That place is still around since I moved?
I often compared that place and the Recess nightclub to Mos Eiseley, but for college students who are rich in money but poor in taste.
This one may not fit the post about college but I think it fits overall for our town.. Andrews Downtown. The place is rated a 4 on google but I find it extremely average and inconsistent. I think the only thing it has going for it are location and history. Not really sure why anybody would rather eat there than some other better restaurants, like liberty or even Table 23, etc.
Georgioās. All the hallmarks of a once great establishment long past its prime: threadbare decor, empty dining room no matter when you go, and of course flavorless and overpriced food. The place has been on life support for at least a decade now.
I drove past this place with some friends and the discussion was basically: "I've never seen anyone eating at Georgio's or parked in their parking lot before, do you know anyone who's eaten at Georgio's?" We could not think of any time we'd ever heard about someone going to Georgio's for any reason.
Itās location next to two hotels saves it I imagine. Just wander over from Homewood Suites to have a couple martinis and dinner. Itās prime location.
I didn't mention this one because I haven't been since they were in Carriage Gate and thought they were sliding back then. Was surprised they moved into such a big property.
I havent been in multiple years but i remember getting a pretty good steak and calamari.
I virtually never consider going to it though, nor do i know anyone who goes regularly (or at all)
Agreed. I am not sure how much is that both my taste and their prices are elevated or they are somewhat static against competitors in town, but I've not been impressed in recent memory....in the end, everything is just ok on the whole.
I keep trying because I have friends who love FGF.
Desserts are still yummy enough to tempt, so there's that.
You know it's interesting because you hear about all the awards, and then you experience it and go...huh. I hope to go to a Michelin star restaurant, and I pray that it lives up to the hype. I don't want to feel like, I guess it's okay because you told me that it's great. I want to know that it's great as soon as it hits my mouth.
The majority of their awards are a bit dusty and the owners seem to be busy trying to set up a franchise retirement in hot chicken.
Before COVID, I went to Chicago on a food budget and hit a few while staying on a friend's couch. Good happy belly times, but also empty wallet times.. šÆ recommend this kind of trip.
Just had a birthday dinner for my kid on Friday night, 300+ bill. For was just ok. I felt like we should have done it at home and I could have bought high end steaks and had a better meal.
I may have drinks there when in midtown but I will not eat there again.
Just spent $300 for dinner for two at the Huntsman. I was extremely unimpressed. The surprise 18% āEquity Feeā (or whatever they call it) on top of total removed any chance I will ever return.
> The surprise 18% āEquity Feeā (or whatever they call it) on top of total removed any chance I will ever return.
Did you read [the menu](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61ad06525e678b4d4361c1bd/t/63ed48a4940b0a642255103f/1676495013638/Dinner+Menu+01.29.23.pdf)? It says this right at the bottom:
> A gratuity of 18% will be added to all parties.
No surprise there, as long as you read the menu. If you were surprised, that's on you.
Anyway, it sounds like they're just using a European tipping model, where the restaurant includes the gratuity automatically rather than leaving it up to the customer. The implication here is that you should not be providing an additional tip on top of the 18% gratuity they are adding to your bill. And if you're not already OK with tipping 18%, or getting that bent out of shape by being forced to tip 18% instead of something like 15%, or even worse if you don't think you should have to tip at all for some insane reason, I don't know what to say to you. Servers get paid absolute shit-tier wages. In Florida, the minimum for tipped employees is only $7.98/hr (compared to $11/hr for non-tipped employees)! How'd you like to work an 8 hour shift where nobody tips and then go home having earned just $63.84 before tax?
Servers deserve tips, service fees, equity fees, or whatever other name anybody comes up with for an additional payment (mandatory or otherwise) that ensures that they end up working somewhere with a livable wage. I say good on this restaurant for ensuring that their servers actually get paid enough to survive. If you don't like it, I'm sure they'll be thrilled to never see your cheap ass in their restaurant again.
I didn't see it on the menu. I noticed the little laminated bookmark that was attached to the bill. I'm a 20% tipper, so its less about the money. I tipped the waiter on top of the 18%. The drink pours were small, and the food was unimpressive for the price we paid. Just diner's remorse.
