Restaurant Concepts I don't understand

Today, DH and I were out in the wilds of Touhy looking for a comfortable place to lunch. Since it was snowing, I wasn't really looking for good food as much as a warm place where there would be comfortable chairs and equally comforting food - and we didn't want Renga-Tai, since we'd had Japanese the night before. We were cold, we were slightly grumpy, and we just wanted somewhere with maybe a fireplace...and in these situations I'm not averse to a chain restaurant (at least one that I haven't tried and discarded in the past) so, without knowing much except the name, we stopped at the Brick House Tavern in Niles.

We entered the door, and there we spy a poor, waif-like creature barely clothed in black huddling against the fire, desperately trying to warm her midriff and legs...all I could think of was the Little Match Girl. At first I thought she might have misjudged the weather, but no, another slightly less waiflike but no more clothed young woman appeared and asked "booth, chair, or couch?"

WTF? We were after all, looking for a comfortable place to sit by the fire, so we opted for couch. As we entered the room, I looked around in surprise: rather than the typical TGIMcfunster's fraternity-house-attic decor, the style of the place was just up my alley: softly minimalist, dark woods, leather couches with beige tweed, postmodern lighting and exposed brick contrasted with beige walls upon which quotations in a large but genteel Baskerville font marched around the room. Comfortable, uncluttered, quiet (especially since the snow had knocked out the satellite picture on the forty or so TV screens) For all the world, the place reminded me of a somewhat masculine tea room; a place for quiet reflection and thought....or maybe even a modern take on the apartment in American Gigolo...it wasn't until I read the quotes that I began to understand the waitstaff were clothed in an actual uniform.

We had to pull our couches away from the table to sit down, so after some struggling, we did so...and found that while the tables were chair-height, the couches were not. After ordering an appetizer of "white and bleu" chips (house-made chips with a queso dip that included a sprinkle of blue cheese - exactly as expected, greasy but appealing.) we decided to move to a booth to peruse the rest of the menu as we found our chins were in the food.

At this point, the sophomoric jokes on the menu came as no surprise. DH ordered a chicken-fried steak with a side of broccoli, and I ordered the prime rib sandwich. Menu prices were in order with any TGIMcFunster's place. I was shocked to find that, under the quite horrible blanket of battered onion strings and goopy provolone-style cheese, there was actual prime rib (what one would expect for $12, nothing exciting, but not bad) with an appropriate horseradish sauce, and DH's chicken-fried steak was what one would expect from a chain, the huge serving of steamed broccoli very nice and fresh. Our waitress felt the need to apologize for refilling our drinks - their requirement is to fill them when they are half-empty, which meant we inadvertently kept the poor woman hopping (though I suppose she'd have been considerably colder if she had to stand still.) So, we had a better experience with the food than other posters here - but it certainly was no reason to go there.

I don't get it - who, exactly is their target market? While the decor seems to be targeting the plastic surgeons from Nip/Tuck, their drink menu features PBR and Old Style, (although there are plenty of other choices,) and the bathroom decor features Snap-On Tool calendar girls in the hallway, (apparently more of the same in the mens bathroom, according to DH) and giant Calvin Klein posters in the women's. There was an area designated as the "Rec Room" which contained back-to-back giant TVs flanked by chairs with cup holders, but no darts, billiards, or even video game systems.

At any rate, despite having to continually stifle my urge to offer our waitress my sweater, it's no worse or better than the other chains of its ilk in the area, and unless they are having a furniture and furnishings sale soon, I doubt we'll be back.

It does sound like a strange place indeed.

The one I went to was clearly attracting 25-45 year old men/boys from the local office parks. Lots of button down shirts and blackberry holsters. I'd imagine the appeal is the t&a, something for everyone atmosphere, and inoffensive if not particularly good food and drink.

And I see they're now up to 9 locations. Impressive, I guess.

Between the "original", Hooters, to Twisted Kilt, to Brick House...what's next...wait for the new Admiral Theaters Fish and &$%#s? Yes, let your mind examine the possibilities...

Dallas seems to be the home of Hooters knock offs. I have several friends down there, and the their favorite that I get dragged to is a place called Twin Peaks.

http://www.twinpeaksrestaurant.com

gleam wrote:The one I went to was clearly attracting 25-45 year old men/boys from the local office parks. Lots of button down shirts and blackberry holsters.

See, now, this was my original guess - I'd have been unsurprised if the location were in Lakeview or in the Gold Coast, or even Rosemont. That stretch of Touhy isn't exactly blackberry-holster-land - there are more warehouses than office parks.

gleam wrote:I'd imagine the appeal is the t&a, something for everyone atmosphere, and inoffensive if not particularly good food and drink.

