Bad experience at Burt's Place

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (BuddyRoadhouse)

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:33:32 GMT

Ooooh, that's just evil, brother; ouch. Truth be told, my refigerator is well stocked with Barbecue Sauce and most of it is not my own. I am proud to say, however, that none of it is Open Pit.

Buddy

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (ScreamingChicken)

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 12:23:35 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by danimal15

By the way, I'm not telling Buddy when I plan to go. It could be any day. He's going to be surprised to learn it's me at the end of the meal.

I hear that instead of a cash tip Buddy prefers a bottle of Open Pit...

Brad

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (TJ Jackson)

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 09:31:04 GMT

Why you folks are doing anything but ignoring this Logan fellow, I dunno :-)

Seems like a textbook troll to me, albeit he uses more words than the typical troll.

Ah well.

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (danimal15)

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:17:03 GMT

By the way, I'm not telling Buddy when I plan to go. It could be any day. He's going to be surprised to learn it's me at the end of the meal.

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (Davydd)

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:03:03 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Logan2

Davydd, with the bad report that danimal15 gave on the subject, do you really think that he and his party won't be looked for and given little to no attention?

No, but only if danimal15 chooses to telegraph his visit. Knowing Buddy, he is sincere and more than capable of providing good service to anyone that enters and has thoroughly explained the situation as he knows it. Rather than continuing to being a cynic about this, wait and let it play out with danimal15 or make your own visit on another night other than Saturday if you like. I believe you had no problem with the pizza so it would not kill you to do so. Restaurants do live and learn and I've never know any that blow off criticism when it affects the bottom line. But who knows. They could be Seinfeld like "soup nazis" and desire to go back to the comfort of the pre-Savuer days and stick with loyal neighborhood customers. I wouldn't blame them if that strategy provided for their needs.

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (Logan2)

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 18:53:21 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by danimal15

Hey Buddy,

Looks like the in-laws are coming over tomorrow night, so how does 1/19 look for you?

Dan

quote:
Originally posted by BuddyRoadhouse

What, the in-laws don't like pizza??? That's okay, I'll be there on the 19th too.

Buddy

Davydd, with the bad report that danimal15 gave on the subject, do you really think that he and his party won't be looked for and given little to no attention? If so, I call that naive. And I didn't start the use of the term "waiter extraordinaire," it was mentioned by someone else above. And all I hear about him BTW is positive. I definitely get the impression that he is a hard worker and will provide good service. How about the main part of my "burr" that concerns service when he's not there, when the average Jane and Joe go there without any semi "pre-arrangement"? When you have to sit there for a long time before given any attention and no follow up to see how your visit is going (and when it's not busy at all)? I'm sure your visit will be different.

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (danimal15)

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 17:16:31 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Davydd

Logan2, I am not sure why you have a burr under your saddle on this issue. Danimal15 has not returned yet and you have no idea what his impression will be and does not deserve the criticism of pandering. He is graciously willing to give Burt's Place another chance, he does not know BuddyRoadhouse to get special treatment and Buddy has clearly and explicitly asked danimal15 not to let him know ahead of time so that Burt's Place's service can be judged on its merits for anyone that may go there. Buddy's willingly putting himself on the line. You too could put him to the test if you desire. Others have stated they have gotten good service. The quality of the pizza itself is in the eye of the beholder and dependent a great deal on the knowledge and experience with other restaurants the customer has, i.e. if Pizza Hut was your norm Burt's Place might be pizza heaven. Burt's Place would not be the first restaurant overhyped by "groupthink" and not the last. If a magazine anoints it, it will have its proponents for ever after. Since the magazine is a respected publication with perhaps more knowledge collectively than most individuals there may be great merit in its word. Affection for the owners? Absolutely nothing wrong with that. Not many ever claimed road food was four star cuisine. There is so much that goes into the enjoyment - the ambience of the place, the character, the sincerity, the eccentricity, the service, yes the food itself, but most importantly do you feel comfortable and enjoy being there. The "waiter extraordinaire" is BuddyRoadhouse, also a respected "member extraordinaire" on Roadfood.com with over 1,500 messages of friendliness, sincerity, news, and help on a variety of subjects.

