My hubby and I came here for a date night, and we had made a reservation over the phone a few days…read morebeforehand. We were told we'd be seated outside, which I said was fine. The back patio was nicely shaded, and although I thought it might be too warm, it actually ended up being very comfortable.
One thing I wish restaurants had is a designated seating area for patrons with pets. I'm not an animal person, and I knew sitting outside came with the possibility of being around dogs, but of ALL the tables on the patio, a couple with a dog just happened to be seated right next to us. Our appetizer had not arrived yet, so I asked our waiter if we could be moved because I felt uncomfortable eating my meal next to an animal.
I do believe he tried everything he could to accommodate us, and the manager tried as well, but apparently there wasn't another table available anywhere. We even asked if we could sit at the bar, but were told there was a long wait. I felt like an exception could have been made given the circumstances, but at that point, I decided to just make the best of the evening.
As for the food, the calamari was very good. We also ordered the ribeye and spicy rigatoni. Unfortunately, the ribeye came out medium than the medium-rare we requested. Our server was quick to take it back after we pointed it out, which we appreciated, but it took another 20-30 minutes for the replacement steak to come out. In the meantime, my hubby and I were picking at the rigatoni because we had hoped to eat the steak and pasta together, you know, a protein and a carb!
The replacement steak was better, although it still wasn't quite medium-rare. The steak was eventually comped, which we appreciated. Interestingly, it was actually the woman at the table next to us (on the other side) who pointed out to our waiter that we had been waiting a long time for the replacement and said that we shouldn't be charged for the steak. lol. I appreciated her speaking up for us, because I'm honestly not sure the steak would have been comped otherwise.
To be fair, we were fully prepared to pay for the replacement steak. We weren't expecting a free meal and had every intention of paying for it, as my auntie Judge Judy would say, "You ate the steak!". So while we appreciated the gesture, we certainly weren't demanding it.
We ended the evening with Joe's Warm Butter Cake, at our server's recommendation, and it was delicious. The portion was generous enough for the two of us to share. Our cocktails were also very good. I had the Strawberry Sour, and my hubby had Joe's Old Fashioned.
Overall, we had a nice dinner out with my husband despite a few hiccups. The staff did make an effort to accommodate us, and I appreciated that. I would definitely come back, but next time I'll be requesting indoor seating. Now I know there's a chance of being seated next to an animal outside, and that's just not something I want to deal with during dinner.