Bonefish Grill-Westminster, CO

[mtdew]

I personally will be less likely to go there in the future because of rlm's post. Why? Because I have read past posts by her that echoed my own feelings about the establishments. Also, 20 dollar an entree is above what most people in the Denver area will comfortablely spend before considering it an upscale restaurant. The expectations for such are different than what you describe as the enviroment being. The cotton paper is an example of something most people wouldn't expect or want in an upscale place. I also don't see why you assume that the ethics of a restaurant reviewer apply to consumers posting their experience online. I would probably expect something more professional from pepperpalate, but not from the rest of the Denver/Boulder group of posters.

[TheMatt]

Is that the one at I-70 and I-270? It could be time for a Scary Field Trip. Who knows--it might even be good. What's the place called? Do I actually have to enter the Bass Pro Shop to eat there?

 

Man, get on late, and I get to reply two pages later. The restaurant is Islamorada Fish Company. I'm pretty sure there is an outside entrance, and I know there is one inside. The Bass shop is actually kinda fun. They have some odd shooting gallery arcade game upstairs that wasn't working when I was there. And, they have glass elevator that faces an aquarium. Fish didn't seem to mind.

 

As for the restaurant, being in a family with two vegetarians, living in Boulder, and being a most-of-the-time-vegetarian myself, I note that there is absolutely nothing for a veg there, entree wise. But, you shouldn't go to a place called a Fish Company for veggie dishes.

[rlm]

The restaurant is Islamorada Fish Company.

 

Oh, goody, another chain that started in Florida. Have they been open at least two months? Because mama says I'm not allowed to go if not.

[9lives]

Islamorada Fish is also a chain 9 locations. Their website indicates they are all affilliated with Bass Pro Shops. I knew they had opened a branch in Dania; but not that they had expanded this much

 

The original is in Islamorada; FL Keys..also next to a big fishing supply store. Great spot which I've visited many times. Their docks and outdoor seating were destroyed last year during Wilma..but they still had limited seating and a good fish mkt..good source for mail order stone crabs also.

[omnivorette]

.

Ever consider that an employer may be checking this out themselves, thereby compromising continued, future employment? Or is that too much consideration to ethics or to another message board member? geesz.

 

 

It is not the responsibility of other posters to protect your employment. If you are concerned that your employer may be checking this board, and that your posts could potentially damage your employment, then don't post.

 

 

Isn't there an ethical rule about posting slamming reviews on message boards?

 

 

Not here on MF. One of MF's raisons d'etre is restaurant reviews. If they're "slamming," then so be it.

 

If you can't take the heat...

[SethG]

Umm, they could splash on some commercial Hershey's "chocolate" syrup instead, okay? At least some person in our day shift prep takes the imported chocolate, measures and mixes. How many chains really do that?

 

Go on and dog pile y'all. Tis the cool thing to do these days I see. Guess I really haven't missed posting.

 

Let the belittling continue!

 

 

It's true. I'm just part of a vast conspiracy against a restaurant I've never heard of.

[joiei]

Bonefish Grill opens its new store here in Broken Arrow on Monday. I will check it out. Islamorada Fish opened here a couple of months ago at the Bass Pro Shops. I thought the food was only good. THe Key Lime Pie was very good. The grilled fish sandwich was not so good. I ordered grouper and it sure tasted like mahi. I used to go the the original in the Keys when I lived down that way. I know Bonefish is a chain, but considering the lack of decent fish houses around these parts, I have my hopes up.

[CheeseMonger]

It is not the responsibility of other posters to protect your employment. If you are concerned that your employer may be checking this board, and that your posts could potentially damage your employment, then don't post.

Not here on MF. One of MF's raisons d'etre is restaurant reviews. If they're "slamming," then so be it.

 

If you can't take the heat...

 

 

exactly. And if you worked for me, beans, after this illogical display on my behalf, I'd fire you for extremely poor representation. I can't even face the string of bad logic you've presented. Love BFG because it's high volume? And expensive? Faceless and has bad service? And the restaurant doesn't bother to train servers *before* opening, much less after 2 months on the floor?

 

And if you mention the "cotton" again, crikey- get a new line. The place sucked. You have never been there, but have defended it as if it was your own.

