You've GOT to be kidding...!!!

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (mar52)

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:17:10 GMT

Picture from a previous visit that also included a picled egg:

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (mar52)

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:15:00 GMT

Pork sandwich, topped with the coleslaw and a light smear of mustard. Accompanied by a pickle.

Yummmmm

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (BackRhodes)

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:39:11 GMT

Thanks Jim... I *do* like playing with trains in whatever capacity I can...this time it was as a passenger...but at other times it's "hands on"...

WP 2001 is the very 1st GP20 that EMD ever built

Ah...I finally found these menu's from a charter trip for y'all to check out...

A few months ago there was a Santa Fe diner car for sale on the Ozark Mountain Railcar site...and the kitchen was INTACT...!!! I wish I could've afforded it...

Mar...did you have your favorite pork sandwich...???

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (pogophiles)

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:09:44 GMT

pnwchef

My family and I were in a Restaurant in Portland,Or one day, my wife ordered a Pepsi, the waitress said we only have Coke. My wife said thats ok, I only like Pepsi, I'll just have water. The waitress walked down the street to a corner store and bought a can of Pepsi and brought my wife a glass of ice. This is my kind of waitress, she was tipped real well, but thats not the reason why she did it. The waitress just said, if she wanted it, thats all that mattered to her. This to me was 100% customer service...........pnwc

Great Story! Thanks for sharing it...

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (pnwchef)

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:12:02 GMT

We are still waiting for the Maryland based Chubby's Restaurant owner to venture West. Until then Famous Daves will have to do, of course they don't offer an owner roaming the dining room with civil war stories. We will have to patiently wait for this Roadfood BBQ Restaurant favorite....................pnwc

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (MetroplexJim)

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:30:20 GMT

Twinwillow

To BackRhodes, hang in there and don't let the negative remarks turn you off. Fortunately, they're few and far between. Personally, I always respect what you have to say. Regardless of whether I agree with you or not.

I rise to "second" the sentiment expressed by my distinguished Metroplex colleague.

BackRhodes, anyone who likes trains and roadfood I consider to be a gentleman and scholar.

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (MetroplexJim)

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:04:58 GMT

chewingthefat

OK Jim, I will, As a Restaurant owner I do it my way, every day, all day. Anyone who doesn't like it can go to Famous Dave's...ie. hell!

One of my least successful ventures was owning a restaurant in PG Co. The thievery was so epic and "professional" that my franchisor said the local schools must be offering courses in it! To adapt the old joke about owning a boat - the second happiest day of my life was opening a restaurant; the happiest was finding Koreans with cash who wanted my restaurant!

I agree about Famous Daves. I went to the one over in Sterling, VA once. In Texas we have Dickey's: nasty food + screaming kids = !

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (mar52)

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:06:14 GMT

My lunch was superb, as always.

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (Tony Bad)

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:02:00 GMT

pnwchef

As a Customer, I get it my way,all day, every day. This bullsh-t of no Ketchup, we want you to taste the meat, Yadda, Yadda, Yadda. After I buy the burger, It's mine, don't worry if I eat it standing on my head, it's not any ones business how someone tops their burger, it's just up to them to provide normal condiments that people may want. Ketchup isn't out of the realm of condiments that people want on their burgers. I would rather have a Louis Lunch burger sitting on their front sidewalk curb, sitting next to my little girl "who likes ketchup on her burger" knowing we follow our own path in life. I'm teaching her how to be a leader, not a follower. She saw this restaurant on the food channel on time, she heard that they don't allow ketchup, she turned to me and said, we won't go there PaPa will we ?? my answer was, no sweetheart we won't................I have been involved in over 20 successful restaurant ventures, I have never turned down any customer for anything in over 30 years. If they want to put Ketchup on their Lobster, so be it, I may not like it, but they pay the bills............Great customer service is don't 100%, any thing short of that is doing it your way, not the customers way.
My family and I were in a Restaurant in Portland,Or one day, my wife ordered a Pepsi, the waitress said we only have Coke. My wife said thats ok, I only like Pepsi, I'll just have water. The waitress walked down the street to a corner store and bought a can of Pepsi and brought my wife a glass of ice. This is my kind of waitress, she was tipped real well, but thats not the reason why she did it. The waitress just said, if she wanted it, thats all that mattered to her. This to me was 100% customer service...........pnwc

To each his own. I am not above trying something out of my comfort zone now and again.

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (BackRhodes)

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:51:17 GMT

That's great C.S. she went out of her way even though she didn't need to...

