Emberz

I was expecting much more from Emberz based on reviews and seeing that it has been the restaurant of the month on <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmymotherlode.com&s=193f4bcab389a8d79b4e8d7786fa32f0e9743364644c67c25836cf5df628e64c" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://mymotherlode.com</a>. I ordered the Calamari Frito with the lemon parsley aioli and decided it was way too much fat dipping something already fried into lemon flavored mayo. I asked if they had cocktail sauce and was told yes. So I waited, waited, and waited some more. When I requested cocktail sauce for the third time I was told that they threw it out because no one was ordering it so they had to make a fresh batch. When it finally arrived, my calamari was cold and not very appetizing. My roommate ordered the Pastrami Mommy and it was okay (average). I ordered a special which was a Cajun penne pasta with Andouille sausage with shrimp, onions, and peppers in a cream sauce. It was so-so. Would I ever order it again? No. While it was in the 70's outside, it must have been in the mid 80's in the restaurant. It was uncomfortably hot. It was a relief once we left the restaurant and felt the cooler air. I can't tell if we picked a bad night and I ordered the wrong thing, but I'm pretty sure I will not be returning. I really wanted to like this place but I feel it fell short of all the hoopla.

Great fries, great Philly Cheese Steak. Excellent beer selection.

We were on a Saturday pleasure drive and found ourselves in Sonora. (I love this little town.)  We were hungry and saw a few options, but I knew my hubby would love a burger so we chose Emberz. (I also loved their sign that said they had Foodz.)  We were greeted as soon as we entered. I used the restroom and when I came out, we had a table. We were then re-greeted by a bored, disengaged, rather-be-somewhere-anywhere-else waitress who took our orders.
I'll be the first to admit, I wasn't in a great mood but I am always kind and engaging with servers. This time was no exception. I ordered from the menu and checked to make sure there wasn't anything on the burger I ordered that wasn't on the menu. I ordered the burger that comes with a fried egg on it. Hubby got the one with Guinness Aioli. He ordered his medium as did I. They came to us medium rare (VERY pink inside still) and the egg on mine was a slimy beast. I sent it back to have them cook the egg...and the waitress had to come back and ask me how I wanted it cooked. I said, "just so the white isn't slimy anymore."  So I got the burger back, new egg, still slimy, bun slimy (could have put that on the grill to cook the egg on it...and slime on the plate. No mention of lettuce, tomato and pickles on the menu and no mention of any special sauces...so I did ask for "no onions and no sauce" but I've since learned I need to say, "if it's not mentioned in the item description, I don't want it on the plate"
In the end, I took it all apart, ate some bacon, a few bits of the burger and was so upset by the lack of service and the whole slimy experience.
I really wanted to like this place, but the service was terrible as soon as we sat down. The birthday cake drink is okay, but again, I like it when the menu is CLEAR about what's included/excluded in the items so you can decide. No mention of whipped cream and sugar sprinkles, which I would have skipped.
NO ONE In this establishment cares about providing a product they are proud of and it shows. I won't be back.