Cold Reuben Does Not A Happy Blogger Make

A lazy Saturday afternoon during July 4^th weekend… Where to go for a quick bite after the movie?

Recently King Street Grille received recognition for “Best Salad” in a local newspaper circular.  I would agree that their salads are terrific.  Not having had the chance to try their sandwiches previously, today was the day.  This was a big mistake.

Usually restaurants make the most mistakes when they’re slow (as King Street Grille was today).  Folks are either preparing to get off their shift, condiment refills are being completed, running food becomes a hassle, and in turn, the timing of the restaurant tends to be bit off.  The King Street Grille in Mt. Pleasant was a textbook example of this today.

With about 15 people dining in the restaurant, how hard is it to get two sandwiches made and delivered quickly and properly?  My husband ordered a blackened chicken sandwich and I ordered a Reuben. Nothing complex and certainly something the 3 line cooks could do as they restocked.  You would think so, right?

The blackened chicken sandwich was spot on.  Very hot in both temperature and flavor and the waffle fries were crisp and tasty.  Even before I took a bite into my sandwich however, I knew it would be cold. It was clear that the bread was barely grilled and the cheese not melted. When I tasted the sandwich it tasted like it came directly out of the fridge.

I asked for a small plate so that my sandwich could go back to the kitchen to get warmed up.  I kept my fries so that I would have something to nibble on while I waited, and waited, and waited.  During this time I watched what appeared to be the manager leaning on his “perch”, which was the expediter’s area.  It was there he gave direction to the staff, etc.  Had he taken the opportunity to walk around the restaurant he might have seen that I clearly wasn’t eating, while my husband was.

A new Reuben was delivered to me after my husband, although he tried to stall, was completely done with his lunch.  That has to be one of my biggest pet peeves. So there I sat eating alone. The sandwich was warmer, but not great. Because of the fact that we ate in shifts, the overall dining experience was fair at best.

I guess what I would say is that more attention should be given to a shift when it’s slow, not less.  And for goodness sake, stop leaning on the expediter’s station and manage the place. 

We gave King Street Grille 2 out of a possible 5 plates