This visit was definitely not as good as our first visit, but thankfully the food (BBQ) was still good. To be honest, the food (at least the BBQ stuff) would still warrant 4 stars, but everything else was just "off".
We got there around 5:30PM on Saturday, and were seated quickly in an almost empty restaurant (one other table occupied, and they were leaving). The waitress asked what we would like to drink, before we even had a chance to look at the menu. We said lets start with water (it was hot out, and we were thirsty). She came over with two bottles of Poland Spring water. We said we didn't want bottled water - we just asked for water. She said, and I quote: "we don't recommend that people drink our tap water". WHAT? Don't most restaurants simply put a filter on their taps if there is a problem? What about using the water for cooking, or rinsing produce, or washing hands, or washing anything that people eat? What about ice? What water do they use for making ICE? This issue was disturbing to say the least. (I will do some research later to find out what's going on with this.)
So we ordered a beer and a hard cider, told her to keep the bottled water. Heck - we had water in the cooler in our car that we didn't have to pay for - we could have just brought that in.
I decided to order the same as last time - the pulled pork sandwich with cole slaw and old bay chips. Except that this time, I was told that the old bay chips would be "extra". I was fine with that, even though the last time they did them at no additional cost as my side. When I asked how much extra (figuring the difference in menu price was $1.00), she looked at the menu and said "$3.99"! So they wouldn't even do that for the price difference. Last time my partner had the fries as one of his sides, and they also didn't charge him extra.
Now it would be OK if there were a few better options for sides. We got sandwiches, so the cornbread option is really silly. If you didn't want something mayonnaise based, all that was left was the baked beans. Add a couple of better choices - greens, mac & cheese, side salad, fries, veggies - ANYTHING other than the mayo based stuff. And if a customer can't find a side they want, let them order a different side and simply charge the difference. Heck - they're a customer and they are coming here and giving you business. Don't make them feel as if you don't give a damn and don't appreciate their business.
The sandwiches were good. He got the brisket. We both ended up with coleslaw and potato salad. The cole slaw was good, but the potato salad was drenched in mayonnaise. There was probably two thirds potatoes and one third mayonnaise. It was actually pretty disgusting.
The fact that they charge a surcharge for using your credit card - and it isn't listed on the menu, or on the door when you walk in - doesn't really give you a choice once you are at the register paying for your meal.
I know it was illegal in the past, but I believe it is now legal to do this. Legal or not, it would be ethical to let people know this UP FRONT, instead of springing it on them at the last minute (at the cash register - if they even NOTICE the small sign), when they no longer have a choice in the matter.
Will we be back? Probably not. While the BBQ itself is good, we pay for the experience of eating out, and the rest of the experience frankly sucks. read more