We took Moxie Crimefighter and Lexie Luthor to the Del Ray Farmers' Market Saturday morning. Moxie pooped on the way (she's a dog, in case that wasn't clear) and it broke through the poop bag and got on my finger. Hubbant decided to take me to brunch to cheer me up from The Poop Incident (after I thoroughly washed my hands), and we stopped at Evening Star Cafe. We sat outside in a shaded area at The Front Porch. The Eggs Bennie was great! The staff doted on our doggies with lots of ear scratches and ice water. Lexie ate all our bacon and she says, "Arf!" (That means 10 out of 10, do recommend). read more

Evening Star Cafe - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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I decided to take myself out on a Sunday date, because we deserve! And I find a really cute, small diner in my town. It seemed to be picking up for its brunch hour but I was seated inside, after having to stand outside to greet a host... after greeting a host inside... I know that makes zero sense. My waffle tasted great, butter was nice and easy to spread. The chicken however, was tasteless but juicy and crispy. No seasoning was applied, only breading. The eggs were nice and fluffed but not scrambled, it was basically an egg pancake with cheese added to the top. My waiter greeted me with a curtsy and I was utterly confused so I smiled and waited for him to ask for my order. As I left, he delivered another curtsy and thanked me for joining them. Overall, not a bad experience but the chicken and eggs could have been better presentation and taste-wise. read more

Evening Star Cafe - Fried chicken/ waffles with "scrambled" eggs - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Great local spot in Del Rey.Excellent food and service. Recommend the risotto and the bacon and egg salad.

We've been there a few times years ago. Our most recent one of a few days ago was a disappointment. Our party ordered sottish salmon, tonnarelli with lump crab, chestnut soup and caeser salad. The food quality was generally good but nothing distinctive comparing to comparable restaurants' in DC area. The volume of the food was about 60% of the comparable restaurants'! The restaurant's menu sounds far more interesting than the food itself both in terms of quantity and quality. For example, my tonnarelli is supposed to have jumble lump crab meat, but I got none. What I got was a couple of tiny bits of crab meat with lots of fluff, such as capers and a pungent ingredient like garlic. You might as well call the tonnarelli as "pasta with crab meat flavor". The Scottish salmon was tiny and thin, about the size of a palm. A glass of wine is about a third of an average-sized wine glass. The service was on the good side in terms of attentiveness. The greeting lady, the waiter, and the manager were welcoming. Attitude wise I give the service five star. The result wise I give three star. I never see a restaurant serving soup without a soup spoon! I was given a tiny tea spoon, which usually is used in stirring coffee in other restaurants. It took me a while to finish the soup, not a great feel in a cold day when soup gets cold fast. When the bill came, there was a "kitchen appreciation fee" added to the bill. When we asked the waiter and the manager what it was. They told us it was an item from Covid era to show appreciation to the kitchen staff. We paid it but feel not fair for three reasons: First, an item from Covid era to address a special condition is becoming a mandatory charge to customers to cover the restaurant's overhead expense. It looks like either the owner has not paid enough to the kitchen staff or used the good will in Covid era to boost its profit. Second, if the restaurant really wants customers to show "appreciation" to the kitchen staff, it's only fair to make it a voluntary tip, like the tip line added to the waiter, rather than a mandatory charge. Third, the kitchen charge is not disclosed on the menu or website. I do not view this practice as being honest. The manager said they were simply following a lot of restaurants' practice in DC area. I don't know how many are doing that as she claimed. Evening Star owns Vermillion in Old Town Alexandria, I guess that has the same practice. But I can tell Evening Star Cafe is the first restaurant I see that practice. In the recent months I've been to five restaurants that comparable to Evening Star in Alexandria including Old Town and Del Ray, and also been to two restaurants (comparable to Evening Star) in D.C. None of them charged kitchen fee. Their food portion is much more than Evening Star Cafe's. The restaurant's ambience has changed from our previous experience. It used to be packed with people, a lively and funky atmosphere. We went there on a Thursday evening, expecting an average crowd. But the reality is the restaurant that night was more than two thirds empty! From where I can see, there were only six tables (including ours) occupied. It was dark and quiet, a bit sad. In sum, Evening Star Cafe is a lousy value hiding behind a paper-interesting menu, accompanied with old memory from its bygone funky and vibrant era. By sacrificing the quality and quantity of food, the restaurant was able to maintain a seemingly mid-price range in its menu. After adjusting for the mandatory fee and reduced quantity and quality of food, along with inadequate serving utensils, Evening Star Cafe is in fact far more expensive than any of its competitors in the same price range/class in the area. On that note, if one looks for vibrant atmosphere, good food with fair price, go elsewhere. read more