I know that if and when I get to Chicago and hopefully do not have yet another auto wreck (two so far in Chicago) my first pizza place of choice is going to be Burt's Place because my curiosity is high. Unfortunately, Buddy and I know each other by sight so I cannot get in incognito.

Thanks for the support.

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (danimal15)

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 17:15:02 GMT

Logan2,

With all due respect, your entire theory collapses because of one simple fact: I am not going to tell Buddy Roadhouse who I am until after we're done eating. So we won't receive special service.

Dan

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (Davydd)

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:20:39 GMT

Logan2, I am not sure why you have a burr under your saddle on this issue. Danimal15 has not returned yet and you have no idea what his impression will be and does not deserve the criticism of pandering. He is graciously willing to give Burt's Place another chance, he does not know BuddyRoadhouse to get special treatment and Buddy has clearly and explicitly asked danimal15 not to let him know ahead of time so that Burt's Place's service can be judged on its merits for anyone that may go there. Buddy's willingly putting himself on the line. You too could put him to the test if you desire. Others have stated they have gotten good service. The quality of the pizza itself is in the eye of the beholder and dependent a great deal on the knowledge and experience with other restaurants the customer has, i.e. if Pizza Hut was your norm Burt's Place might be pizza heaven. Burt's Place would not be the first restaurant overhyped by "groupthink" and not the last. If a magazine anoints it, it will have its proponents for ever after. Since the magazine is a respected publication with perhaps more knowledge collectively than most individuals there may be great merit in its word. Affection for the owners? Absolutely nothing wrong with that. Not many ever claimed road food was four star cuisine. There is so much that goes into the enjoyment - the ambience of the place, the character, the sincerity, the eccentricity, the service, yes the food itself, but most importantly do you feel comfortable and enjoy being there. The "waiter extraordinaire" is BuddyRoadhouse, also a respected "member extraordinaire" on Roadfood.com with over 1,500 messages of friendliness, sincerity, news, and help on a variety of subjects.

I know that if and when I get to Chicago and hopefully do not have yet another auto wreck (two so far in Chicago) my first pizza place of choice is going to be Burt's Place because my curiosity is high. Unfortunately, Buddy and I know each other by sight so I cannot get in incognito.

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (Logan2)

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 10:34:47 GMT

Danimal15,
I may be wrong, but your internet conversation with the waiter extraordinaire on this thread just smacked of pandering for good service. I know I'm probably putting it the wrong way and I apologize for that. But what happens when you go back on the 19th or whenever? You come back after your getting pre-arranged -- of sorts -- good service and then say to the Roadfood world, service was great, disregard what I said earlier. What does that tell the average group of people on the average day and time when the waiter extraordinaire is not there, which I understand that he's not there most of the time. Is your revised "good report" helpful to those who maybe go there in reliance on your revised report but not get good service? What service can typicallly be expected? (Dumb question I know.) The good service when the "waiter extraordinaire" is there or the service when he's not (which many have commented on as being "not-so-good" when he's not there).

You're the one that wrote about the poor service and there was nothing wrong with that. And you're not alone. It's good to give feedback and hope things thereafter improve. But I can't imagine a media restaurant reviewer reporting on a particular bad service experience and thereafter saying -- or rather insinuating -- to the restaurant personnel that I may write it up differently upon accepting the restaurant's invitation to return and assurance of better service. The report thereafter cannot be considered very objective. Now I know you didn't really say that you would, but come on, what can most people reasonably expect in that situation?

saps,
Sorry, I did pay attention and was aware of those things you mentioned. You should be aware that there are reports on the internet of unsatisfactory service at Burts before the "surge" and even after the Sauveur article when they weren't packed and had many empty tables. It sure wasn't filled up when we were there. And the kitchen activity didn't seem that busy. I have to agree with you to a large extent that Burt's pizza has been "overhyped on LTH Forum to the nth degree." Seems to be a clicque there (witness all the responses now and hereinafter) that have great affection for the owners. And that maybe a good thing. They sound like nice people. I think others might want to help or suggest things to them to work on in order to improve in the service category, though. But others may want to continue to put their blinders on.

