|
Review content:
I went to Bess Bistro on Friday for an earlyish dinner. After reading a bunch of good and a bunch of very bad reviews, I wasn't sure what to expect, it sounds like the place is extremely hit-or-miss.
Well, when we got there (there were just two in our party), the two hostesses were a little condescending when they learned that we didn't have a reservation, but said we might sit at any of the tables in the bistro area, on the patio or in the bar. The dining room looked then, and for our entire meal, much more than half empty. We probably arrived at 6:45, and after waiting tables for a few years, I know the dinner rush in the summer doesn't start until at least 8 pm, so I was a little surprised that they didn't seat us in the dining room, but it didn't really matter. The patio is on the west side of the building, so is definitely not the best option in the Texas afternoon heat. We sat in the bistro. They took our drink orders and brought us bread promptly, which was no surprise since the place was empty. I ordered a salad to start with (herb salad or something? The one that claims it comes with seasonal berries), and my friend ordered a tomato-apricot (I think) starter that she said was very good. The greens and the salad dressing were fine, but that was about all there was to it. I expected berries (cranberries maybe) to be mixed into the salad, but there were just a few slices of strawberry, a few walnuts, and a stingy sprinkling of cheese. It was honestly 95% greens. Oh well. For the main entree, I ordered the roasted chicken, and it was delicious. The portion was large, I think it was fully half a bird - I took home the entire wing, so no complaint there. I also ordered the vodka iced tea arnold palmer drink; it tasted good, but seemed about a dollar overpriced for what it was (the vodka is only about half as strong as regular vodka).
Also, this was sort of weird: we sat in the bistro (basically extra tables in the entrance), right below the air conditioner, and there was condensation built up *directly* over the seats opposite the wall, and it was dripping onto my dinner companion. She mentioned it to the hostess/waitress, who basically shrugged, but then claimed that they wiped it off constantly throughout the evening (which she didn't even once).
The valet was very friendly, though!
It might be worth going once out of curiosity, and the food was pretty good, but I felt like the staff was a bit judgmental (did they recruit non-Austinites or something?), and a little snooty for what the place actually is. I give it a B-.
Pros: Tasty food, good drink selection
Cons: Not very customer-oriented staff
|