I have rarely been to Saltgrass. As chain steakhouses go, it's a bit pricey for my budget. However, I have had their cobb salad, which I like very much. I got a hankering for one this evening, and convinced Brendan we should go there for dinner.
I was not impressed.
Dinner started out all right, until I read the menu. the cobb salad was not there. Still, always looking on the bright side, I decided on the smallest prime rib they had, and Brendan ordered a chicken fried steak.
The appetizers were good--Brendan got wings and I had deep-fried mushrooms. The salads were good, except that the croutons were too big.
When I ordered the prime rib, I asked for it medium rare, but was told that they were out of medium rare, and it was only available in the medium to well-done range. Of course, I ordered medium. What I got was almost raw. I ordered the green beans, as their green beans are (or were in the past) truly wonderful--flipped in a pan with garlic butter, and tasty as anything. Not this time. They were wrinkled and seemed to have been under a heat lamp for hours. They were also much too salty.
And, to add insult to injury, the waitress called me "HON!" I HATE that! I am fifty-nine years old, and the only person who had the right to call me "hon," is gone forever.
On top of that, it seemed as if every time I set down my fork, somebody (not always our own waitress) would ask me if I needed a box, or needed my plate removed. I felt as if I were being rushed. It's not as if there was a line out the door, or anything. It was around 7:30 by then, on a Sunday. The rush was over.
To crown everything, the person who was clearing the tables wiped them with a rag he had dropped on the floor. I have to wonder...does the five-second rule apply to rags?
I would normally have asked to speak to the manager, but I didn't because Brendan was with me, and I did not want to embarrass him. Now, if I were SSS, I would have dressed the poor waitress down loudly and publicly, but really, most of it was not her fault. Sloppy management, I should think is the problem.
Unless they send me a really good coupon when they receive my little survey form, I won't be going back there.
OK, rule of thumb with a steakhouse. Rare is actually raw. Medium is raw for most of the population except those that know steak lol.
ReplyDeleteI always feel sorry for servers, especially in the past 5 years. AND totally especially for steakhouses. I was in between jobs, and waiting for my background check to come through for my current job (5 years ago), and had waited a BIT too long between jobs because I didnt realize how bad the market was under the Shrub.
Anyway, my FIRST night working at the Outback I got sick, really thunderously sick way in the bottom of my belly and was in the bathroom and washing most of the time. I had a crabby family there, who probably didnt know of my prediciment because, well you dont TELL people that, and gave me a dollar tip which was and was taken as an insult, and also reamed me out to the manager (who didnt let me go home, even though I was way past green).
Rule of thumb, if the food sucks, it isnt the server. If the service sucks, check to make sure they arent sick or there isnt a crowd.
If they are RUDE, then have at it.
That's why I didn't tear into her. Not her fault. Except for the "Hon" thing. That's not a good way to speak to me.
ReplyDeleteI have worked in food service. I actually still do, officially, though they haven't scheduled me for months because we've been so busy at the costume shop.
I am in the in between stage. I sure as shit dont want to be called Ma'am, I no longer qualify for Miss, so Hon works for me. (especially if its a really cute guy lol)
ReplyDeleteI generally go for not calling be by name by any means possible these days if you dont know me.
I loathe it. I'll take Ma'am, at my age!
ReplyDeleteI hated it when people did that to Addy, who was around 80. I always wanted to tell people who called her "hon," "I wish you had seen her put the Monseigneur up against the wall when she caught him groping the high school girl!"
I honestly think there is a cultural difference. I have some of my southern managers calling me Ma'am, where as the guys that live up here wouldnt DARE. My Mom (who is 69 gets insulted by Ma'am. And I have caught myself calling people hon, when not knowing what else to call them.
ReplyDeleteThan again, what I am calling guys are fully grown men older than I who I will not call sir, because THEY will become inflamed lol.
I'm English, so, when in doubt, I go formal. Ma'am and Sir work just fine for me.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you Ronni. Don't call me "Hon", EVER! Ill mannered and disrespectful.
ReplyDeleteSuch a busy week and not even a decent meal as a reward. Hope it didn't cost an arm and a leg.
As Melissa said, some people are bothered by the more formal. Makes them feel "mature," I guess.
ReplyDeleteIt did cost an arm and a leg.