 

A better approach would have been to acknowledge the problems, disclose your connection, and say that you will relay them to "corporate". Instead, you shoot the messenger. SMRT.

[beans]

exactly. And if you worked for me, beans, after this illogical display on my behalf, I'd fire you for extremely poor representation. I can't even face the string of bad logic you've presented. Love BFG because it's high volume? And expensive? Faceless and has bad service? And the restaurant doesn't bother to train servers *before* opening, much less after 2 months on the floor?

 

So? Reread and post on the merits.

 

I never stated I love BFG.

 

I also never stated that the chain doesn't train their employees. Exactly the opposite. I also stated they are still learning the subtle differences in each fish's visual appearance (cut filet pieces, not the whole beast).

 

AGAIN, I haven't stated anything that can't be found out by the average bear.

 

And if you mention the "cotton" again, crikey- get a new line.

 

Why? Because it annoys you? It isn't my line. Am I to apologize that paper is of high cotton content, a part of the decor/style of the joint and is actually what it is called in the biz?

 

The place sucked. You have never been there, but have defended it as if it was your own.

 

 

Again, folks, read! It is a CHAIN. That location is no different than the one in St. Pete, Columbus, Tulsa, Seattle, etc.

 

Because a diner had to ask for replacement silver (due to effective team bussing), doesn't like the music, watched the nervous server spill olive oil while doing a bread presentation, had entrees come out fast and the crab cakes aren't filled to the hilt with bread crumbs doesn't make a resto suck.

 

 

So?? Do I sense objectiveness or 'let's all stand up for our friend' ???

 

 

 

A better approach would have been to acknowledge the problems,

 

Did. In response to mongo. READ before you post!

 

disclose your connection,

 

Did. By stating my I had intimate knowledge of the restaurant's operations, and by posting my relationship previously on this same message board.

 

and say that you will relay them to "corporate".

 

Why would I? Is that my responsiblity? Is it my fault this diner didn't get the concept, ask for a replacement with whatever they were dissatisfied with, alert the local management of their displeasure, thereby allowing management know there may be problems/an opportunity to rectify?? NO!!

 

 

Instead, you shoot the messenger. SMRT.

 

Hardly! She did a good job of it herself.

[mtdew]

Because a diner had to ask for replacement silver (due to effective team bussing), doesn't like the music, watched the nervous server spill olive oil while doing a bread presentation, had entrees come out fast and the crab cakes aren't filled to the hilt with bread crumbs doesn't make a resto suck.

 

Again you concentrate on mostly the decor and service aspect of her post. In the original post she also indicated that the entree and side she had weren't good.

[joiei]

Again, folks, read! It is a CHAIN. That location is no different than the one in St. Pete, Columbus, Tulsa, Seattle, etc.

 

 

uh dude, the Tulsa store isn't open yet.

[CheeseMonger]

Is the point that's it's a chain supposed to mean that lower quality is the expectation? I'm obviously unclear on that. If I'm paying for a meal, I have a right, as does anyone, to express an opinion on that purchase, regardless of how many iterations there are. Maybe your constant reminding us that it's a chain is so that we can be sure to avoid the others as well, or at least have the same very low expectations?

 

Excuses aside, beans, she had an unpleasant experience, and posted about it. It's you that went berzerk about it, and responded in an incredibly unprofessional and bizarrely emotional manner. As you still are. It's very confusing, frankly. Did rlm shoot your dog or something?

[rlm]

So I won’t be accused of not addressing your over-emotional responses “on the merits,” here you go…

 

1. The point is not that the music wasn’t to my personal taste. It’s the fact that they had non-subtle music blaring to begin with. I personally enjoy lots of obnoxious punk and industrial music that others detest, but even I don’t want to hear Ministry’s “Stigmata” when I’m out for a nice, relaxing seafood dinner in a place with low lighting that is pretending to have ambiance.

 

2. The comment about the pagers/light-up coasters applies to all chains that use them. I can’t stand holding on to something that god knows how many nose-picking, diaper-changing, fingernail-biting consumers have touched before I’m about to eat dinner. They’re an artifact that screams “chain” and it adds to the IMPERSONAL feel of the place.