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (ann peeples)

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 23:37:28 GMT

sycophant \SIK-uh-fuhnt\, noun:
A person who seeks favor by flattering people of wealth or influence; a parasite; a toady.

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (danimal15)

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 19:27:46 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

I do believce you meant that for Logan2.

Yeah, Michael. It was meant for Logan2. Sorry.

Dan

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (saps)

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 19:00:24 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

quote:
Originally posted by Logan2

quote:
Originally posted by danimal15
I will - definitely. Now that I know Buddy is going to be there to serve us . . .

Now I think I know what a sycophant is.

Nah, A sycophant is someone who OOOHs and AHHHs over even the worst looking pictures of food, and begs for more.

I hope your not referring to me. I've never OOOH'd or AHHH'd over pictures of food here.

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (Michael Hoffman)

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 16:24:27 GMT

I do believce you meant that for Logan2.

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (danimal15)

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 14:16:21 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

quote:
Originally posted by Logan2

quote:
Originally posted by danimal15
I will - definitely. Now that I know Buddy is going to be there to serve us . . .

Now I think I know what a sycophant is.

Nah, A sycophant is someone who OOOHs and AHHHs over even the worst looking pictures of food, and begs for more.

Look - what's wrong with giving the place a second chance? Is that being a sycophant? I agree one should get good service, and I said that in my first post. If service is bad again, I won't go back.

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (Michael Hoffman)

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 12:55:23 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Logan2

quote:
Originally posted by danimal15
I will - definitely. Now that I know Buddy is going to be there to serve us . . .

Now I think I know what a sycophant is.

Nah, A sycophant is someone who OOOHs and AHHHs over even the worst looking pictures of food, and begs for more.

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (saps)

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 12:09:11 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Logan2

quote:
Originally posted by danimal15
I will - definitely. Now that I know Buddy is going to be there to serve us . . .

Now I think I know what a sycophant is. What in the world is this about when one reports that the service was poor at Burt's??? Do we have to pre-arrange the service now? Me and my friends (I know it should be my friends and I) think Burt's pizza is good, but not great. But in any event, their service is very poor when we (and apparently many, many others) have went there. So do we have to pre-arrange with the -- what-do-you-call-it -- "waiter extrodinaire" to get decent service? This is very weird. I understand that the "waiter extrodinaire" is not there a majority of the time. So . . . is it the majority of the time that you CANNOT get decent service at Burt's? Please don't give us that old story about how hard it is and that they are a small business, etc, etc. You are either in business to satisfy customers or you are not. Hire the help to get the service level to where it should be.

If you've paid any attention, Burt's is a very small place that is run by a husband and wife. They were featured in the magazine Sauveur, and business went crazy. Now, they only have a finite number of seats, and the oven only has the capacity to make so many pizzas. No amount of extra servers is going to change anything. You've been there, so you should be able to figure this out.

Burt is a pretty quirky guy, and I think he liked the size of and speed of the place the way that it was.

I agree that the pizza is good, not great. It's been overhyped on LTH Forum to the nth degree. Groupthink still exists.

I've never had a problem with the service there, however.

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (MilwFoodlovers)

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 10:19:09 GMT

Burt:

His fresh Habanero pizza:

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (MilwFoodlovers)

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 09:33:56 GMT

Good, great, delicious; these are all relative terms subject to your taste buds and what you grew up liking. That's why I find posts touting the best warthog rectum or whatever so maddening. If you think that warthog from Burkina Faso is the best, while I post that the best is from Namibia, we both can be right. What I'm saying is that there is no "best" pizza in Chicago but everyone has their favorites, for whatever reason. Burt's has one pizza oven, one elderly pizzamaker and his elderly waitress wife along with a national foodie magazine article touting how great it is. That's a recipe for disaster or at least some unhappy people. That's what Mr. Roadhouse was trying to point out. I reread what he posted and I got no sense you had to have a "waiter extrodinaire" (actually that would be "waiter extraordinaire). Just an explanation that this couple that were in business making local customers happy and satisfied now have to deal with an unexpected influx of newcomers. With one pizza oven, they could clone Buddy several times over and you wouldn't get served your za any quicker.

