Right before Christmas my friend took me to happy hour at The Ritz. The experience was odd, but memorable.
FOOD: We ordered the steak salad. It was so small that the bartender unprompted actually took it back to the kitchen to see if they mistakenly split it before bringing it out. The two bites I had of steak on my steak salad were delicious, but as one could imagine I was still very hungry.
DRINKS: The hot-buttered rum was amazing. I usually order Cabernet or a Rum and Coke, but since it was Christmas I decided to try their holiday treat. SIDENOTE: It is next to impossible to order a hot-buttered rum in a bar anymore because they need to have the batter prepared ahead of time, so I truly enjoyed this rare drink.
SERVICE: The bartender 'Stretch' cracked jokes, knew most of the patrons by name, and stayed busy behind the bar. The hostess was incredibly accommodating in helping us find a seat in the extremely crowded bar area.
ATMOSPHERE: This is where our visit became truly surreal. The Ritz decor is definitely a throw back to the rat-pack, which was charming, but the people who frequent The Ritz were also a throw back. My word, I have never had so many men 30+ years my senior attempt to use the same tired pick-up lines. And these men were persistent. It's as if we walked into some vortex where AARP members were under the assumption that they were god's gift to younger women. Do not come here if you want to enjoy a night with the girls!
I won't be returning to The Ritz.
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