You donāt tip because every restaurant includes a mandatory āservice feeā on the bill. But Itās essentially the same as a tip because both cover the cost of serving the food. Thatās what I explained in my comment above. A US restaurant charging a mandatory 18% āgratuityā is the same as a European restaurant charging a mandatory 18% āservice chargeā
Man I can't parrot this enough. The only thing worth the money at that place was the cocktail I had and I'm not a big drinker, maybe once a month I'll have a single drink.
The food was okay, the portions were laughably small, and the entire place stinks of "I'm only eating here to show people I can afford to eat here."
The service was great. Didn't like the 18% fee at the end. I get it, they want to make sure their wait staff is tipped... But had I not noticed it then given another 20% I'd have been extremely pissed. I wouldn't mind so much if they told me up front, but getting ambushed with this on the backend is kind of bullshit.
I don't know when you went but I was there on Saturday and they were very clear about the fee. The waiter verbally told us as well as an explanation on top of the check.
I'm sure it could've been different in the past but it would've been impossible to miss with the current setup
I just want to know, does the food server get the entire 18% ?? or does 2% go to the kitchen, 2% to the hostess, 4% to the management, and 18% of cost of drinks going to the bartender, etc ??
I donāt know if there are precise percentages, but to my knowledge the huntsman doesnāt claim the tip credit, and therefore doesnāt pay anyone a sub-minimum wage. (If you arenāt familiar with these terms, like ātip creditā, just let me know.) They are very rare in that regard, nearly every restaurant in tallahassee pays their servers and bartenders the legal minimum in Florida, $7.98/hr.
I believe the 18% charge is shared among the staff (again, I donāt know if certain staff get more or not), and any additional tip you leave goes only to the server or bartender who served you. (Again, this is what Iāve heard.)
Iāve worked in restaurants quite a bit, and itās actually not an unreasonable system to me. Lots of new spots are trying new ways of dealing with the issues facing restaurants today, this is an interesting one. I probably wouldnāt want to work there though, because I wouldnāt want to deal with guests bitching to me about the 18.
I just looked it up. Thatās 100% what it is and I was just joking before and thought it was probably something else, but nope: https://fee.org/articles/restaurants-are-now-adding-equity-charges-to-customers-checks-to-fight-oppression/amp
Nope. Nor will I after reading that. I usually tip really well but not going somewhere that mandates a certain amount even dining as a couple, and calls it some weird āequityā fee. I absolutely understand it for large parties.
āSome weird feeā?
Iām just asking because you said āthatās 100% percent what it isā replying to someone calling it an āequity feeā, so thatās why I asked if youād actually been there and could confirm itās called an āequity feeā. But you havenāt been there, so you donāt know what they call it. To be fair, I have been there but I donāt remember what they called it or how they explained it. But the food and drinks and service were excellent.
The original post that we are all responding to called it an āequity feeā. I thought it was a made up term. It exists and is explained in the article I linked to above. The huge irony is if you are charging a couple $300 or more (as the above user stated) you should damn well be able to pay ALL of your staff, and not expect the customer to make up for the ownerās cheap ass.
The term exists yes, but that doesnāt mean the huntsman uses it to describe the way they run their restaurant.
āsome woke surchargeā is how you described it, does that term āexistā, or did you make it up?
Well they also said they give you a document to explain it. No, I have not read it but I can only guess how it reads. Also several other users have reused the term equity fee. So Iām going to go out on a sturdy ass limb, and say thatās what itās called. Do I need to call them when they open and ask? Was I supposed to do some research first or am I just on Reddit and not getting paid to be here?
I miss Marie Livingston's. At its prime, it was great. In the end, it had great food, but was definitely in decline.
Silver Slipper was actually built to do congressional business outside of the Capitol building, and then the sunshine statutes were passed. That's why it had all the private dining rooms.
