the sausage links were cold, the home fries were burnt and the toast comes unbuttered with a prepackaged smuckers container of strawberry jelly. I asked for hot sauce and got a couple of tear packets of tapatio. Diner food and nothing more. Not exactly what I expect when I see a 4% mandatory gratuity for the chef. This is not what I see when I see a $115 price tag all said and done. I mean you can at least spoon the jelly on to the plate and present it to match the high-end status of your establishment. But I figure hey, ya know what I'm having fun and the bottomless mimosas are just that. So the time comes to leave, and the receipt that we signed states $59 and some change. Alright, that's not bad. I check my bank account and I have not only been charged $85 in one transaction but there is another mysterious charge a day later for $10. This does not include the price of the tickets paid prior to entry.
This reeks of shady to me, while ultimately the sneaky double tip and total add up (the $10 does not but I am not going to call and argue with some poor front of house person for $10) I dislike very much not having full transparency and disclosure from any establishment, but particularly one that markets itself as a cut above the rest. I especially don't appreciate being forced to buy food that isn't very good.
I really hope my friend will start booking at other venues in Seattle because I do not want to come back here.