The ambiance is terrific, with plenty of places to eat and enjoy music outside and in. The wait staff are friendly, hospitable, even when rushed. There were two intrusions into the meal which we could have done without and which interfered with conversation, one perhaps the owner or manager and the other, a waitstaff shoving a comment card at us. The food was terrible. I've been several times in the distant past and the food then was mediocre at best. The outside Cabana area is delightful, with a fire pit and heated lamps and very comfortable to listen to bands. Inside, for dinner, the meatloaf was over salted, overcooked and tasteless with watery, probably instant mashed potatoes. Our waiter suggested a remedy to the over-salted loaf and it was helpful, but the dish could not be redeemed.The beer was watered down. I would go again to listen to music but won't order food again. read more

Evening Star Cafe - SwingAMaJig plays in the backyard. - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

This was my third time at ES; all with indoor seating. My first recommendation is don't sit inside. Instead sit outside if the weather permits, because it seems that the restaurant caters much more to its outside customers. First, service. I'm not going to fault servers. Their jobs are hard, they don't get paid enough, and they're often the first point of contact for abusive patrons. That being said, ES needs to commit to hire more than one waiter and one food runner for the indoor dining room. Waits for basic things were extensive, and that's an organizational issue. Also, lets keep the mobile phones at the reception off. We were bothered by the front of house constantly on her phone, or the phone ringing. I never bring my phone into a restaurant because its rude. So lets break this habit, ok? Second, the food. Again, right about average. The menu looks inspired, but the dishes don't come out inspired. They're basic, not well seasoned, and of course not adequately portioned (but every restaurant is shrinking what they give you while raising the price, so this isn't specific to ES). One standout exception was the $12 slice of red velvet cake. The cake itself was dry and tasteless, which was a real shocker, given the price point and the waiter's advice that it was his favorite dessert. It really seemed like this cake had been purchased a week before and left to slowly dry out in the kitchen. That's shabby management by the food side of the house. I probably won't be going back to ES, which was once a great Del Ray destination. Whoever now owns this disappointingly average eatery needs a basic course in restaurant management. Or Gordon Ramsey. read more

OH. MY. GOSH! I honestly met the best bartender ever (besides me of course). I think their name is Magdalene? Cute human being! Service was excellent, knowledge of the menu and helping me figure out what I wanted, total perfection! Definitely come by and see this amazing human work the bar and make sure to TIP 100% cause they deserve It!!!!!!!!' Everything was perfect! And the way they shake cocktails, PRO! read more

Great place for breakfast and brunch. Very cozy environment, space and older science decor. The mimosas and Bloody Mary are very tasty and with a nice content of alcohol. I enjoy the chicken and waffles and the duck hash the various times I've gone. Recently I tried the Vermontener (hope I spelled that right) but you would know once you see this creative chicken sandwich made with Cinnabon roll as the bread and some crispy Canadian bacon. It's a "gucky" yet yummy mess that I invite you to give it a try. My only concern is that there's not enough waiters around so you tend to wait quite a bit for your server to come around for any request or so. Otherwise, this is a nice spot for that weekend brunch quick fix. read more

