On the 1-10 inhospitability scale, I thought the replies to the replies earned a 2.9. Which is to say that while they were not overwhelmingly inhospitable, there was a degree to which one might reasonably find them so. I'd be awfully curious to hear what the rest of LTHForum thinks about this. On the 1-10 inhospitability scale, where would you all rank the replies to the replies? And what's your favorite thing on the Wendy's dollar menu?

alright. to hell with the bastard!

With no regard to any specific establishment, it seems that 'overhyped' would have to involve more than simply being praised here at LTHForum. To me, 'overhyped' suggests a much broader group of opinions as well as mainstream media coverage, social-media campaigns, press releases, etc. Carrying this over to a specific restaurant, I think the most one could say about Patty's is that it's overrated (a sentiment with which I strongly disagree) because I don't think I've ever seen it mentioned anywhere but here.

=R=

Yes, there is definitely a difference in overrated vs overhyped (or would that be over-rated and over-hyped).

BUT isn't overhyped = too much talking about when it's not all that. where if it were all that it would deserve the hype?

Kman wrote:I'm sure it would help if you would offer substantive comments on the food you ordered and how you found it wanting. I find it a tad odd to compare Patty's and the Depot - Patty's is a breakfast and lunch place where, other than a few daily specials, I'm typically having a (large) breakfast or a (lunch) burger. The Depot has a larger menu and longer hours (Patty's closes at 2 PM most days and 1 PM Sundays) - and is great in its own right.

Of course, for a restaurant like Tru that serves such a complex series of courses it also might help to share how they also disappointed you. The point of having this forum is more to share the experiences than it is to short-cut to "thumbs-up"/"thumbs-down".

I had the much-vaunted cheeseburger and fries and found it not very tasty, just a tad too greasy - no really beefiness. Frankly, your average Culvers serves a better fry-table burger and a place like Kewpies in Racine blows Patty's burger away...and both Culvers and Kewpies serve much better, french fries in terms of both taste and texture. I didn't find the burger any better than a burger you could find at any greasy spoon anywhere. Plus, the atmosphere of the place isn't the least bit charming, quirky or cute, unlike, for example, Burt's Place (I know, some people wills say "apples to oranges" but I can't think of any true dives in Chicagoland that I've been to recently, unless you want to count the Assembly in Hoffman Estates). Is this suffiicient detail?

Tru, the food was unremarkable. So much so that I barely remember the meal, which was back in March 2009. If it was truly great, like my meal at L2O back in May of this year, I would have remembered every morsel.

Khaopaat wrote:

teatpuller wrote:I found the repeated querries to be inhospitable, that's all.

Some might say that drive-by "you know what sucks? XYZ Café" comments are inhospitable.

I don't just feel this way about "sacred cows"...hell, I've never even been to Patty's Diner (or Depot, for that matter). It's just that it's always been my belief that negative feedback should be accompanied by some form of elaboration in order to be at all useful or trustworthy. Without some supporting explanation, who's to say I'm not being petty or vindictive, or running some sort of a smear campaign?

If you want, I'll go back and take photos. LOLZ.

ld111134 wrote:Tru, the food was unreamarkable. So much so that I barely remember the meal, which was back in March 2009. If it was truly great, like my meal at L2O back in May of this year, I would have remembered every morsel.

My sentiments matched yours on Tru until my most recent dinner there a couple of weeks ago. With Tramonto out, Tru has vastly improved.

jesteinf wrote:

ld111134 wrote:Tru, the food was unreamarkable. So much so that I barely remember the meal, which was back in March 2009. If it was truly great, like my meal at L2O back in May of this year, I would have remembered every morsel.

My sentiments matched yours on Tru until my most recent dinner there a couple of weeks ago. With Tramonto out, Tru has vastly improved.

He may have been phoning it in near the end of his tenure.

I'd rather not get into places that are overhyped, but I can recommend one place that is under recognized IMHO - Takashi's. It's not cheap, but it is a GREAT place that you can get into most nights of the week without a reservation. I really think this place doesn't get the recognition it deserves.

So let me see if I've got this right:

I like a restaurant + the masses/LTH members don't like it = underhyped and underappreciated.

I don't like a restaurant + the masses/LTH members like it = overhyped.

Gotta love being right all of the time.

Thanks for the tip about Takashi. I've been thinking about going there for a while.

I've always felt that Gene & Judes was WAYYY overrated. I live in Elmhurst, only about 20 min from it, and I never go. I see nothing special plus they never drain the fries and they become so unappetizingly greasy. I never understood how people drive 1hr+ for them

gocubs88 echoes my feelings about Gene and Jude's. My sole visit featured a 25 minute wait in line for service, followed by a Vienna dog on a bun with a choice of just 4 toppings. This below average delight was accompanied by a mound of badly done fresh cut fries that turned cold, soggy and greasy within a minute of fryer exit. If you go to the trouble of cutting fresh fries, why not do the job correctly. Blanch the spuds, then finish them to order. Other places do the job correctly, why couldn't G&J? Just my two cents worth.

Taking the risk of being an outcast once again...let me opine again in regard to Patty's, a favorite of mine. Was it over hyped by LTH members? most definately, any yes by Reader "best diner in Chicago", Tribune "best hamburger in Chicago", all this within months of each other, starting with the rumours of demise of Patty's. Well that didn't happen fortunately, although the hyping might have helped Patty, she still is good at what she does and most likely would have survived.
However making Patty the best of this and best of that ultimately is a challange that is just based, well, overhyping. Why is there need to title a place best, best based on what, opinion?
How about Patty's is certainly is a nice place to go and is a fine example of an american snack shop or diner, enjoy it for what it is, and you will be back.
Many places that are over hyped have a hard time pleasing, ever experience the service at Hop Leaf, I use to hype this place till I became my own victim and was told that the chewy dried up bbq brisket I was served was how it was suppose to be, instead of "sorry, can I get you something else". The place became even better than me, now I just say, go try it see what you think.

And what's your favorite thing on the Wendy's dollar menu?

It's more than a dollar, but the short stack is a shockingly underrated 30s-style burger. The main burgers at Wendy's are flabby and poorly constructed, but the short stack has thin patties, just the condiments it should have (cheese, onion*, mustard, ketchup and pickle), and hits just the right spot of being more than the sum of its parts. On the downside, the beef is the same flavorless gray stuff you get on any Wendy's burger, but at least there's less of it in relation to the mustard and the onion.

Plus, I once saw Morey Amsterdam in a Wendy's.

* advisory to Beano users