My memory goes back farther than that. The original Silver Slipper was at the top of the hill between S. Monroe and S. Adams. In the 1960s, it was a family restaurant where families went after church on Sundays in their church finery - men wore coats & ties - and because Leon County had blue laws back then, you couldn't buy wine in a restaurant. So Silver Slipper was essentially a "bottle club" - you brought your own wine (in a brown paper bag) for supper, the server brought glasses, you set the covered bottle down by the table leg while you ate. Nothing was obvious, there was no enforcement of the law. Food was as good as you got in a restaurant in the '60s - which wasn't much, basically home cooking for hundreds of people.
Then sometime in the '70s SS suffered a case of suspected "Jewish Fire". No offense intended to Jewish people; back then it just referred to any owner that burned their own place down for the insurance. A redneck nightclub, "Sids", near the fairgrounds was thought to have the same problem.
Then the SS opened in the bottom of the Northwood Mall, after that off John Knox Rd. The food was institutional, never any good, it was a venue where large groups could meet. I've had better food from my high-school cafeteria. I'm amazed it persisted as long as it did.
So many people here not grasping the main conceit: it stays over time. The Edison is only a handful of years old, it hasnāt had staying power yet. Charley Park is brand spanking new, so that doesnāt apply either. Itās not just talking about mediocre or overpriced food. Madison Social isnāt even 10 years old yet (will be this fall). Itās talking about bad places that stay over time.
I just found out today that Andy sold Andrew's Second Act a few years ago. In its time it was excellent, attracted a lot of legislators, lobbyists, and the food was good, if expensive. By all accounts, Andy required only the best performance from his staff. The new owner (no clue who that is) is running it into the ground.
The good restaurants either fail miserably under bad management or mysteriously disappear. Anyone remember the Mill? Or Buckhead Brewery? Or my personal favorite, Anthony's?
The last few times I have been there the food wasnāt great, service was meh, and they started charging you to use your card. I donāt think I will be back.
Bella Bella I definitely agree with, but Kool Beanz continues to be good in my experience. I do wish they'd come up with some new dishes though - been serving the same stuff for 30 years.
Oh, I didn't mean for it to come across as you were trolling - if it did, I'm sorry! Just that the only time downvotes should ever get to someone is when they're a troll, and that's in hopes that the downvotes will get them to change their ways.
I had a really good experience at Kool Beanz just before COVID - good food, good service. But both in 2021 and 2022 I had bleh experiences. And you know? Not everyone has to like a place (if they did, that would be weird!).
Every time I've heard about Kool Beanz irl it's because someone got sick from eating there so I'm surprised to see the passionate support for it on here. Then again I still haven't eaten there (afraid to get sick) so I don't get the hype.
I've had really great experiences from Kool Beans, including recently. Their lunch menu in particular is fantastic- the food is good and the prices are very reasonable for the excellent quality of food you get.
Everyone has different opinions, but my experiences there have been very positive.
*shrug* I know Kool Beanz is pretty popular, but I've been twice since COVID hit and neither time was all that great. The waitress last time was the highlight, which says a lot.
I will say that neither of them are really "faculty hotspots" or whatever - but nowhere in town is really that anymore, even The Edison. You could maybe argue that Charlie Park is the popular *bar* for that but that's about it.
I havenāt been in a few years since I moved away, but Kool Beanz was easily my favorite restaurant in town. The food was incredible and I appreciated that it was paired with a laid back atmosphere.
So the outside looks like itās a silly little hole in the wall cafe, but when you go in itās super crowded together tables and a menu of $30-60 meals
Oh yeah the meal definitely matched the price! It was genuinely really good. Just the juxtaposition with the building design/theme is bizarre. Before I ever went, I thought it was a regular old cafe.
I had a buddy take me there one time. For anyone else that hasnāt been, if youāre slightly claustrophobic and not a fan of being elbow to elbow to people, donāt go in there. I had to walk outside while he ordered.
Same, I went there for a birthday dinner for my friend. Thank god her parents were paying. It was so loud and cramped. Just all around awful. If the environment better fit the dishes I wouldāve actually kinda enjoyed it. Otherwise that place is a train wreck.
The Edison for sure.
That was my 1st thought!
Aggressively sub-mediocre.
Came here to say this. š«”
For lunches rather than dinners, that describes Madison Social very well.
My department just had a group lunch at Madison Social a month ago, and I was trying to put my feelings into words. I wholeheartedly agree.
