Saturday, Sharkboy, The Mailman, Photog #1 and the Busdriver and I went to O’Greedy’s for dinner. Sorry, I mean O’Grady’s.
Okay I know it’s Pride weekend and they’re busy. But the service was the only good thing about the meal. Everything else was a nightmare.
First, sitting down, we were assaulted by music from the beer garden next door. No biggie. It was loud but hey, it’s Pride. But someone within O’Grady’s brain dead staff thought it was a good idea to try to compete with it by blaring their classic patio music overtop of the beer garden’s techno. So we had a thumping back beat set to Shania Twain competing at a volume level set at “shouty conversation”. Nice! When asked, twice, the server seemed really put off but eventually 2/3rds through the meal, it got turned off.
Secondly, they upped their prices and axed the portions. Not by a measley couple of bucks. A burger and fries and a pop was $22. Actually I should call it A Burger AND A FRY. See the picture? Revel in the vast amounts of potato slices! See the BROWN LETTUCE GARNISH? Yummy!! Sharkboy’s serving of fries amounted to about less than a handful. A glass of fountain diet coke was $2 less than a bottle of beer and it costs the bar about $0.30/glass for pop. The Busdriver had main course of salad that had maybe a teaspoon of dressing on it. The Club sandwich was a one level chicken breast with some bacon and tomato tossed on top. No mayo. The Mailman didn’t bother asking, he’d be done it by the time it came.
Thirdly (and this made us tip less than 8%), as we were getting up to leave, the manager saw us rise and asked: “Are you leaving?”
“Yes,” SharkBoy says.
“Oh thank god!” he blurts and walks away.
Huh? We look at each other. Were we just insulted? Suddenly before we can all collect ourselves after that curious comment, our table is overrun with a large group that had made “reservations” that only then had got half their group seated. That certainly made us feel “unrushed”.
As we were exiting, pushing past fighting waitresses and bus staff, I overheard the same manager in a bitter, passing comment to persons unknown: “Oh great, another $20 table!” Oh I should jump back here and mention that all of O’Greedy’s “Pride version” menus had “Minimum $15 order per person” on them. So damn you for ordering $5 over their minimum! Damn you!
Happy Pride, O’Gradys! I hope you put all that money you made this weekend towards something useful, like a copy of “How to Run a Restaurant for Dummies”
8 thoughts on “Pride Smash and Grab!”
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what are you, tourists? those are the only people who should be eating on church street during pride.
the one day i ate out last week, i had a good cheap meal up at tokyo grill, a four minute walk from where you sat, and paid the same low price i do all year round. my total pride expenses: 89 cents (plus tax) for a cold bottle of water from the drugstore. oh, and the $3000.00 i spent on ebola bombs, but that tale will be told later.
Not to sound like the “pride Scrooge” again, but this is exactly why I give the entire weekend a big pass. I shouldn’t have to down an Ativan with dinner just to get through the stress.
Dear Dead Robot,
I enjoy your stuff and my apologies for not knowing how best to contact you (I’m anovice with the internet), thus this note here. I agree it’s one ofthe best lines ever, but I believe the correct phrase is: “Sheesh, leave me something, I’ll catch cold!â€?
Take care,
Tim
Snotty, I would have to say that Pride is a big blip on the yearly economic intake. What it’s like for a restaurant, I can’t say.
A friend of mine noted that yes, other restaurants raised their prices but by $2-$3 per dish.
Well it will be quite a while beofre I eat at O’Crapys…. oops O”Grady’s again.
From your experience, what per centage of a Church St. bar’s income comes from Pride week?