Arturo M.
Yelp
I wanted to love this place because the meat quality really wasn't bad, but the overall experience was a little chaotic. I'm not sure if this is a custom, but we were greeted when we came through by everyone which was nice! From the moment we sat down, the smoke was everywhere. We were surrounded by four open windows, and every gust of wind seemed to push the smoke straight into my face. It got so bad that the table next to us was coughing and waving their menus to get relief. Between that and the crowded setup, it wasn't exactly the relaxing dinner we'd hoped for.
The meats were flavorful and cooked well once we managed the timing, but the sides and salad were just okay, nothing memorable. What really threw me off was how the servers would suddenly appear out of nowhere and start chopping our meat without asking. You would think this is a nice gesture, but it was invasive. The first time it happened, I actually jumped because I didn't even realize someone had come up behind me with scissors. By the fourth or fifth time, we just laughed it off, but it definitely added to the chaos.
We didn't have a reservation, and Yelp's wait estimate said less than ten minutes for a party of 2 and being 2nd in line...it ended up being over 30!! Parking was another headache. I wish I'd known about the $4 lot because I spent fifteen minutes circling for street parking and ended up walking about four blocks. Then later I read reviews saying people had valuables taken from their cars, so that was another layer of stress. The restaurant itself felt tight and hectic. When I went to use the restroom, it was like trying to move through a war zone with servers rushing around carrying trays and hot plates. They weren't rude, just focused, but it was clear their job came before anyone trying to get through.
Overall, the food was fine, but the environment made it hard to enjoy. I'll probably try another spot next time because Gen K-BBQ still does it better in my opinion.