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (Logan2)

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 07:51:03 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by danimal15
I will - definitely. Now that I know Buddy is going to be there to serve us . . .

Now I think I know what a sycophant is. What in the world is this about when one reports that the service was poor at Burt's??? Do we have to pre-arrange the service now? Me and my friends (I know it should be my friends and I) think Burt's pizza is good, but not great. But in any event, their service is very poor when we (and apparently many, many others) have went there. So do we have to pre-arrange with the -- what-do-you-call-it -- "waiter extrodinaire" to get decent service? This is very weird. I understand that the "waiter extrodinaire" is not there a majority of the time. So . . . is it the majority of the time that you CANNOT get decent service at Burt's? Please don't give us that old story about how hard it is and that they are a small business, etc, etc. You are either in business to satisfy customers or you are not. Hire the help to get the service level to where it should be.

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (ChiTownDiner)

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 19:51:04 GMT

Careful...that's Cubs Convention weekend!

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (BuddyRoadhouse)

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 23:12:37 GMT

What, the in-laws don't like pizza??? That's okay, I'll be there on the 19th too.

Buddy

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (danimal15)

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 22:17:20 GMT

Hey Buddy,

Looks like the in-laws are coming over tomorrow night, so how does 1/19 look for you?

Dan

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (BuddyRoadhouse)

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:42:58 GMT

Whoever told you not to judge Chicago pizza by one visit to Uno's knew what they were talking about.

Buddy

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (ChiTownDiner)

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:41:51 GMT

There out-of-town locations are typically not representative of their product or the best of Chicago as Burt's is.

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (Michael Hoffman)

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:33:58 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by BuddyRoadhouse

Michael, knowing that you are a devotee of the East Coast pie with a special emphasis on Connecticut, you will need to come to terms with the Chicago Pizza-in-the Pan if you are going to enjoy Burt's. Assuming you can pull that off, you might very well have a good time there.

The atmosphere is very retro, but not in a reproduced or calculated way. Real knotty pine paneling, well worn old leatherette booths, and a carpet that readily shows the regular traffic patterns tell you that this place is the real Roadfood deal. The building was originally the village blacksmith shop. There are two old photos hanging on the wall showing how little the place has changed in over a hundred years.

Burt has a collection of antique radios on display throughout the dining room along with a myriad of quirky odds and ends ranging from working old toy steam engines to vintage documentary film cameras to a huge wooden plane propeller mounted to the wall. Other photos, besides the blacksmith shots, include panoramic views of Chicago the day after the fire, and preparations for the opening ceremonies of (we think) the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm.

Michael, you would also appreciate Burt himself. Although not the outdoorsman you are, he is an avid collector of antique and collectible firearms (not on display) and was quite the marksman in his day. We went out skeet shooting some years ago and I was amazed at his ability with a shotgun. He is also a world traveler, having hitchhiked across Europe in his youth and later driving across Asia and southern Europe on a ten month honeymoon (we're talking early '60s, when you could still get fairly easy access to countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran). He has a wealth of stories which, unfortunately, can only be shared when he's not busy making pizzas in the kitchen; a rare thing these days.

Anyway, if you ever decide to dis-ensconce yourself from central Ohio and head west to Chicago, we'd be happy to have you. I think you'd like the place.

Buddy

Sounds interesting. I have to say my only exp[erience with what I guess is called Chicago-style was one visit to a Pizzeria Uno that was open here for a few years. I've been told not to judge Chicago-style pies based on that experience.

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (danimal15)

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 14:42:34 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by BuddyRoadhouse

quote:
Originally posted by danimal15

Buddy - are you there tomorrow night? (1/12)

Yup, from 4:30 to 10pm
quote:
And Buddy - I would love to be the one to put up a new thread called "Great Experience at Burt's Place" - and I will (if it's great!)
I understand the requirements and accept the challenge.

