Been meaning to try The Rookery since they opened, and finally got around to it on this sunny, Saturday for lunch.
The dining room is very pleasant, cozy and colonial.
Menu has a bunch of stuff that sounds very good, and while deciding what to order we were talking about having to come back for dinner sometime too.
We were shown our table and I went to the restroom, my wife ordered drinks for both of us - and when I got back, the waiter brought her drink and asked me what I wanted. So, already off to a great start with an inattentive server.
I ordered appetizers at the same time as my drink - stuffed clams and a soft pretzel, which should have only needed quick heating so I figured they'd come out quickly.
Our waiter did eventually come along to ask if we wanted refills, and on bringing me another Arnold Palmer took our order for mains. French Dip and Chicken Gyro. A little while LATER, he was walking past and I had to get his attention to ask when our food was coming.
He came back with a story of the computer not printing the ticket - yeah whatever, if you were paying attention you would have noticed this without me having to ask when there should have been appetizers in front of me already. OK let's skip the appetizers and just focus on getting the main stuff, I don't want them if they're going to all land at the same time.
Manager came by the table to apologize and say they'd get on it and get us our food.
Yeah right. That took another half hour or so. I was ready to stand up and walk out when our waiter finally showed up with plates. Finally something to eat.
Fries tasted ok - but digging into them, they weren't exactly hot. You left us waiting and couldn't be bothered to bring fresh hot fries?
French Dip sandwich was not especially big, and was flat and soggy and only warm, not hot. I would have expected better at Applebee's, let alone for $19 at this place. Edible (and I was starving) but mediocre.
Chicken Gyro was worse. The chicken itself was competently cooked and tender enough, but was barely warm, not hot. Pita was COLD, clearly having been heated once and cooled off. Assembly was messy and the salad parts cut unevenly; and the whole thing set in a sheet of tinfoil for some reason - most of the tzatziki was on the foil and had missed the sandwich. The pizza joint near our house does much better for way less than $17.
In the end, our waiter said he'd see what he could do about the check - which came thru at least not trying to charge us for failed appetizers, but no compensation or discount. I count this as management letting us know they really don't care.
Waiter - amateur and somewhat inattentive;
Manager - useless and ultimately unhelpful;
Kitchen - lazy and incompetent.
We would have been better served at Chili's or Applebee's or even McDonald's.
The Aviary, the more upscale restaurant that is the parent of the Rookery, was for a long time one of our favorite go-to places. Their quality has dropped some but last time there they were still pretty good. I expected better of their casual pub extension, but instead was disappointed and insulted.
I do not plan to ever return to the Rookery, and I don't know if I'll be back to Aviary again either. read more