Lance E.
Yelp
What a mixed bag, at best. So we will do this in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly format. (READ FURTHER DOWN FOR THE UGLY).
THE GOOD: The food was fine, no significant complaints. The fries were de-lish. Prices all average.
THE BAD: I recall they were out of a number of things (and it was only Saturday midday), but not a problem. They had us wait for a table in the back, with the old bar and in the dingy old part of the restaurant. Not terrible, but not as nice as the restaurant you walk into and expect to be in.
THE TRULY UGLY: So we are in for the day. I want to show my young 12 year old son and girlfriend (an investment specialist in a Park Ave financial firm) around Woodstock. I have spent many summers there growing up, and visiting family homes just 2 miles off the main strip.
As mentioned, we were waiting for a table in the back room, so all the wait-staff saw a white man, with his white son, and black girlfriend. So when we got seated at a table in front and the GF needed to use the bathroom, this should never have been an issue.
But it was. She went back and asked a waiter where the restroom was. He looks at her (mind you, in clothing whose cost exceeds both his and my own weekly income), and snottily asks, "Are you dining with us?"
When she came back and told me, I was quite disturbed. There is ZERO question where this was coming from. We all know outright bigotry when we see it hit us in the face like that. So I asked to speak with the manager. Who I found out, was also the owner, James.
Any sensible person would have expected him to take matters full on, offer an apology, and perhaps even buy a round of drinks. At the very least, acknowledge the issue and suggest a strong talking to the waiter was to follow. But no.
James, the owner, it seems is all about James. Literally his first reply was, "well, you see we have to pay for the water we use and when people use our restrooms...." The next line of excuses was, "I was a therapist for years, and was burned out and had to change careers".
I was sitting there amazed at his lack of any responsibility for what happened, or correcting the situation in any positive way. PLUS, his dialog was making it sound like this would happen to anyone asking for directions to the restroom.
I responded, "Fine, if you think this is normal for your staff, I will -- right here and now -- bet you $1,000 that if I walk back and ask for directions to the bathroom, I will not be asked if I am dining with your establishment". He would not take the bet, and finally, begrudgingly, admitted I would most likely not be profiled the way my non-white GF was.
This garbage is not what we, who have loved Woodstock for more than a generation, should expect in what has always been a liberal and welcoming town and culture. And this is NOT what we should expect on the 50th anniversary of "PEACE, LOVE & MUSIC".