Willis C.
Yelp
I really wanted to like this place. Unfortunately, my one and only visit left a lot to be desired. I was so disappointed I debated on whether to finish this review.
I visited back in March a few weeks after they opened. I went during afternoon but after what would have been the lunch-hour rush. Upon entering the door, I was a bit turned off as the first thing I see is a sign stating there is an 18% service charge applied to all bills to "ensure fair wages and benefits for all team members all year long". To be fair, it did state that 100% of this fee goes to the service staff. While I appreciate them being upfront and making sure people know about this, I always struggle with fees like this as where I come from, gratuity is given voluntarily and should not be an obligation. That said, since I had walked over, I decided to move forward with trying the place.
The ambiance inside is great!! It's easy to see that a major investment went into the interior. Add to that, they have a patio which I walked around and checked out be decided to dine inside. The patio is really nice with the only downside being it's right next to Pegasus Plaza which, at times, can be a lovely park in the heart of downtown. On the other hand, there are times when the park is filled with the people experiencing homelessness who at times are known to bathe in the fountain. They also have a rooftop patio which I did not get to check out.
Once seated inside, I ended up waiting ~15 minutes before anyone acknowledge me and then waited another ~10 minutes for water. Needless to say, things were not off to a great start.
After another ~10 minutes, the server came back and took my order. I went with the Shelter Island Chicken Sandwich which is crispy fried, contains slaw, apple, Swiss cheese, pickles, spicy aioli and is accompanied with housemade chips. The server mentioned that I could get tater tots or fries in place of the chips if I wanted which so I chose fries. Of course, what the server failed to mention is there was an up-charge for the tots which I discovered up receiving my bill. It ended up taking another ~25 minutes for my sandwich to come out which would have been understandable had the place been busy. By the time my sandwich arrived, I was super hungry and looked forward to the first bite. Considering everything that was on the sandwich, I expected to experience an explosion of flavors and unfortunately, that did not happen. I tried a second bite hoping it would improve but I quickly realized a bland tasting sandwich was the best it was going to be. That's when I told myself that if I was going to have fried chicken, I should have just gone to Popeye's, as it would have been more fulfilling than what I was having. Reluctantly, I finished my meal and kept an eye out for the server so I could get my bill. It was dropped off and the server disappeared again. It was taking so long for the server to return that I started to QR code to pay but then I realized there would more service fees and charges. Also, I saw in another review stating that when paying via the QR code there is an additional mandatory gratuity of 3%, 5% or 7%. Considering my experience, I had zero desire to encounter that so I waited another ~10 minutes before the server reappeared.
For me, this another of the many Instagrammable restaurants, upscale ambiance while lacking when it comes to food and service. That said, maybe I just caught them on an off-day but considering all the added fees, etc. I'm not sure I will return. While I did not have a cocktail, this could be a good spot for happy hour or post dinner drinks (after dining somewhere else).