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| Twin Cities Breakfast Diner |
Bad Waitress
Breakfast Joint & Coffee Shop
Location:
2 E 26th St
Minneapolis, MN 55404
612-872-7575
Breakfast Hours:
T-Su: 7am-10pm, M: Closed
coffee
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TCB Review:
At first glance the spot – with its fake wall-mounted shark, snazzy jukebox and reproductions of 1940’s pulp art from which the diner takes its name – seems like it’s trying too hard for hipster points. And this may be the case, but it is easily forgiven due to the other details they do oh-so-right, such as the cool and comfy booths, free wi-fi, coffee specialty drinks and roll-up side windows that make it an even harder wait for spring. As for the food, well, first things first . . .
The Bad Waitress has drawn a fair amount of attention for its self-ordering concept; it’s your job to fill out a ticket, order and pay at the counter. After that, you take a seat and the rest is basically standard café protocol. And while there is a teeny bit of novelty in it, it’s nothing that really adds to the experience and is more of a minor annoyance than anything. Probably the biggest pain in the ass about the setup is that you have to do your own coffee and water refills.
The tip jar at the counter might be the most puzzling part of the deal – does half service mean half the amount of tip and do you tip when you pay or on the way out? The arrangement will most likely just leave the average patron with small pangs of discomfort and/or aggravation and staff with smaller chunks of change in their pockets at the end of the day.
It isn’t a deal-breaker though, and as long as the atmosphere and grub are up to speed people will scrawl out their requests and get on with it. So, that leaves us with the food: decent, standard fare that you’ll enjoy but does need some refining. Highlights include the thin, almost crepe-style pancakes (especially the pumpkin), the French toast and the good mix of veggie options. Otherwise, the hashbrowns are average, American fries are plain, and the eggs – whether in scrambles or omelets tend to be overcooked. The place is put together by the same folks at the Spyhouse coffee shop up the street, so they serve up a solid, strong cup of coffee. All-in-all, firmly average, but the potential is definitely there.
Posted: by spacemanpete
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From: sglats
06/03/2009 |  
1 of 5 Huevos | After paying, the cashier informed her that the kitchen was backed up and that it would likely be 45 minutes before our food would be ready. This wasn’t a problem.
After an hour had passed we called one of the employees over and asked him to check on the progress of our meal. He returned a moment later and assured us that our meal would be ready momentarily. Another 25 minutes passed. We had finished the Sunday paper and decided it was time to get on with our day.
We told the manager that we had been waiting almost 90 minutes for our food. Even worse, 25 minutes earlier we had been told by one of her employees that our meal was moments away.
At that point another employee came over from the kitchen and informed the manager that our order slip had fallen on the floor and was never placed in the queue.
There was no remorse, no apology. I asked for an immediate refund.
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From: Jozie
09/14/2008 |
4 of 5 Huevos | I'm glad they serve organic eggs now and the coffee is very good. Also like their spicey chorizo. The retro decor and juke box make for a fun time. I've done breakfast here about 4 times. (One drawback has been tables not getting cleared/cleaned quick enough).
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From: Richo
07/27/2008 |
1 of 5 Huevos | Bad Waitress! So no surprise the food took a very, very long time to arrive and was half cold when it did. Bad Waitress, get it? So you can't complain, but why return there? NEVER!
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From: Northstop
01/22/2008 |
3 of 5 Huevos | A favorite of one of my breakfast companions, Bad Waitress was an adequate breakfast choice but not something I would rush back to again and again. The whole self-service ploy, because of the "bad waitress" factor (I get it, I get it...) is not cute but more confusing for first-timers and annoying for the lazier crowd.
Once figured out, the food is good to very good and the crowd makes for interesting people watching. Nothing on the menu is so unique to add mention but one can get an above average meal at an appropriate price and still get some quirkiness thrown in. For some people, that is enough but for me, it is not worth the effort unless my pal insists on going again.
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From: natronic
09/23/2006 |
4 of 5 Huevos | Pretty good place, but a few things keep it from five eggs.
The ordering system is gimmicky and annoying. Should you tip? Why? How much? They're not really "serving" you...it's awkward, tipping before service is rendered. You fill out your own order, pour your own water, and get your own coffee refills. About the only things you don't do is bus your dishes and wipe the table down.
And what happens if you don't tip enough--does the hipster staff ash in your food?
Pricing is somewhat high. Coffee is good, as it should be from the Spyhouse owners. Generally good music. In nice weather they open the front to the street, which is nice except for the flies.
Portions seem fair enough. If forced, I'd choose Soba's on Lyndale over TBW.
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From: B
09/09/2006 |
3 of 5 Huevos | Pretty good place. Good food, atmosphere...and no annoying conversation with a spastic server. However, the portions are very tiny.
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From: Elan
01/03/2006 |
2 of 5 Huevos | I actually quite enjoy this place, but will never eat there again for one simple fact: no traditional french fries! Honestly, it is easy to look past the gimmicky ordering and serving (bad waitress, get it?) But no where on the marquee does it say "No French Fries" or "We're trying so hard that we overlooked the most important diner fare". There are so many nuevo diners in town that make a killer fry, why bother wasting one's time/effort on a place that doesn't care?
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