Txdigest.com

Ever go back to a restaurant that you haven't been to in a long while and it occurs to you why you haven't been back? That happened with On the Border last night. I took the girls to the OTB by the Ballpark so we could see the fireworks after the game. We sat there for what seemed an eternity with no chips and drink. Which also meant no one taking our order. The food actually turned out to be pretty good which surprised me. But the very slow service almost caused us to miss the fireworks. And it's no fun to sit at a table with two hungry children and no food.

Got one to share?

It takes a lot to make me say "never again" and I usually don't ever return to see if things changed.

However, noisy restaurants make me want to stay away and I have accidentally returned to noisy ones.

Love the food at Fernando's on NWHwy, but we don't go there often because there seems to be none of the noise barriers that other restaurants use.

Why in the world would you go to that OTB on gameday? That's just asking for trouble.


I'll give you one in reverse. During my brief but storied career in restaurant management, I had one Friday night that I was closing the restaurant but we still had business on the bar side with live entertainment. Around 11 pm the house phone rang but since the restaurant side was closed and I was checking out waiters holding cash I chose not to stop and answer the phone. The next time I passed through the bar a female customer approached me and proceeded to get in my face and chew me out. She informed me that she had a sick child at home and she had left that number with the babysitter to call if there was a problem. (This was a little bit before the advent of cell phones) So she was upset that I had not answered the phone when it rang. Although the response to her complaint was obvious, I had to keep my customer relations hat on and just apologize and assure her I would answer the phone the next time it rang. It didn't.

BigTex wrote:Why in the world would you go to that OTB on gameday? That's just asking for trouble.


I'll give you one in reverse. During my brief but storied career in restaurant management, I had one Friday night that I was closing the restaurant but we still had business on the bar side with live entertainment. Around 11 pm the house phone rang but since the restaurant side was closed and I was checking out waiters holding cash I chose not to stop and answer the phone. The next time I passed through the bar a female customer approached me and proceeded to get in my face and chew me out. She informed me that she had a sick child at home and she had left that number with the babysitter to call if there was a problem. (This was a little bit before the advent of cell phones) So she was upset that I had not answered the phone when it rang. Although the response to her complaint was obvious, I had to keep my customer relations hat on and just apologize and assure her I would answer the phone the next time it rang. It didn't.

Her real concern was that you might have missed the call naming her "Mother of the Year".

jellowrestling wrote:

BigTex wrote:Why in the world would you go to that OTB on gameday? That's just asking for trouble.


I'll give you one in reverse. During my brief but storied career in restaurant management, I had one Friday night that I was closing the restaurant but we still had business on the bar side with live entertainment. Around 11 pm the house phone rang but since the restaurant side was closed and I was checking out waiters holding cash I chose not to stop and answer the phone. The next time I passed through the bar a female customer approached me and proceeded to get in my face and chew me out. She informed me that she had a sick child at home and she had left that number with the babysitter to call if there was a problem. (This was a little bit before the advent of cell phones) So she was upset that I had not answered the phone when it rang. Although the response to her complaint was obvious, I had to keep my customer relations hat on and just apologize and assure her I would answer the phone the next time it rang. It didn't.

Her real concern was that you might have missed the call naming her "Mother of the Year".

heh...lol...who goes off and leaves their sick kid with a babysitter unless it's for work or something like that?

We went to the OTB by the Ballpark so we could watch the Friday fireworks after the game. OTB really wasn't even very crowded. That's just what they do.

We rarely go to anymore "chain" restaurants. We seek out locals and have actually done quite well with a small group of very nice neighborhood restaurants. We learn who owns the restaurant and make sure they know we appreciate their place and their food. We get good food and good service and feel we are dining with "friends" who care about their food, service and their "friends".

Jay Weaver wrote:We rarely go to anymore "chain" restaurants. We seek out locals and have actually done quite well with a small group of very nice neighborhood restaurants. We learn who owns the restaurant and make sure they know we appreciate their place and their food. We get good food and good service and feel we are dining with "friends" who care about their food, service and their "friends".

Yep, other than the occasional "grabbing a sandwich for lunch" scenario, the only "chain" we actually go to for dine-in is Rockfish. Too many good mom and pops.

