sidecar restaurant review: not pleased!
I went to Sidecar last night after reading the hamburger thread earlier. I was not impressed. The burger with blue cheese was nothing special and the fries appeared to be the thin tiny kind you get in the frozen food aisle at the grocery store. What was worse, I had a female waitstaff that hovered over me and attempted to snatch my plate while I was still eating. She kept trying to up-sell me more beer, but got pissy when I remarked that my coffee was cold. Piping hot coffee wont be freezing after you put a bit of cold milk in it. Dunkin Donuts uses cold milk and never has that problem. My waitress was even reluctant to get me more milk after I wasted it on the first freezing cup of coffee. She complained to me that the coffee will be cold if I pour cold milk into it. Never mind that if the coffee were piping hot, cold milk would cool it down not make it cold enough to harden your nipples! The last straw and the reason why I am posting this review, is that she had the NERVE to double check the amount I put into the check holder RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!!!! (She counted my money right there). As if I would be so gauche as to not pay or tip properly for my meal. I should have left her nothing, but I wondered what type of assumptions she would have made about me if I tipped her below 25%.
Comments
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We go there very often, possibly too often and have never had bad service (and I have been a waitress and have strong feelings on service) and we've never had one problem like any that you've described. The same handful of folks seem to be there whenever we go (which is only once for brunch) and all are above par in my opinion. Maybe she's new there. Hopefully that's the case and she'll either get better or leave.
On the burger, I've had it and it was okay but nothing amazing. Everything else I've had there (off the dinner menu) has been amazing, though, this includes food and cocktails. -
I've never had a bad experience there, but haven't been there in months. Like OQ said, hopefully she's new and it will get sorted out. There are usually one or more of the managers hanging out there - if service is truly atrocious, I say something on the way out. Then it's up to them to correct it - but I can't expect them to be mind readers
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Flexichick wrote: I've never had a bad experience there, but haven't been there in months. Like OQ said, hopefully she's new and it will get sorted out. There are usually one or more of the managers hanging out there - if service is truly atrocious, I say something on the way out. Then it's up to them to correct it - but I can't expect them to be mind readers
The meal was too blah for me to actually bother coming back to find out if my waitress was the exception. It could have been that I dont look like what seemed like the average patron of that place. As for mind reading versus commenting, when I spoke directly to my waitress to get service correction on my coffee she was none too friendly. I couldnt identify who the management was and was not impressed with the food enough to complain and fight for better future service. Even the coffee was blegh. I am very fond of coffee and dont like going to places that serve cold, old, or bad coffee. -
^ I hear ya, but complaining to the person who is causing the problem won't do much good in that case.......but since you won't be back, it doesn't matter
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Don't go back, I don't want to wait for a table on weeknights
As for the average patron, I've seen a pretty good variety in there so I'm not sure what that would be other than people that live in PS/WT.
Grr...now I'm craving a big bowl of spicy gumbo from there. -
i tend to eat at the bar
karl recommends the fried chicken, the cheddar burger, and the moscow mule
but not all at once -
I like sidecar as well. I have never had a bad meal there. I second the burger, fried chicken and moscow mule and will raise you a shrimp and grits (as someone who doesn't really like grits).
I've never really had a service issue there, but can understand that one would turn you off from the place.
I'm also not sure why the OP was putting her nipples in the coffee, but I guess I'll try anything twice. -
OpossumQueen wrote: Don't go back, I don't want to wait for a table on weeknights
How about just a tad less rude Opossum. " I shouldn't go back so you can have less of a wait". As for the average patron.. I did not seem to be "average" patron that night, and I still can't be sure if she HERSELF reacted to my race, clothing, or weight. I am talking about HER and her treatment of ME rather than the other patrons, which the majority seemed to be thinner than me, Caucasian and not wearing sweats. However, I doubt you care given your sarcastic and rude response.
As for the average patron, I've seen a pretty good variety in there so I'm not sure what that would be other than people that live in PS/WT.