 

3. The crab cakes disintegrating: I have a friend that makes the best crab cakes in the universe and they are almost 100% crab too, but the coating and the frying mechanism are such that they stay together enough so you can drag them through the sauces. They are supposed to be cakes, after all, not just lump crab on a plate. I said in my post that they had a good flavor, but I guess that was conveniently overlooked so you could continue to refer to me as being “irresponsible” and “rude.”

 

4. The replacement silver: Since you weren’t at our table, you probably didn’t know that our server, the busser, and the runner were all standing around our table like keystone cops at the same time. The server clearly saw the salads being removed after we had moved them over to the side of the table and the entrees being placed in front of us, but didn’t see that we might need new forks. Decent servers notice things like that. I understand that servers are human and that this is a relatively new outpost of BFD…er…BFG. But it was irksome that no-one on the staff was apologetic about the entrees arriving on top of the salads, the oil being spilled on the COTTON, etc. I’m not looking for someone to genuflect before me, just a simple, “I’m sorry.” I say “please” and “thank you” when I interact with wait staff, so why basic manners aren’t part of BFD’s training manual in dealing with their guests, I’m not sure. BTW, I still left a 20% tip on the total including tax because I figured it’s not our server’s fault she works at a soul-less chain that makes her recite memorized patter from a corporate training guide prepared in a non-descript boardroom by people that know more about flow-charts than food. I’ve worked at places I’ve hated before because I had to pay for rent and tuition, so I can relate.

 

5. The olive oil: First, it’s tacky to ask for the container to be handed to you by the diner. I guess this is part of the corporate philosophy of adding an “interactive” component to the meal. Second, why not have the server bring out something to stir the olive oil into the basil pesto with instead of shaking it around? Or at least bring it out in a bowl instead of a tiny dish. This might seem like a nit-picky thing, but part of the point of my post is that chains overlook the small details which taken together add up to a less than desirable experience.

 

6. We did not receive the multiple wine lists that you indicate exist. We only saw the listings of wines by the glass on the flip-side of the menu. Since Bonefish loves turning the table so fast (a point that you so proudly brought up), we weren’t given very long with the menus, so I didn’t notice that a reserve wine list was available. Corporate places that have other lists available on request (cocktail, reserve wines) usually print it on the menu in small print anyway somewhere under the large Coca-Coca or Pepsi logo, so it’s not surprising for someone to walk out of there having no idea that other options were available. Again, it would be nice if one would have been brought to the table by default or if the servers would offer it to their guests as part of their “RAH RAH” run-down of the menu.

 

7. The comment that MF is a lifestyles board and not a foodie board is a little silly since the URL to get here has always been mouthfulsFOOD.com, not mouthfulslifestyles.com (and most people here started out on Chowhound or Egullet or both). Yes, I’m aware there are threads on other topics, but trying to act like this place isn’t a haven for people who are serious about food instead of people posting about how much they love Chile’s and Outback is delusional.

 

8. You seem to contradict yourself by accusing me of doing a hatchet job on Bonefish and being “irresponsible,” but then indicating that you don’t see from my descriptions of music, replacement silver, olive oil spillage, etc., how that could possibly point to a bad experience because those things seem so trivial. So which one is it? Have I ruthlessly attacked them or just pointed out minor problems?

 

Does that cover it, sweetie?

[CheeseMonger]

rlm- there's one thing you didn't address- Did you, in fact, shoot bean's dog?

 

And these best crabcakes in the universe- any idea where I can find these?

[rlm]

Now that I think about it, the practice of not bringing the reserve wine list out by default or offering it up goes in line with Bonefish’s “herd ‘em in and get ‘em out” philosophy. If another wine list is sitting on every table, precious time might be spent perusing it. (Meanwhile, Bob and Mary Jo are clutching their pager in the bar and fidgeting, wondering if they should bail and walk over to the Macaroni Grill instead.) It makes sense that a corporation would prefer to push a small selection of unchallenging wines by-the-glass from easily-recognizable, mass-market brand names that they purchase with volume discounts and mark up.

 

I’d rather go to a place where the people are passionate and knowledgeable about food and wine. Local places want and need to make a profit too (nothing wrong with that), but more of them are staffed with food lovers who care about the total guest experience. They know that if they give you a quality product and win your trust and gently coax you into expanding your horizons that you will come back again and again and tell all your friends and maybe post about what a great experience you had on a message board read by hard-core foodies all over the world.

 

And I did shoot beans’ dog. <sob>