11935 S. Blackbob road
Olathe, KS 66062
913-764-2700
http://dodgecitydistillery.com
Soft Opening 8/6/2011
Overall: 3.5
Food Quality: 3.5
Food Presentation: 3.5
Service: 5
Cleanliness: 5
Review - Considering that the restaurant is still in its soft opening phase, it has its act together nicely. We had a short wait, around 20 minutes, before we were seated. The hostess stand was a bit disorganized, but everyone was new and doing their best. Our wait didn't exceed our quoted time and we were shown to a table near the center of the restaurant. The decor is a twist on the typical mid-range steakhouse decor (Longhorn, Outback) and urban. I especially liked the metal/wood combination tables and the rock veneer walls. The prices on the soft opening menu were reasonable, with 10oz prime rib for $13, side Caesar salad for $3, and appetizers around $8. For starters, the Gorgonzola, pear, and honey on crostini appetizer was presented well on the plate and had a good flavor, however, the flavor didn't live up to the pricing. The prime rib was a bit overcooked for medium, but flavored well. The garlic mashed potatoes were more garlic flavored than a lot of other restaurants, but not overly so. The crazy rice side dish, which was brown rice, salsa, and peppers was a welcome change from typical restaurant rice, although it was slightly overcooked. The service was fantastic. Our server, Cassie, was very attentive and friendly. She was very busy, but also very efficient. The manager also stopped by to check on our food and get our overall opinion of the restaurant and encouraged us to return once they start serving their whole menu.
It's a refreshing change in restaurant style in the area, and if they continue to improve past their soft opening, it should a good addition to the area. Once they are serving the full menu, a return review will be posted.
My son and I thought we would give this place a try last night. Although my son enjoyed his meal, the hand made sausage platter, I on the other hand was not as pleased with my meal. I ordered the split-fire roasted chicken which did not taste as fresh as I would have liked. I complained to the general manager/partner, Matt, who attempted to defend the chicken rather than validating my experience. He indicated that the chicken is roasted fresh every morning and that someone else stated it was the best chicken that they ever had. He did not offer an apology or attempted to make my experience better. Rather, he billed me for my meal and expected me to be okay with everything. Unfortunately, the fact that he would even think that it is okay to serve chicken that was roasted in the morning for dinner at 8 PM is alarming and is an illustration of the poor quality of food and service that they provide. Boston Market will not even serve chicken that was roasted in the morning for dinner because it is a violation of health codes. So why would it make it okay for Dodge City Distillery to do the same. Outside of my horrific experience with management, my experience with the wait staff was wonderful. I recommend that any restaurant hire the waitresses and bar tenders from Dodge City Distillery when they go out out business as a result of their
ReplyDeleteTheresa, thanks so much for the feedback! We haven't returned since they starter their full menu yet, but in our opinion cooking chicken in the morning for dinner is not acceptable. If they want to survive out here in the land of this many restaurants in the area, they are going to have to do better than that. I also think that management dismissing your complaints is usually a sign of poor management. We have spoken to a few people that have also had issues with overcooked steaks and meat, so unless they get that handled ASAP, they don't have much chance. I agree with you 100% about the staff, it was the highlight of our visit as well.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, both dinners were good and I thought that the waitress, Chloe (spelling?) handled the entire experience extremely well. I ordered ONE $3.00 domestic draw beer with my dinner, at the time pointing out to Chloe that the sign on the table and the first page in the leather-bound book on the table gave different times that Happy Hour ended. We ate our meals and I was given the check. I pointed out to Chloe that I had been charged $5.49 for a $3.00 draw and she said that she would check on that. She returned to the table and at first said that the Boulevard Farmhouse Tank 7 was not a “domestic” draw. I responded that it was brewed 30 minutes away and that it certainly was “domestic” and asked her to check again with whoever she had just spoken with. She returned to the table and said that since this was a “premium” beer, it didn’t qualify for the $3.00 price. There is no distinction given to this in either of the Happy Hour lists. At the time I said fine but to tell whoever she was getting direction from that they were absolutely wrong about this and I paid the bill and tipped Chloe.
ReplyDeleteSo, why does any of this really matter to Dodge City Distillery? Here’s why. To begin with, my wife and I will not eat there again. Secondly, my wife works for one of the largest companies in Olathe and regularly schedules corporate lunches and dinners using meeting rooms at Olathe restaurants. Guess which restaurant meeting room she mentally removed from her list last night? Third, there was a study done a long time ago that determined that when someone is happy with a product or service they will tell three people but when they are dissatisfied they will tell ten. I am working on my ten, starting with you.