Evening Star Cafe - Chicken and Waffles and a mimosa ;) - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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We had wanted to try this place for a while so we decided to come for brunch. The ambience is pretty pleasant but that is as far as it goes. We ordered the vegetable frittata and the chicken and waffles. For the frittata, it was the smallest piece of frittata (that looked like it had been cooked earlier and reheated in the microwave) and a huge bunch of leaves soaked in a disgusting lemon dressing with cheese that didn't seem fresh. I ate the frittata because I was starving and it was edible but the dressing and cheese combo made me gag so I left the salad. My boyfriend had the chicken and waffles and was presented with an over cooked tough small piece of chicken and a soggy waffle. He complained about the chicken and asked for another piece, which to be fair they did provide, but there was no apology, they even left the waffle sitting there to get cold while they cooked another piece of chicken. The chicken we received was hot but was fatty and the batter was tasteless. For an hour afterwards he complained of feeling sick. So we paid and left, no one asked if our food was ok, nor did they say goodbye as we left and the place was not busy. Then we went down the road to a coffee shop to have a sandwich as we were still hungry and down $50 for a tiny gross brunch. I won't be back..... read more

Evening Star Cafe - Overcooked small piece of chicken - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Evening Star Cafe is a restaurant located in downtown Del Ray, offering dinner, weekend brunch, desserts, cocktails/wine, as well as a lounge area. The hubs and I came here on a weekend to grab some brunch eats: I had the Ham & Cheese Benedict (an English muffin topped with ham, a poached egg, pimento cheese, and hollandaise sauce with a side of lightly-dressed mixed greens; I liked that it was a generous amount of hollandaise sauce, and the combination of the ham and the pimento cheese with the muffin tasted good; the salad was fresh and addicting with the vinaigrette); the hubs had the Sausage Egg & Cheese Biscuits (came with 2 of these in sandwich form with a side of lightly-dressed mixed greens salad; I am not a fan of folded scrambled egg, but without this, the biscuit sammies were tasty), and a side of Biscuits and Gravy (the gravy was more on the sweeter side). We enjoyed each of the plates, but I just wish that all of the items came out piping hot. It seemed as if the items were either at the lower end of lukewarm or just cold. Service was friendly, and the place itself is cute and kitschy, with nuts and bolt decor and light fixtures. A great place for affordable brunch! Just note that during the colder months, side entrance is the entrance/exit. +Ham & Cheese Benedict +mixed greens +friendly staff +free street parking on Mt Vernon read more

The food was pretty good, but there was one think I was really disappointed with. I ordered an entree of a pork chop with pearl onions and spring peas. When it arrived, there were exactly four small pearl onions, and about twelve peas. Really? For the price I paid ($26), they could have afforded some more veggies. Also, my girlfriend ordered the braised lamb shoulder with pasta. The lamb was shredded, not a chop or anything. Tasted good, but we were surprised at how the dish came out. read more

I dined here with a group of friends on Sunday evening. I liked the ambiance (the outside lights are adorable)! Our waitress was very attentive and checked on us frequently. The extensive drink list is great and it was nice to have so many options. Their Pinot Noir by the glass is really smooth. I tried the bacon pimento burger. The burger was moist and perfectly cooked. The brioche bun was fantastic choice. I was also very happy that their fries were fresh. Unfortunately that's not the norm for most restaurants. I will come back sometime and want to try the seating at the front page. They wouldn't let us this time because we had a dog with our group. We stayed past closing without realizing it, the waitress was very professional and didn't bring it to our attention. read more

Evening Star Cafe - Bacon pimento burger - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Second time was the charm. We were seated in the back by the bar and it was fabulous. Good food, great service. Love the vibe in the back. read more

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Just a lovely place. Quaint and small - can be a little noisy. We came for brunch on a Sunday with a reservation. Good beer selection. Yummy food. read more

The Evening Star Cafe has really evolved over the time I've lived in the neighborhood. It's gone from a restaurant with an obnoxious, almost pompous attitude (if a restaurant can have an attitude) to a place that neighbors actual walk to with visiting friends or family and are proud to say, this place is part of the neighborhood. The food is good (it used to be pretentious). The staff is friendly (they used to be obnoxious AND pretentious) and the prices aren't bad (they used to be out-of-sight)! There are plenty of good restaurants in Del Ray...this is one of them. read more

