My first visit was a Sunday (Fun-day) at noon, and the place was relatively busy with most tables filled or filling up quickly as people filed in and the bar was packed with sports fans. We luckily had no wait and were seated immediately, our server arrived within 5 minutes to get our drink order, I had what they call a Moscow Mule- however, it was unlike any I had before, and that wasn't a good thing- while Jake had a beer (so no complaints there). It did take about 10 minutes to get our drinks, and as a busy restaurant they probably should have had another bartender to help serve more people so the order to wait (time) ratio was lower. Other than that, our service was pretty good besides the fact that our waitress seemed to forget quite a bit and had to return to our table to ask again, but being a busy Sunday, it was understandable since she was covering too many tables than a server should have, in my opinion. We shared the dough bite appetizer, which were balls of dough with three different dipping sauces, and they were rather scrumptious and well seasoned. Now to the main course: I had an artichoke pizza with white sauce, that was quite delicious but it could have used more artichokes and not have been so skimpy (because who wants to pay for a one topping with two pieces of the topping on each slice? Not me.) The price is quite high for mixed drinks and I definitely would not recommend the mule, as it was very watered down and was not made like most mules (or put into a copper mug, which is how I expect one to be served!) It lacked mint and lime, two of the main ingredients and tastes needed to successfully pull of this drink! For the price, which I believe was close to $10 it came in a small glass, half filled with ice, and was not worth it.
Arriving on a weekday around 4pm, my mom and I were quickly seated, as we were the only customers in the building at this time. We were waited on almost immediately, and she continued to check-up on us until we were ready to order, and was very patient with us as we got carried away in our conversation. I debated on ordering a drink, due to my last experience, and decided that I would give it another try since I assumed it was Happy Hour (even though it is not posted anywhere on the menu or on the table signs). I ordered their margarita, which normally is $8. The server comes back to our table and says the bartender wants to know whether I want a strawberry garnish or a lime garnish, I say strawberry (thinking that it simply meant the GARNISH); she then returns again, asks if I want a salt or sugar rim, I reply, "sugar". She then brings me back a Strawberry margarita (which I didn't even see as an option under the margarita), but I don' complain since it already took 10 minutes to get it. Maybe it was wrong of me to assume, but when you order a margarita and you don't ask for it to be flavored, even if I ask for a different garnish since you gave me the choice, it does not mean that I want my drink order changed! Silly, silly error if you ask me.. It comes out in a small glass that is tiny at the bottom and expands outward as it goes up- therefore, I am already feeling ripped off thinking that this glass that just fits in my hand cost me $8- luckily, I later found out it was happy hour and it was $5, but still...If you enjoy a drink with your meal, this isn't the place to go, unless you drink beer and from now on that will be my choice of drink if we return. When you compare them to Rusty Bucket's cocktails, they don't even stand a chance, and Mellow Mushroom's are much more expensive! However, we were delighted by the bruschetta appetizer, as the bread was perfectly done and had an excellent buttery tone which complimented the bitterness of the balsamic. Our mega-veggie pizza wasn't my favorite, as it was missing some very basic seasoning that could have magnified the flavor profile of the pizza.
Overall, it was alright, but I was not wow'ed by this experience either; there is really nothing pulling me back to this restaurant. My brother and his friends had such poor service that he said it would be the first and last time they attempt to eat here, as it took 20 minutes to be seated (when it wasn't extremely packed, rather they were ignored), then after being seated it took another 15 minutes to get drink orders (just soda) and quite some time before they were brought out. Their pizza order wasn't taken until 40 minutes in, and in all they spent about two hours here, just due to the time they had to wait to order and receive their food. The ambiance and character is the one thing I think it really has going for it, as it is one of a kind. The painting's on the wall and the decor really stand out among the other eateries. If you're looking for a place for a good pizza and a beer, this may be a good place to stop in, and from my experiences I have learned to go for more of the normal and less unusual of the pizza combinations. For families with children it could make for a fun environment to have an enjoyable pizza night, as the kids can be amused by the tree and lighting in the dining room, along with the colorful characters painted on the walls.
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