Chris Z.
Yelp
There are bad restaurants, and then there's Annex Crafthouse, a place so tragically mismanaged it should be studied in business schools as a cautionary tale.
I walked in, sat at the bar, and immediately became invisible. No greeting, no service, just me and the sounds of a bar staff more focused on shots and social hour than doing their jobs. Eventually, I was noticed not by a bartender, but by someone sitting next to me who also happened to work there (maybe?). She stayed glued to that barstool for the full two hours I was there. That's right, two hours for a sandwich. And no, it wasn't some Wagyu burger with truffle dust. It was a BLT. A $17 BLT.
Ten minutes to get a menu. Another twenty to place my order. And then the wait began. I had time to rewatch my life choices while the bar played out like a bad improv show. One bartender actually tried, credit where it's due, but she was outnumbered by others who clearly mistook this job for a frat party. One guy was pouring free drinks for someone who seemed to be either an owner or a mascot, whoever he was (Z), he never paid for a thing and kept the booze flowing.
Meanwhile, a woman in hot pants wandered around like she was part of a deleted scene from Coyote Ugly, alternating between knocking back shots with customers and occasionally pretending to clean up. Another woman, possibly a manager, definitely not on the roster for the evening, ate two full meals at the bar and played part-time server when she wasn't raiding the kitchen like it was her personal snack drawer.
Finally, after a glacial 45 minutes, the legendary $17 BLT arrived. It was fine, basic, edible, the kind of sandwich that belongs on a diner menu for $6. The "premium" onion rings? A cruel joke. Greasy, rubbery, frozen abominations that tasted like burnt fryer oil and despair. I ate one and regretted it for the rest of the evening.
The one competent bartender apologized when he saw the look on my face as I shoved the plate away. I paid, tipped her (she earned it), and left, never to return.
Annex Crafthouse isn't just bad. It's a full-blown case study in how not to run a business. Unless you're into overpriced sandwiches, mystery staff, and the thrill of watching a workplace fall apart in real time, do yourself a favor and eat literally anywhere else.