The Coast Starlight serves only Pepsi, so I now know to pack my own Coke...

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (pnwchef)

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:00:55 GMT

chewingthefat

OK Jim, I will, As a Restaurant owner I do it my way, every day, all day. Anyone who doesn't like it can go to Famous Dave's...ie. hell!

As a Customer, I get it my way,all day, every day. This bullsh-t of no Ketchup, we want you to taste the meat, Yadda, Yadda, Yadda. After I buy the burger, It's mine, don't worry if I eat it standing on my head, it's not any ones business how someone tops their burger, it's just up to them to provide normal condiments that people may want. Ketchup isn't out of the realm of condiments that people want on their burgers. I would rather have a Louis Lunch burger sitting on their front sidewalk curb, sitting next to my little girl "who likes ketchup on her burger" knowing we follow our own path in life. I'm teaching her how to be a leader, not a follower. She saw this restaurant on the food channel one time, she heard that they don't allow ketchup, she turned to me and said, we won't go there PaPa will we ?? my answer was, no sweetheart we won't................I have been involved in over 20 successful restaurant ventures, I have never turned down any customer for anything in over 30 years. If they want to put Ketchup on their Lobster, so be it, I may not like it, but they pay the bills............Great customer service is 100%, any thing short of that is doing it their way, not the customers way.
My family and I were in a Restaurant in Portland,Or one day, my wife ordered a Pepsi, the waitress said we only have Coke. My wife said thats ok, I only like Pepsi, I'll just have water. The waitress walked down the street to a corner store and bought a can of Pepsi and brought my wife a glass of ice. This is my kind of waitress, she was tipped real well, but thats not the reason why she did it. The waitress just said, if she wanted it, thats all that mattered to her. This to me was 100% customer service...........pnwc

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (BackRhodes)

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:53:35 GMT

Michael Hoffman

and the Lassens are cousins of mine.

Any relation to Peter Lassen, the trail blazerof the 1800's ...???
I don't know how common or rare the name is...

(Mt Lassen, Lassen County, and the Lassen-Applegate Trail were named after Peter Lassen)

I need to go down to Ukiah once I get over this flu, to buy a new western hat, and I think I'll go to the truckstop for a French Dip...and a milkshake...

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (rumaki)

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:54:45 GMT

I haven't! Thanks for the recommendation. It's a bit of a hike to Eden Prairie for me, but I will definitely keep it in mind.

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (BuddyRoadhouse)

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:34:26 GMT

But have you tried Baker's Ribs in Eden Prairie? They're part of a small chain based in Texas. They actually had their smoker built in the Lone Star State and shipped north. We've eaten there many times during visits to The Twins over the last six or seven years. Maybe not the best Barbecue I've ever had, but certainly the best I've eaten in the Mpls/StP metro area.

Buddy

Baker's Ribs
8019 Glen Lane
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
(952) 942-5337
http://www.bakersribs.com/index.html

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (rumaki)

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:44:25 GMT

I'm with you on that, Mosca.

I went to law school in Nashville, and I really miss barbecue now that I live in the Great Frozen North. I had avoided Famous Dave's for years, but when they opened at daytime outlet at the University of Minnesota medical complex a few years ago, I tried it. Once. Once was more than enough. I'd rather go without, or wait for the next time I change planes at the Memphis airport. There are plenty of great dining options in the Twin Cities for other kinds of food. Barbecue just doesn't happen to be one of them. (And yes, I've tried Ted Cook's, Rooster's, and Cap's Grille.)

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (Mosca)

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:23:10 GMT

chewingthefat

OK Jim, I will, As a Restaurant owner I do it my way, every day, all day. Anyone who doesn't like it can go to Famous Dave's...ie. hell!

I ate at a Famous Dave's for the first time last weekend. It raised the question, is mediocre barbeque better than good anything else? I say, "no". Mediocre is mediocre, regardless of the style.

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (Tony Bad)

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:51:15 GMT

chewingthefat

I do it my way, every day, all day.

I think I see a new t-shirt idea.

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (chewingthefat)

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:48:55 GMT

OK Jim, I will, As a Restaurant owner I do it my way, every day, all day. Anyone who doesn't like it can go to Famous Dave's...ie. hell!

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (MetroplexJim)

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:32:53 GMT

In so many ways this is becoming one of the best topics ever.

Keep it coming!

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (Michael Hoffman)

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:11:06 GMT

Truth is, I do not like my hamburgers on toast. But, it's a great place, and the Lassens are cousins of mine.

