The Other Place Pub

How should I even begin? It was a morning of mice and men...

My husband and I had decided to go out to breakfast at The Other Place because they had Eggs Benedict. I was 33 weeks pregnant and was craving this dish, which I cannot make at home. I called the day before to see if they were going to be open (we had just had the Blizzard of 2013). The waitress was a little short on the phone, but they were probably busy and that is fine.

That morning, I found a dead mouse in a trap in my house. We had been plagued with this problem for a while now and the cat is of no use. I thought I had seen enough mice that morning. But when we were rolled  up to The Other Place, we encountered more.

Now, I am giving them the benefit of the doubt because when it was cold and there was a lot of snow, mice go indoors, right? I just have never seen one at a restaurant...ever. This mouse was in plain sight, too. My husband went to get a booster seat for our son in the area near the restrooms and there it was. He actually stepped on it by accident and well, the poor thing perished. We discreetly told our waitress and she cleaned it up. Honestly, the restaurant was empty and we probably should have left right there and then. But we did eat breakfast there (shame on us!) and heard mice scampering about above the ceiling tiles as well. I could barely eat my food and from what I could taste anyway, the Eggs Benedict were a bit greasy and not the best I've ever had.

So, we will never go back here. And I forgot to mention that we tried to come here for St. Patrick's Day in 2012 and no one greeted at the door, whatever, so we just left.

Please don't think I am trying to give this restaurant a bad name by making all of this up. I have written many reviews and believe restaurants should get a fair shot. But after bad experiences twice and unsanitary conditions, I wouldn't want anyone to eat here either. And I'm writing this review about five months later, but I had a baby in March and am now just getting to these reviews. Maybe they've improved...for the better? If not the food, please change the dark and outdated decor. So many problems with The Other Place.

New management it seems. All other reviews are hear by declared as invalid and inconsequential.
It's the same old Other Place on the outside (except for the beer bottle in the picture above) and it appears the same inside as well.
The menu has changed. Somethings for the better. But I really do not like ordered a cheese burger and then being charged for lettuce and tomato and pickles and onion. Each separately. Were there really so many people who do not like such topping outside with pitch forks and torches demanding a discount for a plain cow sandwich?  Really?  Now the rest of us have to pay up to $2 for the above?
Oh, the same angry mod has also caused the same bad judgement to alter the pricing model for the quesadilla as well. Order one and you get tortilla and and cheese. No self respecting Abuella serves that. I'd cut them a break, being an Irish place, but the is a trend here so No Mas.

The servers have changed over time as well, but that is because it takes a while for them to learn to find another position. The old regular servers that had been there forever are long since gone, and the replacements seem to turn over regularly. Not that I can blame them.
The servers must, it seems, allow the bar to ring their slips. This was demonstrated by my poor server being ignored as the bar keeper manager rang in 3 other slips and spilled a few drinks before ringing my slip.
Oh, and shall we mention the Brazilian Mariachi band that came out of the kitchen, banging on various kitchen implements to make a rhythm, while singing Happy Birthday very badly?  It was disturbing as these fellows were dressed in dirty jeans and sloppy t shirts. If they can't dress, how can I believe that they can be trusted to clean or even cook?
This new management needs to spend some at other other places (see what I did right there) and see what they do well. I mean really pay attention.

Then pay attention here. Or they'll lose this place.

2 stars because our waitress was rocking the dining room all by herself & doing a pretty damn good job at it! She was weeded but still kept her composure. You could tell she was a "Lifer"!
I don't live in the area but my Mother & Step-Father eat dinner here quite often. I was visiting so I went along with them on a Sunday night.
Place is pretty beat up like the owner has no pride. It has a sort of 'truck stop' feel to it.
The best part of my meal was the small salad that comes with Dinner entrees.The lettuce was fresh & crisp as were the rest of the vegetables and the Blue Cheese dressing had big chunks of cheese. Housemade?
My salmon was EXTREMELY overcooked! Dry as a bone. And about a 1/3 of it was inedible & obviously frozen & suffered from freezer burn. Near East rice pilaf was way overcooked & mushy. Baby carrots were undercooked, slight crunch & room temperature.
My stepfather gets embarassed if food is complained about or returned, so I sucked it up and ate some of his steak & some of my mother's chicken.
Waitress noticed the sucky piece of salmon while clearing plates. She never checked on us while we were eating. Comping the meal or a dessert would have helped. But, she was swamped & I understand.