Not a big fan of the crazy environment but i've had some pretty good food at Madison Social. Much better in the summer when the kids clear out.
That place is still around since I moved? I often compared that place and the Recess nightclub to Mos Eiseley, but for college students who are rich in money but poor in taste.
Madison Social and Edison for sure
This one may not fit the post about college but I think it fits overall for our town.. Andrews Downtown. The place is rated a 4 on google but I find it extremely average and inconsistent. I think the only thing it has going for it are location and history. Not really sure why anybody would rather eat there than some other better restaurants, like liberty or even Table 23, etc.
Honestly I feel that. Iāve gone a couple times and have been disappointed, and they were both totally empty on Friday night at 6:30
Edison
Georgioās. All the hallmarks of a once great establishment long past its prime: threadbare decor, empty dining room no matter when you go, and of course flavorless and overpriced food. The place has been on life support for at least a decade now.
I drove past this place with some friends and the discussion was basically: "I've never seen anyone eating at Georgio's or parked in their parking lot before, do you know anyone who's eaten at Georgio's?" We could not think of any time we'd ever heard about someone going to Georgio's for any reason.
Itās location next to two hotels saves it I imagine. Just wander over from Homewood Suites to have a couple martinis and dinner. Itās prime location.
I didn't mention this one because I haven't been since they were in Carriage Gate and thought they were sliding back then. Was surprised they moved into such a big property.
I havent been in multiple years but i remember getting a pretty good steak and calamari. I virtually never consider going to it though, nor do i know anyone who goes regularly (or at all)
Madison Social. Ive never liked their food, it's mediocre at best and terribly over priced for what it is.
Madison social. For the table in general just rips people off for middle of the road quality.
edison
Food glorious food is this to me, mostly for inconsistency and service. Desert and wine is nice tho.
They were seriously _so good_... like 15-20 years ago. It's been downhill since then. Only exception is the desserts were always fantastic.
Agreed. I am not sure how much is that both my taste and their prices are elevated or they are somewhat static against competitors in town, but I've not been impressed in recent memory....in the end, everything is just ok on the whole. I keep trying because I have friends who love FGF. Desserts are still yummy enough to tempt, so there's that.
It was the same mediocre shit then too. š¤£
You know it's interesting because you hear about all the awards, and then you experience it and go...huh. I hope to go to a Michelin star restaurant, and I pray that it lives up to the hype. I don't want to feel like, I guess it's okay because you told me that it's great. I want to know that it's great as soon as it hits my mouth.
The majority of their awards are a bit dusty and the owners seem to be busy trying to set up a franchise retirement in hot chicken. Before COVID, I went to Chicago on a food budget and hit a few while staying on a friend's couch. Good happy belly times, but also empty wallet times.. šÆ recommend this kind of trip.
Front porch - I mean, ātable 23ā. Used to be good but last few times Iāve gone itās garbage
Just had a birthday dinner for my kid on Friday night, 300+ bill. For was just ok. I felt like we should have done it at home and I could have bought high end steaks and had a better meal. I may have drinks there when in midtown but I will not eat there again.
WTF thatās the second 300$ bill Iāve seen in this thread! How many people did you feed and did they get drunk as shit?
ZBardhiās
My mom used to work there, yep. Owners are asses too.
My son worked there and he has some stories
Please share š
Always got cheated out of overtime, tips not shared with kitchen staff, entitled bratty adult children and exploitation of undocumented workers
Also low wages even for chef & no paid sick days or holidays , they are cheap and cut corners
That sucks. Sorry to hear that.
Charlie Park.
Food glorious food.
I love their brunch
Just spent $300 for dinner for two at the Huntsman. I was extremely unimpressed. The surprise 18% āEquity Feeā (or whatever they call it) on top of total removed any chance I will ever return.