Grr...now I'm craving a big bowl of spicy gumbo from there. -
besus wrote: I like sidecar as well. I have never had a bad meal there. I second the burger, fried chicken and moscow mule and will raise you a shrimp and grits (as someone who doesn't really like grits).
I said the coffee was cold enough to make your nipples harden. If you are a woman and drink something, or come into contact with something very cold, that's what can happen. Ask other ladies.
I've never really had a service issue there, but can understand that one would turn you off from the place.
I'm also not sure why the OP was putting her nipples in the coffee, but I guess I'll try anything twice. -
Karl the Druid wrote:
so true, for the mule will indoctrinate the burger into socialism and the chicken is lactose intolerant. to cross the river you must:
karl recommends the fried chicken, the cheddar burger, and the moscow mule
but not all at once
cross first with the chicken and the burger, leaving the mule tethered at the dock.
leave the burger on the far shore; return to the dock with the chicken.
now cross again with the chicken and the mule. -
Just an observation, for what it's worth. If you come in with a chip on your shoulder and an attitude, it doesn't matter what your race is, how skinny/fat you are or what you're wearing, you are probably going to get the service you deserve. I've never been to Sidecar, and you may be right. On the other hand, nobody else has posted a complaint here. I'm just sayin'...
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^ yah......I gotta say the whole "maybe they treated me like shit because I was not white and not skinny" thing does not sit well with me. Maybe you just got a shitty waitress who was shitty to everybody. Or maybe you came in projecting the "I know they are going to treat me like shit because I am wearing sweat pants" vibe and it was a self-fulfilling prophecy.
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rosweed wrote: Just an observation, for what it's worth. If you come in with a chip on your shoulder and an attitude, it doesn't matter what your race is, how skinny/fat you are or what you're wearing, you are probably going to get the service you deserve. I've never been to Sidecar, and you may be right. On the other hand, nobody else has posted a complaint here. I'm just sayin'...
Just an Observation:
You were not there so you don't know the answer as to whether I "came in with a chip on my shoulder"
But let me tell you I DIDN'T
and as for not deserving good service. I believe that anyone who goes into customer service knows that they have to make sure they treat E-V-E-R-Y customer with respect. I walk into target, I have been in Alchemy, I have been in Korzo often etc and I wasn't treated that way. I asked for new coffee and got a snarky reply, and it appears that I am being judged very harshly in a forum where:
A) People were not privy to my "so called bad behavior". I went to Lot 2 recently, (read that thread in this very same website) and I had a completely wonderful experience there.
b) People seem less concerned about anyone's genuine experience. I was rudely told not to come back to a place, if I make a complaint about it. Of course that person didn't tell me that for my sake, but simply to make sure they have more seating for themselves. I wonder how folks who say stuff like that would treat their customers? It is probably best if I didn't go back considering that some customers might be nearly as rude as THAT PARTICULAR waitress. -
Judging by your thumbnail photo, I don't think you look so bad - maybe you could tuck your ears in a little...
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Flexichick wrote: ^ yah......I gotta say the whole "maybe they treated me like shit because I was not white and not skinny" thing does not sit well with me. Maybe you just got a shitty waitress who was shitty to everybody. Or maybe you came in projecting the "I know they are going to treat me like shit because I am wearing sweat pants" vibe and it was a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Listen. I don't what know HER motivations were for not treating me well, but guess what NOR DO YOU
How dare you de-legitimize my experience, just because it "doesn't sit well with you". If you had a bad experience and you weren't sure about the reasons why, you would list possible reasons..right???? I wasn't sure about why she was nasty to me soo... I listed a bunch of "POSSIBLE REASONS" I didnt say any of those reasons were in fact the real reason. Maybe she was just a bitch, who knows, but If you had a subjective experience of being maltreated, who am I to say it wasn't so? I wasn't privy and nor were you to how she treated other customers, so I am making guesses about MY PARTICULAR interaction with her -
Zebra wrote: Judging by your thumbnail photo, I don't think you look so bad - maybe you could tuck your ears in a little...
