Kristal G.
Yelp
I've been a regular at this bar for over two years, and per yelp, have checked in 6 times and wrote a review over two years ago. Also, for context, the covid-19-induced pandemic of 2020-2021 kept this place mostly closed for the past year, and so that would make 6 visits over the course of about a year, which makes this place a regular spot for me.
I love the happy hour, and the low-key nature of this place. i love whiskey wednesdays and an excellent bartender who I believe goes by "Michelle," is quick, keeps the mood light and friendly, and the drinks flowing.
I came with my partner on a Saturday night as we'd never had a bad experience here and had seen the "Now Open" signs and yelp photos of a newly-built patio area with the obligatory bulb string lights, etc., and arrived excitedly.
After finding the back patio, we were almost stunned to find that the patio, while lit up and with abundant tables, chairs, and heat lamps, was limited to exactly two tables. One man in a beanie by himself looking at his phone, and a group of about four college-aged students gabbering excitedly. We waited a few moments before a man appeared and we asked to be seated, and despite all the empty space, dragged a table and two chairs right up next to the single man and sort of waved at the heat lamp, indicating that it would be warm there, but again, this is us still in purple-tier, not-yet-moved-to-red-tier Covid assignment, and we were a bit weirded out about being crowded against this man, but we were lulled in by the heat lamp in the 52' chilly night.
The man who seated us appeared to be the only one working the tables (and later we confirmed through the window, the only one working the bar), and so this would explain why, despite there being only two other tables, we waited confusedly for a full 8 minutes before he came by to take our order, and watched him bring a burger to the man and a tray of drinks to the college kids and not glance our way once while doing so. When he finally stood next to our table expectantly, we started to order our drinks, but before finishing, he curtly said OK and left before we could finish with our food order.
At this point we just looked at each other and kind of chuckled because this was starting to get kind of ridiculous. As a former server, my partner was saying that when you go back to grab condiments or something for an order, for efficiency, you typically often also try to see if anyone else needs anything, so as to kill two birds with one stone. You don't come in and out for every separate, single task.
As we waited, two other couples arrived, and were also seated scrunched up near us, and they must have said something, because the owner/manager indicated that the rest of the heat lamps weren't working. I was appalled, and took the time to count the number of heat lamps. There were a total of 8, and only 2 were working, and that's why now there were five tables surrounding the two working heat lamps in one corner of the patio while the rest of the patio was completely empty with 6 nonfunctional heat lamps spread about.
Finally our drinks arrived, and we also were able to put in our order of fries. An irish carbomb for me, an old fashioned for her, and we we picked at the fries and noted how the music had gone from nonexistent and awkward silence, to random EDM, to a very abrupt 80's dance in a way that was almost physically and viscerally jarring.
Two additional men arrived, and were seated and asked at the same time if they'd like a drink, and we sputtered indignantly at the inequity of their service experience compared to ours, and then yet another couple arrived and you could see the owner starting to get nervous as he saw that he was now having to cram 14-15 people in a tiny section of the patio, and one patron stood up and tried in vain to turn on additional heat lamps to make space to spread out before giving up.
By now our drinks and fry basket were long empty and as we waited for the owner to come by to order more, we just got frustrated and decided to give up. When we requested our check he jumped up and brought it within seconds, and we figured it was to be able to give the next waiting couple our table as opposed to having to have to explain why he was now having to stack people on top of each other due to lack of space.
Oh, the San Fernando, how I loved you, how I'd missed you, and how you disappointed me. I understand it's the pandemic, etc. etc., but there were some very simple things that could have really helped: The bar opens at 4:00 p.m. Could not a service tech had come by to fix any of the 6 broken heat lamps? You were the only one seating, taking orders, and making drinks. Could you not have convinced one employee out of unemployment to help you out?
Despite the experience, we want to give the SF another try.
We'll see you when Michelle comes back.