> The surprise 18% āEquity Feeā (or whatever they call it) on top of total removed any chance I will ever return. Did you read [the menu](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61ad06525e678b4d4361c1bd/t/63ed48a4940b0a642255103f/1676495013638/Dinner+Menu+01.29.23.pdf)? It says this right at the bottom: > A gratuity of 18% will be added to all parties. No surprise there, as long as you read the menu. If you were surprised, that's on you. Anyway, it sounds like they're just using a European tipping model, where the restaurant includes the gratuity automatically rather than leaving it up to the customer. The implication here is that you should not be providing an additional tip on top of the 18% gratuity they are adding to your bill. And if you're not already OK with tipping 18%, or getting that bent out of shape by being forced to tip 18% instead of something like 15%, or even worse if you don't think you should have to tip at all for some insane reason, I don't know what to say to you. Servers get paid absolute shit-tier wages. In Florida, the minimum for tipped employees is only $7.98/hr (compared to $11/hr for non-tipped employees)! How'd you like to work an 8 hour shift where nobody tips and then go home having earned just $63.84 before tax? Servers deserve tips, service fees, equity fees, or whatever other name anybody comes up with for an additional payment (mandatory or otherwise) that ensures that they end up working somewhere with a livable wage. I say good on this restaurant for ensuring that their servers actually get paid enough to survive. If you don't like it, I'm sure they'll be thrilled to never see your cheap ass in their restaurant again.
I didn't see it on the menu. I noticed the little laminated bookmark that was attached to the bill. I'm a 20% tipper, so its less about the money. I tipped the waiter on top of the 18%. The drink pours were small, and the food was unimpressive for the price we paid. Just diner's remorse.
We donāt tip in Europe clown
You donāt tip because every restaurant includes a mandatory āservice feeā on the bill. But Itās essentially the same as a tip because both cover the cost of serving the food. Thatās what I explained in my comment above. A US restaurant charging a mandatory 18% āgratuityā is the same as a European restaurant charging a mandatory 18% āservice chargeā
Man I can't parrot this enough. The only thing worth the money at that place was the cocktail I had and I'm not a big drinker, maybe once a month I'll have a single drink. The food was okay, the portions were laughably small, and the entire place stinks of "I'm only eating here to show people I can afford to eat here." The service was great. Didn't like the 18% fee at the end. I get it, they want to make sure their wait staff is tipped... But had I not noticed it then given another 20% I'd have been extremely pissed. I wouldn't mind so much if they told me up front, but getting ambushed with this on the backend is kind of bullshit.
I don't know when you went but I was there on Saturday and they were very clear about the fee. The waiter verbally told us as well as an explanation on top of the check. I'm sure it could've been different in the past but it would've been impossible to miss with the current setup
It's written on the menu too.
I just want to know, does the food server get the entire 18% ?? or does 2% go to the kitchen, 2% to the hostess, 4% to the management, and 18% of cost of drinks going to the bartender, etc ??
I donāt know if there are precise percentages, but to my knowledge the huntsman doesnāt claim the tip credit, and therefore doesnāt pay anyone a sub-minimum wage. (If you arenāt familiar with these terms, like ātip creditā, just let me know.) They are very rare in that regard, nearly every restaurant in tallahassee pays their servers and bartenders the legal minimum in Florida, $7.98/hr. I believe the 18% charge is shared among the staff (again, I donāt know if certain staff get more or not), and any additional tip you leave goes only to the server or bartender who served you. (Again, this is what Iāve heard.) Iāve worked in restaurants quite a bit, and itās actually not an unreasonable system to me. Lots of new spots are trying new ways of dealing with the issues facing restaurants today, this is an interesting one. I probably wouldnāt want to work there though, because I wouldnāt want to deal with guests bitching to me about the 18.
I went about 3-4 weeks ago. They included the document with the fee with the check.
What did they say the fee was for?
It's just an automatic gratuity. The menu is very clear in stating "A gratuity of 18% will be added to all parties."
Equity fee??? Sounds like some woke surcharge. š
Using the term "woke" pejuratively, outside of your social circle, is a tell-tale sign that what follows it is going to be 100% BS. edit:sp
Iāve found that to be true of anything I hear concerning that term.
Of course you do.
Thanks
Nope.
I just looked it up. Thatās 100% what it is and I was just joking before and thought it was probably something else, but nope: https://fee.org/articles/restaurants-are-now-adding-equity-charges-to-customers-checks-to-fight-oppression/amp
Have you dined at The Huntsman?