cute! -
The Psycho-ologist wrote: [quote=Flexichick]^ yah......I gotta say the whole "maybe they treated me like shit because I was not white and not skinny" thing does not sit well with me. Maybe you just got a shitty waitress who was shitty to everybody. Or maybe you came in projecting the "I know they are going to treat me like shit because I am wearing sweat pants" vibe and it was a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Listen. I don't what know HER motivations were for not treating me well, but guess what NOR DO YOU
How dare you de-legitimize my experience, just because it "doesn't sit well with you". If you had a bad experience and you weren't sure about the reasons why, you would list possible reasons..right???? I wasn't sure about why she was nasty to me soo... I listed a bunch of "POSSIBLE REASONS" I didnt say any of those reasons were in fact the real reason. Maybe she was just a bitch, who knows, but If you had a subjective experience of being maltreated, who am I to say it wasn't so?
If you post your experience on a public website, you should expect that people are going to comment on and question your story. Some will agree with you, others won't. If you can't handle that, I suggest you don't post anything on a public forum -
Subject: comments fine.. personal attacks not so much
Flexichick wrote: [quote=The Psycho-ologist][quote=Flexichick]^ yah......I gotta say the whole "maybe they treated me like shit because I was not white and not skinny" thing does not sit well with me. Maybe you just got a shitty waitress who was shitty to everybody. Or maybe you came in projecting the "I know they are going to treat me like shit because I am wearing sweat pants" vibe and it was a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Listen. I don't what know HER motivations were for not treating me well, but guess what NOR DO YOU
How dare you de-legitimize my experience, just because it "doesn't sit well with you". If you had a bad experience and you weren't sure about the reasons why, you would list possible reasons..right???? I wasn't sure about why she was nasty to me soo... I listed a bunch of "POSSIBLE REASONS" I didnt say any of those reasons were in fact the real reason. Maybe she was just a bitch, who knows, but If you had a subjective experience of being maltreated, who am I to say it wasn't so?
If you post your experience on a public website, you should expect that people are going to comment on and question your story. Some will agree with you, others won't. If you can't handle that, I suggest you don't post anything on a public forum
Apparently I am not the only one who has posted restaurant reviews on here where they did not have such a good experience:
read the thread here about La Playa:
http://www.brooklynian.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=53510
What not to eat:
http://www.brooklynian.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=35748
but apparently I am the only one who seems to be told that A) my experience wasn't real because it doesn't sit well with others or
that I shouldn't come back, so that other people can have more seating.
I am perfectly prepared to take criticisms of my review and notice I did not take issue with those who just simply stated that they had a different experience, or make references to my icon picture.
Notice Sweet tea and Karl the Druid didn't get comments.
What I have problems with are people who make CHARACTER ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT ME WITHOUT KNOWING ME, based on my review, and people who mockingly tell me "don't come back" and are essentially saying don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out.
If you had a different experience fine. I was talking about MY SINGLE experience with a SINGLE waitress. -
Flexichick wrote: [quote=The Psycho-ologist][quote=Flexichick]^ yah......I gotta say the whole "maybe they treated me like shit because I was not white and not skinny" thing does not sit well with me. Maybe you just got a shitty waitress who was shitty to everybody. Or maybe you came in projecting the "I know they are going to treat me like shit because I am wearing sweat pants" vibe and it was a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Listen. I don't what know HER motivations were for not treating me well, but guess what NOR DO YOU
How dare you de-legitimize my experience, just because it "doesn't sit well with you". If you had a bad experience and you weren't sure about the reasons why, you would list possible reasons..right???? I wasn't sure about why she was nasty to me soo... I listed a bunch of "POSSIBLE REASONS" I didnt say any of those reasons were in fact the real reason. Maybe she was just a bitch, who knows, but If you had a subjective experience of being maltreated, who am I to say it wasn't so?
