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Review content:
Props to Alex and company for sticking their neck out in what many outsiders consider to be a bit of a sketchy river town. Lived here since '83 in questionable neighborhoods myself so can attest to the ""sketchiness"". It is however what it is, and that is a good city that like all of us has a history. Alex and crew, by investing in the neighborhood, now the neighborhood within the SWAN boundaries which I other good people call home, have helped stabilize it further. Enough preach, now opinion; of which everyone has.
Food is off the hook good and reasonably priced. I've even taken pictures of my plates before eating their contents as generally they are works of art. Five Stars, nice job.
Floor wait staff, couldn't be nicer and any more hard working. My feet and back hurt just watching them. Five+ stars, please leave them 30% cause the food is so reasonably priced (see above).
Bar staff, Shelly O, where did they get her (asked and answered rhetorically)? Grace is the best single word. Epitomizes professionalism. Others are not as good, some downright rude or just plain unaware. Additionally, on bust nights there just ain't enough of them to go around. Recently a busy Monday evening saw myself and female companion be forced to leave and go elsewhere to get a drink, and I'm somewhat of a very patient regular. Balance equals maybe a three.
Alex, while brave for supporting the area with a shitload of likely personal money (thanks Alex), in my opinion needs to check his personal balances. Being a100% Hungarian myself, I am painfully aware of what being pure anything does to an individual as far as person to person interactions and skills. Sometimes good, sometimes, well in my case (as when dealing with an uncooperative attorney or ex-wife, Attila shows his ugly face but that's another story) not so good. The above mentioned exit due to lack of timely service, while patiently waiting for such, and my leaving a note @ the bar indicating I would settle up the tab at a less busy time in the future resulted in a somewhat rude phone call from Alex asking me to settle up soon. This was not the first such experience or unsetling interaction between myself and the man. I have also seen other less than comforting actions, either by Alex directly or at his hand thru his manager. Those actions are, in my opinion, inconsistent with a bar of this stature. More consistent with the back woods bars in my native land of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. a beautiful but sometimes dangerous place where sometimes knives are pulled on large drunk men to move them outta a persons way. In a nice way that is, just getting a point across, just like this review.
Remember, not easy to rile up, I'm patient as a vulture. Which is the motivation for this review. Been gathering respectful opinions for some time now, and the phone message axed it. Alex gets a one.
Pros: Menu, floor wait staff, food prices
Cons: $6 glass of wine, come on, this is Elgin
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