I was in Darwin's on Friday, and went against my better judgement because it was friend's birthday and she really likes their burgers. I'm a good friend and so only mentioned once that it had changed owners and was not the same as she remembered. "Relax," my friend told me, "it'll be fine."

Good God, this was possibly one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. As noted in previous posts, the personality of the place is gone. The waitstaff is surly and unhelpful in a way that is not endearing. More than that, the quality of the food has seriously declined. People can overlook just about anything if the food is good and the staff tries, neither is true in this case.

On Friday I really wanted a Maudite and the Brie Burger. No more Maudite on tap, and every other beer I ordered on tap was unavailable due to frozen tap lines (I found this hard to believe even with the cold weather), and the burger which I asked to be done pink arrived quite red and almost raw. When I asked our waitress if it could be put back on the grill for a few moments so it was cooked to my liking, she acted as though it was my fault the burger was not done.

I would be hardpressed to be given a reason to return to this place. It makes me sad to see a place that was once a staple of the neighborhood and gave people a reason to seek out great food, is subpar at best. Darwin's: Clean up your act!

KatyK wrote:On Friday I really wanted a Maudite and the Brie Burger. No more Maudite on tap, and every other beer I ordered on tap was unavailable due to frozen tap lines (I found this hard to believe even with the cold weather), and the burger which I asked to be done pink arrived quite red and almost raw. When I asked our waitress if it could be put back on the grill for a few moments so it was cooked to my liking, she acted as though it was my fault the burger was not done.

Not only has the Maudite been permanently 86ed, the Brie Burger has been too.

At any rate, the Cheddar cheeseburger/fries plate that I ordered last night was as good as ever.

KatyK wrote:I would be hardpressed to be given a reason to return to this place. It makes me sad to see a place that was once a staple of the neighborhood and gave people a reason to seek out great food, is subpar at best. Darwin's: Clean up your act!

Given that Darwin's atmosphere, service, and beer roster these days could hardly be less enjoyable to me, their continued ability to crank out a truly great burger/fries plate is somewhat of a grievous marvel.

E.M.

Is it more or less popular than before the changes (or compared to before their long closing a year or more back)? And how are they handling the smoking these days? Is it really crowded on Tuesdays, and is the product different for the special deal that day?

I walk by Darwin's nearly every day on the pup's daily constitutional and it seems to have been dark with a "we're on vacation" message on the window for quite some time now...perhaps they are taking some time to regroup and return to their one-time awesomeness? Just as likely that it didn't make it, I suppose.

It is for sale.