I was so disappointed with the inattentive service. Part of it was by design and I certainly understand health precautions and the QR code for menus makes sense. But there is NO interaction with a server to order your meal. It was Uber eats coming to your table with a default 20% tip. I requested service to ask questions about the menu and no one stopped by. So we ordered and a server stopped by to request for service as he dropped off my meal? It was odd. Also the four of us spent the first 20 minutes of our "dinner" ordering food through our phones. I just like to place an order with a server and have conversation with my dinner party. The whole experience was unsatisfying. I will say my burger was good, but I couldn't specify how I wanted it cooked! (No option for that on the QR riding system.) I look forward to returning when they can provide normal service. Hope those days return! read more

If you're vegan that somehow find yourself eating at this establishment, you're probably going to be looking at the menu wondering what in the world you have to eat. Luckily enough, we had a great server who went back to the kitchen and scramble together this meal for me. It was a bowl of fruit, breakfast potatoes, and avocado toast. And then of course we got the mimosas for the table. The food was ok, my friend felt his eggs Benedict was a little too small for his, I felt the potatoes were a little dry and the bread was a little too crispy. But generally, I was starving from a hot day at the farmers market and just super grateful to have had Anything to eat! Additionally, when we asked about military discount, they did one better and literally brought all three service members a round of mimosas on the house. That really made for an enjoyable experience for us, so truly, a very big thank you to the staff and management for giving us such a nice day! read more

Evening Star Cafe - Vegan option- avocado toast, potatoes, Fresh Fruit Bowl - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

What a treat to see Parker again tonight! We love all things Evening Star, and while their menu is a standout, their service is what makes everything beyond perfect. BTW, if you're looking for a fantastic gazpacho this summer, this is the place! read more

I went to evening star café for brunch and the inside is cute. The outside looked phenomenal but since it was cold we sat inside. I got the French toast and a mimosa. I considered getting the carafe of mimosa but I'm glad I only got a glass because they use wine glasses and that was more than enough! The french toast was delicious and not overly sweet. The lemon curd gave just the right amount of tang and balanced out the blueberry compote. I would definitely recommend for a boozy brunch! read more

Evening Star Cafe - French Toast - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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We went to Evening Star Cafe for brunch. Everyone there was very friendly and the food was amazing. Every dish our table of 5 ordered was fantastic! This will be one of my new go to restaurants! read more

Nice & quaint, decent food & drinks, ask for Serena, she's the best. Pet friendly as well, my boyz loved it.

Evening Star is a place that I really want to like, but I left feeling there was something to be desired. Food - I had the Carolina Gold Rice Risotto and it was nice but not what I quite expected... a lil more on the mushy side ($9 half / $17 full size). Also, they give you complimentary bread & pretzel balls. It didn't come out until about 15 minutes after we sat down. Drinks - I really enjoyed my Blushed Monk beer: light with raspberry. But for $12 and a smaller glass I wasn't fond of that. It's a nice spot to try if you're in the area, but I would look at restaurants in Old Town Alexandria too. read more

Evening Star Cafe - Risotto (half size $9) - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Really wanted to like this diner. It's a cute place, but the service is slow and the food is mediocre for the price. Will not be coming back. read more

super cute spot in such a cute area! the area has loads of good shops around it. the area is incredibly walkable and outdoor/dog friendly. a good amount of indoor as well as outdoor seating throughout! the staff was so sweet and made for a nice experience :) read more

