I live right in Sleepy Hollow so when I want a drink and a nice meal by the water I usually choose from one of the three restaurants on the riverfront. I have been to the Striped Bass over a handful of times and have had nothing but raves about it. Unfortunately this past week when a friend an I went that was not the case. First we tried to get a table outside but under the awning but there were none and the hostess told us it is too difficult for her to retrieve us from the outdoor bar area when one comes up. So we huffed but conceded to go to the outdoor bar anyway and keep an eye out for an open table. Well I waited on line for 15 minutes behind 3 people before ordering while 1 of the 3 employees sipped a coke, another picked his fingernails by the grill and the last slowly took orders an made the drinks herself. When I finally placed my order for sun dried tomato feta dip I thought the torture had ended but I was wrong. My friend an I wiped down a waterlogged table and waited. Finally a table under the awning opened up. That is when I returned to the bar and asked how long it actually takes to put a scoop of dip on a plate and if I could just get a refund since a table we wanted was available. The employee asked if I was sure I didn't want the dip and agreed to give me back the money. This took another 10 minutes because the guy drinking his soda had not completely quenched his thirst yet and apparently he was the man with the rights to the register.
So, in we go...well under I should say. We get our menus and order drinks. Then its time for appetizers. we ordered Caesar salad, popcorn shrimp in a Cajun kind of sauce, and baked clams. The shrimp were awesome but we were pleasantly surprised to see they were regular sized. That is where the evening climaxed and the spiral starts to move downward. We order another set of drinks and as our meals get 2 more appetizers-another popcorn shrimp and pastrami cured salmon. 15 minutes and no drinks later we are starting to get antsy. Finally we caught another waiter and asked if our drinks would be on their way soon. Next thing we knew the other appetizers had come out and we were still parched as our waiter chatted it up with another table of 5. This batch of shrimp was not as good as the first but was still pretty good but as per my friend the salmon was not pastrami cured but actually maple glazed and it had a huge salad that was not listed on the menu. The dressing was all over the plate and the salmon was not even close to what was expected. Finally our waiter came back to apologize for never bringing our drinks and but he didn't even acknowledge that the plate of salmon had not been touched. After what seemed like eons the check came with everything billed including the horrible salmon and no consciousness of our unhappiness. We left feeling ignored and unsatisfied.
As I mentioned earlier in this review I have been to the Striped Bass several times before and was completely satisfied but this time just didn't cut it. Its possible that there is new ownership but that isn't an excuse for the poor service and under par cuisine. Personally I vote they bring back the old menu, staff and baked shrimp and we will all be happy!
This was a 4 star restaurant and now its down to 1. The service was unacceptable and the menu did not accurately describe most of the things on it. Step it up Striped Bass! I look forward to seeing an improvement.
more