Upon being seated at the Crow's Nest yesterday, we were informed that the deep fryer wasn't working…read moreand that, because we were a group of more than eight, we would not be allowed to split our checks and would be charged an automatic gratuity. Not only were we not granted an exception on the checks as consolation for not being able to order french fries, there was no indication that this had even occurred to our server. This is precisely the level of temerity we need to inculcate in young women in our society, and I'd encourage her to apply for a job at the women's-only sports bar a few doors down if and when it ever opens.
It'd be tragic if she wasn't there if and when I return, but I'd appreciate the fact that she has a greater mission. Hopefully, the deep fryer is working. It being out of commission naturally limited the number of things on the menu we could order. We were only told that we couldn't order anything that required a deep fryer, not given a modified menu or anything. I started going through each item and imagining how it might be prepared, but I couldn't muster the psychological bandwidth to continue. Hit my Cash App if you appreciate the amount of unpaid emotional labor I was compelled to contribute.
It occurred to me that I might just get a burger and a side salad, but then I saw that they carry a club sandwich. I love a good club sandwich, and I figured it might make for a light, refreshing alternative, given the weather. There's an option to get a cup of soup for $1.50 extra as a side with your sandwich (no, they didn't offer to eat the charge), and I figured that might go well with my sandwich.
I was kicking myself when they brought out someone else's order with the side salad. It looked really good. The Frisco Burger, or whatever they're calling it, looked good too. Meanwhile, the BBQ Beef & Cheddar Soup--the soup du jour (that's French), according to Flo--looked gross, like something your dog might cough up. But damn it was good! It was more beef than anything else. A large bowl of it might actually be too much food. (I'd still eat it, natch.) The overall flavor profile was along the lines of a good french onion soup. It was a reminder that I need to be ordering soup in restaurants more often.
I wish the club sandwich was cut into little triangles and fanned out on the plate in some elaborate configuration, like at a place where rich old ladies have lunch, but I guess that wouldn't have been in keeping with the theme. Instead, it was served on the world's thickest Texas toast, with the world's dullest steak knife protruding from its center. This sounds like hyperbole, but I may have honestly been served the equivalent of half a loaf of bread. It was much more bread than I required, but at least it was fresh and delicious, as were all the other ingredients. Turkey used for sandwiches is almost never remarkable, but this was surprisingly great, as good as anything you'd get served as an entree unto itself.
Nothing about this place suggests that it would have such good food, but it just goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover. The decor, the overall vibe and the lack of hospitality might not be for everyone, but don't let that deter you.