My second time here and since I rarely provide reviews these days, I have to have a visceral reaction to my dining experience - either in a good way, or a bad way. In this case, I had a bad experience. The sad part is that it was avoidable. Here is the summary of my experience: If I'm dining out in Del Ray or Old Town, I know that there are many options available for a great dining experience. The focus of my review will be my overall dining experience. Looking at the menu, there were several appealing items. One of my favorites anywhere I go is a tomahawk cut of meat. I just love a well cooked tomahawk rib eye or pork chop. On the menu, I spotted a tomahawk pork chop. I looked at the photos on Yelp and it looked great and was well reviewed. For those of you reading this, there is one constant you can expect when you order a "tomahawk" cut of meat. It's a LONG rib bone attached to the meat. A Tomahawk Pork Chop is for the meat lover. A long, bone-in chop - cut from the middle of the loin and down through the rib - it's tender and packed with flavor. When my plate showed up, guess what's missing? The long bone. The bone makes it a tomahawk in the first place. I asked the waitress about it and she went off and came back and said "they told me this IS a tomahawk". I explained that minus the bone it's just a pork chop - not a tomahawk. Another staff member circulated over and says "It is a tomahawk - I hope you like the taste of it at least". The restaurant lost me there - it really aggravates me that two members of the staff ignored the issue I raised and basically told me I was wrong. What they should have done is offered to replace it and not make lame excuses. Instead they basically suggested that there were "alternative facts" about what a tomahawk pork chop is. Note - I copied a photo from another Yelp review here to show you - they DO know what a tomahawk is supposed to look like. Management just chose not to acknowledge that during my dining experience. Regardless of how it tasted, this ruined my perception of this establishment, no matter what else happened during our dining experience. I didn't want a free or discounted meal - I wanted an acknowledgement of the issue and an offer to make it right - I got neither.....and no feedback or concern from management. Shame.... read more

Evening Star Cafe - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Located in quaint Del Rey, Evening Star reflects the locality - it is both low-key and comfortable yet trendy and modern. The boyfriend celebrated his birthday dinner here, and Natalie, our waitress, took such good care of our group! She double-checked who the birthday was for when she introduced herself to our table, and seamlessly prepared and brought out the dessert that I ordered with my reservation, topped with a candle for a nice touch! As for the beers, the list is sure to please anyone in your group - you can opt for tasters or full-sizes. I ordered the Pepper Crusted Tuna - the steak was meaty and perfectly cooked with an assertive pepper crust that contrasted very well with a bed of cool snap pea and mint puree and quinoa. I had a lovely time, and will definitely be back! read more

Evening Star Cafe - Tuna - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Don't recommend. We ordered the fried green tomatoes. There was so little tomato, all you could taste was breading. I could have cut my finger on those tomato slices. I ordered the most expensive dinner entre - the striped bass. The serving of fish was tapas size - 2.5x2.5 inches. After this very expensive meal, I left hungry and had to make myself a second dinner when I got home. Not cool guys. It's like you are putting the least amount of food on the table to see how far you can get away with it. They could probably do a burger but I wouldn't go here for a nice meal again. read more

Great food for a great price, ambiance is nice with the addition of being in a cute and quite neighborhood of Mount Vernon read more

Evening Star Cafe - French Toast, Biscuits and Red Eye Gravy, Eggs Benedict - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Came here for brunch today with some friends and really enjoyed it. There were so many delicious sounding options in the menu, it was really hard to pick. My friend and I ended up sharing the Vermonter and pimento and ham eggs Benedict. They were both super good! The Vermonter sounded like it had a lot going on, but it was really well balanced. The sandwich buns were the cinnamon buns! It was a fun play on the sweet, salty, crunchy-ness you get from chicken and waffles. The Benedict was really good as well. I loved the pimento on it. That really made it stand out from other Benedicts I've had in the past. We came at 10:30 and were able to be seated right away, but it's a smaller space and I've seen it really packed on weekends. I'm not sure if they do reservations but I might do that next time I go back. read more

Evening Star Cafe - Vermonter - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

This is the first time I've ever left a review. Just a warning, out of the three times I've visited I have had to track down the waiter two of those visits. Our most recent visit, our waiter took our order and we did not see him or any other for the remainder of our visit. It took 36 minutes to receive our check after asking a busboy to find our waiter. I walked into the front of the store three different times to request a check. As former wait staff, I understand how difficult it can be when you are understaffed during an extremely busy day. This day was both. But there is no reason it should take 36 minutes to print a check and deliver it to the table. Eventually the hostess printed it for us on my third visit inside. read more

I order the spaghetti and meatballs and the portion served resembled child-size. It was also lukewarm. There was barely any pasta at all, it barely passed for an appetizer. It also wasn't seasoned well. Not worth the $19. For dessert I ordered the key lime cheesecake for $11. What was served was a very tiny and thin "cheesecake" barely half of an actual piece of cheesecake. Other reviews have commented on the high prices, mediocre quality, and low portions. This is absolutely true. This was my first and last time eating here. read more