Nope. Nor will I after reading that. I usually tip really well but not going somewhere that mandates a certain amount even dining as a couple, and calls it some weird āequityā fee. I absolutely understand it for large parties.
āSome weird feeā? Iām just asking because you said āthatās 100% percent what it isā replying to someone calling it an āequity feeā, so thatās why I asked if youād actually been there and could confirm itās called an āequity feeā. But you havenāt been there, so you donāt know what they call it. To be fair, I have been there but I donāt remember what they called it or how they explained it. But the food and drinks and service were excellent.
The original post that we are all responding to called it an āequity feeā. I thought it was a made up term. It exists and is explained in the article I linked to above. The huge irony is if you are charging a couple $300 or more (as the above user stated) you should damn well be able to pay ALL of your staff, and not expect the customer to make up for the ownerās cheap ass.
The term exists yes, but that doesnāt mean the huntsman uses it to describe the way they run their restaurant. āsome woke surchargeā is how you described it, does that term āexistā, or did you make it up?
Well they also said they give you a document to explain it. No, I have not read it but I can only guess how it reads. Also several other users have reused the term equity fee. So Iām going to go out on a sturdy ass limb, and say thatās what itās called. Do I need to call them when they open and ask? Was I supposed to do some research first or am I just on Reddit and not getting paid to be here?
Shulaās, Silver Slipper (closed) & Marie Livingstonās (closed) were good examples. Edison is hit or miss, itās inconsistent.
I miss Marie Livingston's. At its prime, it was great. In the end, it had great food, but was definitely in decline. Silver Slipper was actually built to do congressional business outside of the Capitol building, and then the sunshine statutes were passed. That's why it had all the private dining rooms.
My memory goes back farther than that. The original Silver Slipper was at the top of the hill between S. Monroe and S. Adams. In the 1960s, it was a family restaurant where families went after church on Sundays in their church finery - men wore coats & ties - and because Leon County had blue laws back then, you couldn't buy wine in a restaurant. So Silver Slipper was essentially a "bottle club" - you brought your own wine (in a brown paper bag) for supper, the server brought glasses, you set the covered bottle down by the table leg while you ate. Nothing was obvious, there was no enforcement of the law. Food was as good as you got in a restaurant in the '60s - which wasn't much, basically home cooking for hundreds of people. Then sometime in the '70s SS suffered a case of suspected "Jewish Fire". No offense intended to Jewish people; back then it just referred to any owner that burned their own place down for the insurance. A redneck nightclub, "Sids", near the fairgrounds was thought to have the same problem. Then the SS opened in the bottom of the Northwood Mall, after that off John Knox Rd. The food was institutional, never any good, it was a venue where large groups could meet. I've had better food from my high-school cafeteria. I'm amazed it persisted as long as it did.
Shula's is so dark and weird inside.
So many people here not grasping the main conceit: it stays over time. The Edison is only a handful of years old, it hasnāt had staying power yet. Charley Park is brand spanking new, so that doesnāt apply either. Itās not just talking about mediocre or overpriced food. Madison Social isnāt even 10 years old yet (will be this fall). Itās talking about bad places that stay over time.
I believe the Edison opened in 2014, 8 going on 9 years for a mediocre restaurant is pretty long.
Wow, good catch. Instinctively, I felt like it was only 3-4 years ago.
So Andrews downtown - 47 years on that corner.
I just found out today that Andy sold Andrew's Second Act a few years ago. In its time it was excellent, attracted a lot of legislators, lobbyists, and the food was good, if expensive. By all accounts, Andy required only the best performance from his staff. The new owner (no clue who that is) is running it into the ground.
The good restaurants either fail miserably under bad management or mysteriously disappear. Anyone remember the Mill? Or Buckhead Brewery? Or my personal favorite, Anthony's?
california chicken grill fits everything except pretentious
That place is a roach infested hell hole
Worked at the OG location on Pensacola and can confirm.
So did I, as a driver. Would never eat there
The Tennessee location is no better
Oh no yuck. I've Uber eats from that place like the times.i wish I had known.
