The Jewish Mother Backstage

Food was good. Good beer selection.

We stopped for lunch around 1pm on a Wed. The bartender Kim Meyers was incredibly rude. She said all the right things, but in an abrasive, barking manner.

"How are you today?" she asked, but walked away before we could answer.

She just made us so uncomfortable we were sorry we came in.

My hubs was interested in spending time inside drinking some local brews and Jewish Mother had a few on tap. But who wants to deal with that business? We had finished our sandwiches and were just lounging at the bar. We had been there only 35 minutes.

"You want anything else?" Kim shouts from down the bar.

I had no idea she was addressing me from so far away, but I should have since we were the only ones at the bar.

"YOU!  Do you want ANYTHING ELSE?" she barks at me.

"No just the check," I replied

Yeah, rude.

I did notice, however, that she was plenty nice to the male vendors who came in, and to the staff coming out from the kitchen. But the customers, all 2 of us, were a big pain in her butt.

So we left and drove to Ghent to spend our money and enjoy our time. Sad situation, really, because we liked all of the options Jewish Mother had on tap and the food was good.

Don't waste your money unless....
This place can be described with one word... goofy, from the staff, the band, the clientele. If you're goofy, this is the place for you. If thou have any strand of dignity, don't waste your time here.
$10 entry with about 30 minutes until closing, kinda pricey, plus everyone was extremely... goofy. Not what you want on a Saturday night.
An additional star for the band.
Did I mention this place was goofy?

For Review number 100, it only seems right to strap up the laces and skate on home ice.  The JewMo feels like home, let's see where this goes, shall we?

A bit of a history lesson first:  The only true JewMo in the hearts and minds of men is the one that existed on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront for years, right there on Laskin.  But time marches on and The Man decided that the area would be better served by building a Yuppie Magnet on the sacred ground that used to house the entirety of Virginia Beach Vibe (as it were).  So NoMoJewMo.  Instead, we have Jewish Mother Backstage and Jewish Mother Hilltop.

Both have tried to carry the torch so magnificently lit for them years ago, but have really decided that the only true way to carry on and carry forward is to extinguish the Old Flame and start something new.  So, if you remember the good old days when that area of Laskin had more VW Vans than Lexus Sedans, then don't for one minute expect to walk into any of the new Jewish Mother locations and expect that vibe machine from Laskin to smack you right in the palate, 'cause that ain't gonna happen and will just lead to failed expectations and disappointment.

Umm...ok, but with all of that being said, how do we go from all of this to a 5 Star Review?

If the goal of the Jewish Mother Backstage was to extinguish the old and start up something new with different but lasting powers, then it worked.  Although the menu is the same, everything else is different, and has to be because Old Laskin Road is nothing like New Granby Street.  The NewJewMo embraces its new surroundings in perfect hipster perfection (they should paint a giant pair of sunglasses on the facade).  

The food?  Well, it can be all over the place for sure.  Stick with something safe and you won't be disappointed.  But truth be told, I've had a few dishes that weren't quite right (if I were you, I'd avoid anything with 'seared' in the title.  You'll thank me later).

The drinks?  Surprisingly, not too much variety in what is on tap, but the bottled/canned beer selection is rather extensive, so you should find something that works.  Of course, the usual gallons of liquor exist in bottles neatly arranged on shelves behind the bar, I'm sure if you asked (and tipped) nicely, they will be more than happy to indulge that avenue of Brain Cell Massacre.  

The Vibe?  Are you kidding me?  This is a Mecca for local bands, with anybody who is anybody in the local scene having to pass the Jewish Mother Backstage test to see if greater things are on the horizon.  The intimate atmosphere gets you close to all of your local indie rock gawds...and on any given night, you'll find a few lurking around at the bar being part of the audience instead of part of the entertainment.

If you are coming to visit me in Virginia Beach, you can be assured  that we will spend some time over in Norfolk on Granby at my Home Away from Home.