We're very pro chain restaurant.

GFB wrote:We're very pro chain restaurant.

Why?? I just wonder why some people prefer chains.

I have to tell about a good experience and recommend a place. Remember Hoffbrau's?? It's a steak place and there used to be quite a few of them. Now there are only 5, one of which is in Fort Worth on University near the Zoo. I had a nice lunch there last Saturday with great service. Then I went out to my car and it wouldn't start. One of the waitresses was parking next to me and offered to help me. Then the restaurant manager came out to help. I really did appreciate all their help and will be eating their more often.

crocmommy wrote:

GFB wrote:We're very pro chain restaurant.

Why?? I just wonder why some people prefer chains.

We have some independent places we go, too..

..but they're chains because what they make and the price it's offered at has worked like a charm..in many cases nationwide and even worldwide.

Most of them started as little mom and pop places, too..and if your local favorite mom and pop place ever REALLY catches on..(from doing something unique and delicious)..they'll become "chains" of some level as well..even if it's only in your immediate area.

GFB wrote:

crocmommy wrote:

GFB wrote:We're very pro chain restaurant.

Why?? I just wonder why some people prefer chains.

We have some independent places we go, too..

..but they're chains because what they make and the price it's offered at has worked like a charm..in many cases nationwide and even worldwide.

Most of them started as little mom and pop places, too..and if your local favorite mom and pop place ever REALLY catches on..(from doing something unique and delicious)..they'll become "chains" of some level as well..even if it's only in your immediate area.

And I hate it when a mom and pop place becomes a chain. That happened with Sonny Bryan's our local BBQ place. I never thought they were as good when they started putting them everywhere. Now many of those locations are gone.

I guess we'd have to call that a "failed" chain.

The successful ones find a way to keep their specialness.

GFB wrote:I guess we'd have to call that a "failed" chain.

The successful ones find a way to keep their specialness.

I think BBQ's are more of a challenge to control the original food quality to keep it from becoming mediocre.

crocmommy wrote:

GFB wrote:I guess we'd have to call that a "failed" chain.

The successful ones find a way to keep their specialness.

I think BBQ's are more of a challenge to control the original food quality to keep it from becoming mediocre.

Maybe so

Goff's is a good example one to multiple to one, which just burned down

Chains are a known quantity when you are eating in a strange place, and in general I have found chains to be better than independent restaurants.

A Big Mac tastes the same everywhere there is a McDonald's. Who knows what you'll get burger wise when you walk into mom & pop's burger joint. I'll go with the chains, known quality & taste.

tx3653 wrote:A Big Mac tastes the same everywhere there is a McDonald's. Who knows what you'll get burger wise when you walk into mom & pop's burger joint. I'll go with the chains, known quality & taste.

I like McDonalds ok just for an average burger at lunch or if I'm with the girls. But you never know if you try a local business you might get a VERY good burger. With some of the local facebook dining group I belong to, people are always sharing about a new place they've tried. So that takes some of the guesswork out of it.

We don't do chains much except maybe on a trip. We're enjoying a Mexican restaurant in Rowlett. The owner/manager (don't know which one he is) always seems happy to see us, greets us by name and knows exactly what I want even though it's not on the menu. But he does ask me. We really love a Chinese restaurant in Rowlett called the Golden Pot. I love walnut shrimp, but until eating there, I just thought I knew what walnut shrimp was. The place isn't like most Chinese restaurants (or God forbid a buffet), it also has Japanese food and drinks. We just got turned off by the run of the mill Chinese food. Everything was chopped till you really couldn't tell what it was. This place is lovely. I ordered the walnut shrimp. I had to cut the shrimp (or prawn!) but it was cooked to perfection. It was like manna from the gods! Hubs got orange chicken and kept saying "This chicken is all white breast chicken!" We'd planned on going back this week but I've had some medical problems and spent Friday at the ER. We will go back sometime this week I hope. Son loves spicy food so I think he'll like the Japanese food. He's been house hunting between work and partying and going to A&M football game. His friends had a going away party for him 6 months ago. This weekend they had a coming home party for him. I think they just like to party.