|
Review content:
For the 6th consecutive time, I've had a horrible meal at Martins. I really want to like this place, but they're making it extremely difficult.
I went to Martins shortly after they opened up the new place. The first time I ate there, it was a religious experience. EVERYTHING was amazing (well, except the brisket, which was dry as hell: harbinger of things to come). The next few times the food was just as good.
For the past 3 months however, everything I get there has been putrid. If you get any ""pulled meat"" products, be sure to have a gallon of fluids handy. The food is so dry, it gets lodged in my esophagus. The pulled pork, chicken and turkey must be days old whenever I get it, because it's more like ""chopped Naugahyde"" than anything that's been pulled with a fork.
When it's on, the food here is fantastic. The problem is erratic customer volume must dramatically affect the product. They certainly know how to smoke meat, but they can't seem to have it fresh when you want it. I've tried early in the day, late in the day, during rushes, etc. It's just hit or miss, and usually miss.
I understand that it is difficult to have fresh smoked meats ready at all times of the day, but if the quality is not there, simply inform the customer that you're out of the product, rather than serve up whatever chipped shoe-leather you've got on hand.
The quality of the food here is just too inconsistent to warrant chancing more than a few bucks on sandwich.
If timing is the problem, then anyone in the know, please inform us of a time of day/week when the meat is fresh. Otherwise, my working assumption will be that the meat is days old.
February 28, 2011
UPDATE: I decided to give Martins another chance. Since my first post, I've been back a few times. The first one or two times, it was marginally better. But in the past 3 months, it's been a home-run every time. I finally tried the ribs, and they're dang good. I've also tried a few other items, and have yet to be disappointed.
One thing I will note: there seems to be some confusion about what's to be included in drive-thru orders. One time my sandwich came with free fries, another time it came with free beans, sometimes they include a napkin and silverware, most times they don't. It still looks like the drive-thru need to get a system together. Yesterday I got the ribs to go, and there were no utensils, napkin, or wet nap. Kinda hard to eat your food without those items (or, at least eat it and not get it all over yourself).
I'd give it 5 stars at this point, but there still are a few quibbles. But the food itself has been consistently great for the past 4-8 times I've hit the drive-thru.
|