But I also need you to please understand the seating limitations we are working with. Last Saturday night I turned away at least two tables because we were totally full up and they didn't want to wait. There are several options though. First is to come at a non peak time; either well before or after the typical dinner hours of 6 to 8pm. The other thing to do is call your order in ahead of time (use your last name since, for the sake of objectivity, we don't want you to identify yourself until after dinner). It has been near impossible to get through during those peak hours (yes, we're that busy), so I recommend calling very early, even before we're open (say 3pm), to place an order for a later time.

danimal, I really want to make this a pleasant experience for you. But we do have these pesky lines of customers all wanting to come in for pizza. Believe me there's nothing personal going on here if it takes longer to seat and serve you than you'd like. It's just the reality of having a very small, very (at least for the moment) popular restaurant.

Hope to see you tomorrow night!

Buddy

Thanks, Buddy. I won't mind if I have to wait (I'll come non-peak hours if I can convince my wife tomorrow's a good night to do it). I understand you're a small place and demand is high. Hopefully we can make it tomorrow, but if not, probably in the next few weeks.

Dan

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (BuddyRoadhouse)

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 14:10:16 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by danimal15

Buddy - are you there tomorrow night? (1/12)

Yup, from 4:30 to 10pm

quote:
And Buddy - I would love to be the one to put up a new thread called "Great Experience at Burt's Place" - and I will (if it's great!)

I understand the requirements and accept the challenge.

But I also need you to please understand the seating limitations we are working with. Last Saturday night I turned away at least two tables because we were totally full up and they didn't want to wait. There are several options though. First is to come at a non peak time; either well before or after the typical dinner hours of 6 to 8pm. The other thing to do is call your order in ahead of time (use your last name since, for the sake of objectivity, we don't want you to identify yourself until after dinner). It has been near impossible to get through during those peak hours (yes, we're that busy), so I recommend calling very early, even before we're open (say 3pm), to place an order for a later time.

danimal, I really want to make this a pleasant experience for you. But we do have these pesky lines of customers all wanting to come in for pizza. Believe me there's nothing personal going on here if it takes longer to seat and serve you than you'd like. It's just the reality of having a very small, very (at least for the moment) popular restaurant.

Hope to see you tomorrow night!

Buddy

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (BuddyRoadhouse)

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 13:55:24 GMT

Michael, knowing that you are a devotee of the East Coast pie with a special emphasis on Connecticut, you will need to come to terms with the Chicago Pizza-in-the Pan if you are going to enjoy Burt's. Assuming you can pull that off, you might very well have a good time there.

The atmosphere is very retro, but not in a reproduced or calculated way. Real knotty pine paneling, well worn old leatherette booths, and a carpet that readily shows the regular traffic patterns tell you that this place is the real Roadfood deal. The building was originally the village blacksmith shop. There are two old photos hanging on the wall showing how little the place has changed in over a hundred years.

Burt has a collection of antique radios on display throughout the dining room along with a myriad of quirky odds and ends ranging from working old toy steam engines to vintage documentary film cameras to a huge wooden plane propeller mounted to the wall. Other photos, besides the blacksmith shots, include panoramic views of Chicago the day after the fire, and preparations for the opening ceremonies of (we think) the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm.

Michael, you would also appreciate Burt himself. Although not the outdoorsman you are, he is an avid collector of antique and collectible firearms (not on display) and was quite the marksman in his day. We went out skeet shooting some years ago and I was amazed at his ability with a shotgun. He is also a world traveler, having hitchhiked across Europe in his youth and later driving across Asia and southern Europe on a ten month honeymoon (we're talking early '60s, when you could still get fairly easy access to countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran). He has a wealth of stories which, unfortunately, can only be shared when he's not busy making pizzas in the kitchen; a rare thing these days.

Anyway, if you ever decide to dis-ensconce yourself from central Ohio and head west to Chicago, we'd be happy to have you. I think you'd like the place.

Buddy

RE: Bad experience at Burt's Place (danimal15)

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 13:34:38 GMT

And Buddy - I would love to be the one to put up a new thread called "Great Experience at Burt's Place" - and I will (if it's great!)