If you post your experience on a public website, you should expect that people are going to comment on and question your story. Some will agree with you, others won't. If you can't handle that, I suggest you don't post anything on a public forum
agree -
Mpmav1 wrote: [quote=Flexichick][quote=The Psycho-ologist][quote=Flexichick]^ yah......I gotta say the whole "maybe they treated me like shit because I was not white and not skinny" thing does not sit well with me. Maybe you just got a shitty waitress who was shitty to everybody. Or maybe you came in projecting the "I know they are going to treat me like shit because I am wearing sweat pants" vibe and it was a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Listen. I don't what know HER motivations were for not treating me well, but guess what NOR DO YOU
How dare you de-legitimize my experience, just because it "doesn't sit well with you". If you had a bad experience and you weren't sure about the reasons why, you would list possible reasons..right???? I wasn't sure about why she was nasty to me soo... I listed a bunch of "POSSIBLE REASONS" I didnt say any of those reasons were in fact the real reason. Maybe she was just a bitch, who knows, but If you had a subjective experience of being maltreated, who am I to say it wasn't so?
If you post your experience on a public website, you should expect that people are going to comment on and question your story. Some will agree with you, others won't. If you can't handle that, I suggest you don't post anything on a public forum
agree
I agree that commenting on my experience is one thing, but commenting on what I must be like as a person, without knowing me based on my experience is quite another. Feel free to disagree about Sidecar, maybe you had a different experience. Post your experience. I won't tell you that you experience wasn't true, valid or real, since it was your experience. Nor will I tell you not to come back to a place, so that I may have more seating. -
^I don't disagree with what you wrote about the experience you had with the waitress - cold coffee, counting the money, etc. However, once you start(ed) speculating about WHY it happened (and it IS PURE SPECULATION) you are disparaging a business and accusing them of discrimination, which is not cool. You don't KNOW why you got shitty service and you didn't tell Sidecar's management about your experience - you just came here and published your speculation on what you THINK happened and why and that included some pretty harsh accusations with no substance to back them
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Flexichick wrote: ^I don't disagree with what you wrote about the experience you had with the waitress - cold coffee, counting the money, etc. However, once you start(ed) speculating about WHY it happened (and it IS PURE SPECULATION) you are disparaging a business and accusing them of discrimination, which is not cool. You don't KNOW why you got shitty service and you didn't tell Sidecar's management about your experience - you just came here and published your speculation on what you THINK happened and why and that included some pretty harsh accusations with no substance to back them
I suggest you re-read the original post
NO WHERE in the original and even rebuttal posts am I saying that the establishment is a racist place, or a place that discriminates against fat people, or people who are dressed poorly.
NO. I opined about the burger which I called sub par. I talked about the fries which I also opined were sub par. Then I talked about THE PARTICULAR WAITRESSES TREATMENT OF ME Please get THAT straight.
I said I didn't like the food enough to go back. The whole "me calling the entire establishment racist, weightist, or any other ism" is of YOUR creation. As for posting here publicly about a restaurant. As I have CLEARLY shown you before, people post reviews here A--L-L- T-H-E -T-I-M-E.
Why am I any worse for doing it? -
uh huh. ok. whatever. you win.
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The Psycho-ologist wrote:
Uh...wouldn't that be "any other ist"? Just sayin'...
I said I didn't like the food enough to go back. The whole "me calling the entire establishment racist, weightist, or any other ism" -
Very helpful, Beave, thanks.
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Dont forget to make printouts !
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Subject: Re: comments fine.. personal attacks not so much
If you had a different experience fine. I was talking about MY SINGLE experience with a SINGLE waitress.
Well, okay then. It's just that that position is undermined by the post's title, "sidecar restaurant review," which implies that you're, well, reviewing, you know, the restaurant. -
Psycho-ologist, back away from the keyboard. Everyone knows that the Brooklynian regulars aren't the most warm and understanding people in the world. Luckily, they're just a few people, and it doesn't matter what they think about you. You have to let it go.
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Yeah, that flexichick is a biznatch.
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Anastasia Beaverhausen wrote: Yeah, that flexichick is a biznatch.
takes one to know one, Beave.
Besides, I thought it was well-known that Sidecar only serves the GOOD burgers and fries to white, skinny people who know how to dress. Silly me
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