Ty G.
Yelp
Tasting room
Magazine Street is one of the calmest and most unique areas the city has to offer. You can easily find charming boutiques, grocery stores and great eateries just by taking a stroll. When looking for what I thought would be a great happy hour to catch up with my cousin, @tastingroomnola came to mind. I thought it was a no-brainer when I saw seven dollar charcuterie boards and five dollar house wines and "magazine margaritas", but that was just the tip of the iceberg.
We went after work, and when we got there, we were given the option to sit inside or outside. We sat outside, where there was a nice breeze and we were the only ones out there. The young man told us our server would be with us shortly. Moments later, she arrived asking what we would like to drink. I ordered a margarita and my cousin ordered the House wine. Immediately after we ordered, a table was sat right next to us. Minutes passed, and our server dropped off the drinks then immediately went to the next table. We caught her before going back inside and asked her if we could order one cheeseboard and one meat board.
After about 15 to 20 minutes, the table next to us received their cooked food (fries, meatballs, etc.), and we had yet to receive our food. Due to the flies, we asked our server if we could move inside, she rolled her eyes saying "hold up, let me get the manager". He never came so we stood up, walked to the doorway, and waited until we were asked if there was anything we needed. Of course after expressing our concerns, we were seated inside.
By now I had noticed that yet another couple, who was not there when we arrive had received both drinks and food. We again waved the server over to ask the status of our food. She said hold on and went back behind the bar, not the kitchen. At this point, I am bothered so I stopped the manager and explained that all we ordered were the two boards, and we've been waiting over 30 minutes. By now, two additional tables were seated and received their food. He apologized, went to the kitchen, and came back empty-handed. He stated that it will be up soon, the chef apologizes and he would adjust the bill.
As he went to the bar by the computer the waiter stated, "what do they want now since I'm doing such a bad job." The manager waved her off. Eventually we received our boards, but honestly by then my experience was ruined.
The space is very small. There aren't many tables, including the small patio, which is not a problem but the guests can literally see and hear everything. The horrible service took the taste out of "The Tasting Room"!