PX This.

PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW

Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of lucks[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !

P&B American Tavern

What was your first impression?
Cute space. What was this before? One of those cheap shoe stores?

Please rate the Bar:
Nice and comfortable but a little odd (See: below). The bartender was great, though; she was very enthusiastic, friendly and knowledgeable.

Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
Simple and straightforward enough, but the cocktails are trite and uninspired. Right away I felt this wasn’t a place I would ever think to order wine, so I didn’t bother asking for a bottle or BTG list. The liquor list, on the other hand, is impressive in its sophistication, but in a way that just adds to its awkwardness. For example, they have 19 different tequilas (only 6 vodkas, in comparison), but their margarita recipe is straight out of suburban Wisconsin. They also have an extraordinary 22 single malt whiskeys, with neither the location, clientele, cuisine nor ambience to back that inventory up.
Plus the $1 "mix" upcharge is just stupid.

Please rate the Dining Room:
Pretty nice, especially considering the location and the spare square footage. The booths tucked away in the back are the best bet.

Please rate the BOH:
A little… pretentious? For all their hullabaloo about "pastured beef" and "free range turkey[s]" plus the name itself, "Patty & Bun," they don’t make an exceptional burger by any means. Maybe if the head chef spent more time in the kitchen cooking instead of outside on the pavement admiring the storefront, the food would be better.

How was the staff?
As I said, the bartender was very good in that she was amiable and passionate, but as a mixology professional, she somewhat lacked the skills to buttress her bravada. The hostess was slightly cold and apathetic, and the waitress was similarly indifferent but adequately adept.

What did you eat?/ How was the food?
Crab cake: Not bad. Accompanying radicchio salad also OK, but bordering on the threshold of vegetable deterioration. Capers are a nice touch, but the hand with the olive oil is a little heavy.
P&B Burger: Overcooked, dry, consequently flavorless Patty, on a dry, almost-stale (“homemade, 5-drop tequila”) brioche Bun. Pretty sad for a burger that bears the establishment’s name. And $2 more for a scant smear of roquefort? Get real.
The fries are average.
Sliders: See above.
Creamed spinach: Rich and gooey would be one thing, but the spinach swimming in a watery pool of the stuff is just a big no-no.

What did you like?
The space.

What did you dislike?
The food.

What was your last impression?
It’s a shame. A good burger joint could be very successful in this location; there’s already plenty of competition for mediocre eateries all up and down this street.

Would you come back?
Probably not; Stand is just a few blocks away and it’s better and cheaper. Also, although I’ve never been to BLT Burger myself, I’ve heard some pretty good things about it— I would likely give them a try before coming back here.

Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thank you and best of luck.

2 Responses to “F&F: P & B American Tavern”

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