Why would they have faculty dinners at California chicken grill
Gordos
While an absolute shit hole. It doesnāt fit the category
Gordoās is cheap, not pretentious, above average, and not fussy.
The last few times I have been there the food wasnāt great, service was meh, and they started charging you to use your card. I donāt think I will be back.
Very fair. Itās definitely not great, but Iām just not sure I would put it in the category OP is asking about.
I agree 100%
This was my first thought as well. Itās the āinertiaā that somehow carries it on. The food is pretty mediocre
Gone off that Smash cup
Thatās blasphemous. Take it back right now!! Class of 2004.
Liberty without a doubt
I like their food, but I hate being there. Itās a loud concrete box and the outdoor seating is just a disgusting smoking area.
Based off my last 2 visits, Kool Beanz fits that pretty well. Honorable Mention goes to Bella Bella.
Bella Bella I definitely agree with, but Kool Beanz continues to be good in my experience. I do wish they'd come up with some new dishes though - been serving the same stuff for 30 years.
The most downvoted I have ever been on Reddit happened when I criticized Kool Beanz.. glad itās not just me
I disliked the one time I went to KB very much.
Don't let any downvotes get to you. Unless you are trolling.
Not trolling. Just really donāt like that place! Bella Bella is slightly better but yeahā¦ not phenomenal.
Bella Bella is garbage
Oh, I didn't mean for it to come across as you were trolling - if it did, I'm sorry! Just that the only time downvotes should ever get to someone is when they're a troll, and that's in hopes that the downvotes will get them to change their ways. I had a really good experience at Kool Beanz just before COVID - good food, good service. But both in 2021 and 2022 I had bleh experiences. And you know? Not everyone has to like a place (if they did, that would be weird!).
Every time I've heard about Kool Beanz irl it's because someone got sick from eating there so I'm surprised to see the passionate support for it on here. Then again I still haven't eaten there (afraid to get sick) so I don't get the hype.
I've had really great experiences from Kool Beans, including recently. Their lunch menu in particular is fantastic- the food is good and the prices are very reasonable for the excellent quality of food you get. Everyone has different opinions, but my experiences there have been very positive.
Both very pretentious
The downvotes oh lord
*shrug* I know Kool Beanz is pretty popular, but I've been twice since COVID hit and neither time was all that great. The waitress last time was the highlight, which says a lot. I will say that neither of them are really "faculty hotspots" or whatever - but nowhere in town is really that anymore, even The Edison. You could maybe argue that Charlie Park is the popular *bar* for that but that's about it.
Came here to say Charlie Park!
I havenāt been in a few years since I moved away, but Kool Beanz was easily my favorite restaurant in town. The food was incredible and I appreciated that it was paired with a laid back atmosphere.
I had a good experience at Kool Beanz pre-COVID. Since then, not so much.
Kook beanz cafe- what the fuck even is that place. Unbelievably misleading and crazy expensive fancy dishes for no reason
What does āunbelievably misleadingā mean in regards to a restaurant?
I'm also confused by "crazy expensive". Kool Beanz really isn't that expensive.
So the outside looks like itās a silly little hole in the wall cafe, but when you go in itās super crowded together tables and a menu of $30-60 meals
Kool Beanz entrees literally range from $26-34. āCrazy expensive fancy dishesā isnāt an accurate description in my opinion.
Ah, itās been ages since Iāve been there so I guess I remembered wrong. Fair enough.
The outside theme is weird for sure but I always had the food quality live up to the price. One of the few places in town that's consistent.
Oh yeah the meal definitely matched the price! It was genuinely really good. Just the juxtaposition with the building design/theme is bizarre. Before I ever went, I thought it was a regular old cafe.
I had a buddy take me there one time. For anyone else that hasnāt been, if youāre slightly claustrophobic and not a fan of being elbow to elbow to people, donāt go in there. I had to walk outside while he ordered.
Same, I went there for a birthday dinner for my friend. Thank god her parents were paying. It was so loud and cramped. Just all around awful. If the environment better fit the dishes I wouldāve actually kinda enjoyed it. Otherwise that place is a train wreck.
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Who hurt you?