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (Sundancer7)

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:49:09 GMT

Michael Hoffman

My complaint is that they serve their burgers on toast at Louis Lunch. Considering that I've been complaining to them about that for more than half a century I'm starting to think they haven't been listening.

Michael, it sounds to me like you prefer your burgers on toast. I am sure that if you did not, you would no longer frequent the place. Now you make me want to visit Louis Lunch.

Sioncerely
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (Tony Bad)

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:36:48 GMT

Michael Hoffman

My complaint is that they serve their burgers on toast at Louis Lunch. Considering that I've been complaining to them about that for more than half a century I'm starting to think they haven't been listening.

I think Louis is a bit set in his ways, what with being dead and all.

I actually like the toast. More meat, less bread!

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (Michael Hoffman)

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:31:23 GMT

My complaint is that they serve their burgers on toast at Louis Lunch. Considering that I've been complaining to them about that for more than half a century I'm starting to think they haven't been listening.

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (CCinNJ)

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:22:38 GMT

This would make a bang-up subject...for the next poll question!!!

I am sorry if I mention the next poll too early.

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (Tony Bad)

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:10:18 GMT

I have had people dining with me complain that there is no ketchup at Louie's Lunch, or that they couldn't get cheese on a sandwich at the 2nd Ave Deli, or that the vegetarian offerings were poor at Kreuz' Market. Many of these places have been doing it "their way" for years, and right or wrong, that is their option, and in many cases, has been the secret to their success. To me expecting the world to always dance your dance is a rather limiting approach to life. You didn't get what you expected and that is too bad, but it is no more a "RIPOFF...(or)FALSE ADVERTISING" than any other situation where you blindly walk into a place and get a meal you don't care for.

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (kevincad)

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:42:31 GMT

Michael Hoffman

Speaking as a combat vet, and as a reporter who covered a bit of combat, I kind of get tired of people saying "I'm a combat vet." And I'll say that to the face of anyone.

I wholeheartedly agree! It seems as if the phrase is thrown out instantly these days to try and impress.

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (Michael Hoffman)

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:40:57 GMT

Speaking as a combat vet, and as a reporter who covered a bit of combat, I kind of get tired of people saying "I'm a combat vet." And I'll say that to the face of anyone.

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (kland01s)

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:32:06 GMT

I've heard of Phillipi's but only because they beat it to death of a number of the Food Network and Travel Channel shows that are shown over and over. To me the classic French Dip is beef on a hard roll with a cup of au jus, otherwise it's just a beef no matter who may have "invented" it.

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (Davydd)

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:39:05 GMT

Hey, I think I have been a pretty good Roadfooder but I'll be honest, I never heard of Phillipi's and the claim of inventing the French Dip sandwich. I've had many a French Dip beef sandwich around the country and as far as I can recall they all had dipping juice in a cup or container. I always thought that was the catch that made them different from the other beef sandwiches.

Re:You've GOT to be kidding...!!! (MiamiDon)

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 07:50:16 GMT

BackRhodes

I enjoy getting suggestions of where to eat...

That in mind, I had breakfast 2 days ago at Philippe, 1001 N Alameda St, about 3 blocks away from Union Station in Los Angeles...

Their claim to fame is that they allegedly invented the French Dip (keep this in mind), and this claim is emblazoned on their sign, menu, and advertisements..

On my way to catch a train, I stopped by to enjoy one of their French Dips, but it turned out to be a "meal from hell"...

This is a counter where you order and then when called you take your tray to a table, like a cafeteria...

What I got was what looked like a beef sandwich...NO DIP WAS INCLUDED...!!!

OK folks...what is the second word in "French Dip"...???

If you answered "DIP" then you are correct...

I asked the server at the counter that handed this to me "where's the dip"...???

The answer was that it was already on the beef sandwich...

WHAT...???

Yup...that's the way they do it there...

It was TERRIBLE...!!!

The bread was totally soggy, and the meat was dry...

I talked with a person at the main cash register that said he was one of the managers...and I told him what I though about this very odd meal...he said that they make the au jus from meat drippings, and that IF they put a 2 ounce cup of au jus to dip with each meal, patrons would want even more (what a VERY weak excuse)...

Other nearby heard my complaint, which I delivered in a calm and civil manner...and they also agreed that what they serve is really NOT a true French Dip...that it was a bunch of hokum...pure jive...false advertising...

How on earth can they get away calling this a "French DIP", with NO au jus to actually dip the sandwich in...???

BEWARE...this place is a RIPOFF...FALSE ADVERTISING...AVOID this place...!!!

Truly a classic post. I am bookmarking it for future reference!