Tonight the kids wanted to have a movie night out at the local cinema and see Eclipse. To take advantage of a rare night without kids, me and my spouse decided we’d try out the new eating establishment in town called “My Place”.
The restaurant is in a building that our favorite local Mexican restaurant used to be located in and we parked up town as downtown is busy with fourth of July festivities, Frog Creek Freedom Festival, and many class reunions going on.
We checked out the menu taped to the glass doors first to see what they offered price wise and food wise. They seemed to offer a general mix of sandwiches, burgers, steak and seafood and Mexican cuisine. It seemed worth a try.
Upon entering two young hispanic girls ran up to us and shoved menus in our hands. “What do you want to drink?” one asked.
We weren’t seated first. We weren’t asked how many in our party. Menus in hand we weren’t even sure what they had to offer yet as it was our first visit. “Ummm you have iced tea?” I asked.
“Yep Raspberry or Regular?” the girl asked.
“Regular is fine.” I looked at my wife and she had a look on her face that told me she was more than a little appalled.
“Take a seat somewhere, just anywhere, make yourself comfortable.” The girl said and left us standing in the doorway. We looked at each other and sort of shook our heads.
We picked a booth and I looked around the restaurant. The decor wasn’t much different from when the Casa De Oro was there, except now there were large hideous painted murals on the one wall, one depicting some Mayan sun god carrying an unconscious woman up a mountainside was a little bit disturbing to say the least.
The place was practically empty though and the Spanish music didn’t fit the mixed menu, but then nothing really ‘fit’. It was like “My Place” isn’t really sure what kind of restaurant it’s supposed to be. The menu has Gyros, Patty Melts, Cheeseburgers and Mexican food and Top Sirloin all on one menu. Kind of seems to be a restaurant with an identity crisis.
Two waitresses brought our ice tea and a basket of chips and salsa. The chips were stale and cold and my wife gagged on the first bite.
“Anything I can get you?” the girl asked.
“Do you have sugar packets?” I asked noting that there were none on the table.
“Do you want Splenda?” she asked smacking her gum.
“No, sugar, real sugar will be fine.” I said.
I looked at the table. One salt shaker graced the table– no pepper, no ketchup, no salsa, no condiments of any kind and certainly no napkins or silverware.
The second girl came and asked us what we wanted to eat. I told her we both decided on the patty melts.
As we waited for our food, the other girl came by again and asked if we ‘wanted anything else’. “The sugar.” I reminded her.
She returned with five packets and two rolled up napkins of silverware for us.
Ten minutes later our plates came with our food. It smelled good. It looked all right on first glance, and then I picked up one half of my patty melt and grease poured off of it. My wife looked ready to vomit.
I let the grease run off the beef patty and took a tentative bite. “At least it’s cooked through” she said as she let her own patty melt drip off the fat.
Grease congealed on my red plate at My Place restaurant.
Neither of us could finish. The french fries were okay, but they could have used more than a leaf of lettuce with a slice of onion as a garnish. A nice pickle or tomato would have been nice.
The girls came by alternatively every two minutes on the nose to check on us and ask us over and over if everything was okay and if we wanted anything else, to the point I was beginning to feel annoyed.
Finally I could take no more and we got up and left. I greeted the owner warmly as I left and gave the girls a $3 tip for a $16 meal that was not worth it. I normally tip better, but I was cross and ill. I know as a new business he may have some kinks to work out, but he’s an experienced businessman who also owns a local ‘hotel’ if that is what you can call it.. though it’s notoriously known as something less than savory.
The waitresses were friendly if not overly stalkerish. I do know I will not ever eat there again however nor will I ever recommend anyone else eat there.