Concept is order from phone, pay from phone and hope your order arrives on time. Ordered drinks, appetizer and main drink showed up 2 min before main. Good runner didn't even know what we had. I think the "concept" is a fail. Won't come back. Sorry. Cabanas are rough and in disrepair. read more

A family friend took us here for lunch while we were visiting DC and this is one of the best brunch spots i have ever been to! The service was amazing overall and our server treated us like we were at Ruth's Chris from beginning to end. The food was delicious all around especially the blueberry pancakes and my benedict that my server let me customize-- which is a plus anywhere! This is the place to stop in for an amazing time and meal when you are in Alexandria. read more

Evening Star Cafe - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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The decor is interesting and quaint and you gotta love velvet seats! They brought out chocolate bread which was very moist and not overly chocolate-y but it had a velvet texture to it. CHICKEN & WAFFLES - buttermilk marinated chicken, house cured bacon bits, hot sauce butter 14 The best part about the meal was the hot sauce butter. They should mass produce this it was that good. The chicken was tender, the bacon bits were thick and salty and maple syrup cut through the meal with some sweetness. I also had the following beers: (ROAST) BREAKFAST STOUT * Founders Oatmeal Stout | Michigan | 8.3% | (ROAST + SOFT & SILKY) KOKO * Kona Brown Ale w/Coconut | Hawaii | 5.5% | *This one was my favorite because I've never had a beer with a coconut aftertaste and it was so unique and absolutely delicious. The only downside was that the brunch menu was really small, if I hadn't found chicken and waffles, I'm not sure if I would have ordered anything other than beer. read more

Evening Star Cafe - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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I didnt have the food here outside of oysters and octopus they werent bad, the server and i had a good laugh on how people couldnt pronounce the drink Aquemini (ref Outkast) that they had on their menu lol. It wasnt a bad drink, will check them out for a meal. read more

This review is charitable. Brunch food was decent if limited. No bagels, no pastry. Bloody Mary decent but mimosa was lukewarm and watered down. Inside of restaurant looks fun in a college dive sort of way, but back yard seating area is atrocious. I pictured a garden setting, but not so. The ground was covered in astro turf and the furnishings (curtains) were dirty, shabby and worn. While we were there a delivery on a dolly was wheeled past our table. Ordering is done by QR code with tip applied before service. What's up with that? Our nephew was supposed to meet us here as a welcome meal to the area. So glad he couldn't make it. It would have been downright embarrassing. I can see ordering take-out here, hanging with friends if you are twenty-one, or a quick meal with small children, but it isn't suitable for anyone looking to treat someone to a nice meal in a pleasant atmosphere. read more

If I could give 25 stars I would! The cleanliness, the quiet music in the background, the joyful staff, who made eye contact, and had great customer service, they were very, very genuine, and just lovely people! The waiter suggested a great wine to pair with my meal! He nailed it! The food: Boudin balls, brussels sprouts, gorgeous salad, just nailed everything! Seriously flavorful with different herbs, spices, seasonings, And greatness in passion for the way it was cooked! Yummy yummy yummy yummy yummy hell yeah we're coming back! read more

Went back to Star again on a Saturday. They were at full capacity with a party in full swing in the upstairs lounge but the staff was still friendly and attentive. Hostess remembered us from Prior visit which was lovely and very keeping with the restaurant's homey neighborhood feel. Had the burger again, which is amazing, and guests had steak frites and beets and Brussels. Everything was on point. Working our way through the fall cocktail list. All yummy (but a little too sweet but they made to taste for us.! This time we saved room for dessert and the grandma's cake was insane and big enough to share. Really glad this place is still around and still so reliable. read more

Loved the inside of the restaurant, it's cute and rustic! Loved the light fixtures. We went in for brunch and they immediately sat us, the hostess was prompt with our orders and food came out quicker than expected! Overall food was delicious, and we look forward to coming back again! read more

Hot humid. Had to use phone to order. Default 20% tip and all they did was deliver food to table. No advice or guidance Chicken and waffles poor children. Hash meat not edible. Not for me I am afraid. Brunch by the way limited menu and sold out of bloody Mary's. read more