Yes, that's a good summation - but for the most part, (admittedly, we were there very early on a Saturday) I was seeing confused grandmothers and families coming in carrying Chanukah gifts - with much the same reaction to the waitress' uniforms as I had. I was glad Sparky wasn't with us - while they wouldn't have caused us to bat an eye in the summer, they'd have been difficult to explain under the circumstances.

MHays-

Is this the new place by Fresh Farms?

As someone who unfortunately tried working for one of those new 'restaurants,' (not Brickhouse) I can tell you that the target group that they are trying to get through the door is the single/wistfully single male with disposable income. They instruct you to make 'friends' with all of the tables in the restaurant, even if they are not yours, so that they will come back and visit their new 'friends.' PBR and the like attract the former frat boy/budget minded guy, and the uniforms are obviously meant to attract them in other ways. The decor of these places is warm and inviting enough so that a woman doesn't get offended by the atmosphere, and you're also told that if there is a woman or a couple at a table, you are supposed to pay more attention to the woman than anyone else. ("If the woman is comfortable in the restaurant, she won't mind when her husband/boyfriend says he's going to XXX to watch the game with his buddies.") Ugh.

The GP wrote:MHays-

Is this the new place by Fresh Farms?

Yep. It used to be a Bennigans.

Thank you Mhays for the heads up.
I am shocked, shocked, that there is a place so close to where I work where young scantily clad women serve food and drinks and are forced to be friendly.
I am also extremely offended that a tavern exists where women with children would not feel comfortable.
Rest assured that I will visit the Downers Grove location as soon as possible, and it might take a few visits, to investigate their business practices fully.

(Dave is correct, GP)

Hey, I'm not calling out the feminist police, by any manner of means - but wouldn't it be in their best interest to alert folks that they are what they are? There's nothing except the non-logo-uniforms (which I first chalked up to an extreme error in judgement, after all it wasn't snowing the day before) that indicates this is anything different from TGI Friday's.

Isn't it in their best interest to keep the after-church crowd from innocently wandering in?

janeyb wrote:

gleam wrote:The "Black and Blue Burger" from Brick House Tavern and Tap in DG. Apparently a new concept from the Joe's Crab Shack folks.

The burger was a thin, oblong patty, served on what appeared to be a subway roll, in terms of quality and shape. Bland, no char, with shredded iceberg and watery tomatoes. The sandwich just had no reason to exist. It should have never been made. It wasn't offensively bad, it was just... nothing.

The waitresses and hostesses were very pretty, though. I think that they're putting a lot more thought into hiring than into the menus.

From their website, since I doubt anyone else has ever bothered to photograph this particular piece of food:

I have to add my 2 cents after lunch here yesterday. My female coworker and I were about the only two women in the place who weren't serving. Our whole office went to lunch for the March Madness festivities. Gleam, though you didn't find your burger offensively bad, I found their website just as tasteless as their food. They show beer for example and write: I bet you want to tap this. They show a chair and say : sit on me etc. etc. The only reason I went to the site was to get the number to make reservations (they don't take them for groups under 20) The female wait staff sport many tats and piercings, but not too many smiles.

When it came time to order, one in our group ordered chicken wings with celery and blue cheese. He got the wings, but was told they had no celery. I thought of ordering a Bloody Mary, hold the Bloody...

My mistake was to order a salad which, like Gleam's burger, never should have been made. I bet they very few orders for salad here. The offering included iceberg lettuce dumped from a bag (not cold, not crispy, some greens turning brown). This was topped with a few pre-formed croutons which added no flavor. There was a bit of cheese (also seemed packaged) sprinkled over the mess with a few of the watery tomatoes. The balsamic dressing, tasted cheap and bottled. I think this was the worst salad I have ever attempted to eat in my life. (Well, there was a time when I was in high school when I was served a salad with a caterpillar walking through the middle of it, but at least it was fresh!! Nothing about this salad was tasty.

I agree with Gleam, this place is all show and no substance (if you're looking for food). At the Brickhouse Tavern and Tap, food seems very low on the list of priorities.

I'm with you on the strange concept of these places. Brickhouse, Tilted Kilt and places like them are popping up all over. Unfortunately, it seems to be one area of growth for the restaurant industry.

My married friends are absolutely in love with places like Hooters and Tilted Kilt. They think the girls actually like them and want to be friends with them, so they end up eating there at least twice a week. It seems to be the same concept as strip clubs (women faking that they care), but adapted to a restaurant setting instead. I'm sure it works out well for the waitresses as well, as men tend to think leaving bigger tips will make the girls "like" them even more.

Max wrote:My married friends are absolutely in love with places like Hooters and Tilted Kilt. They think the girls actually like them and want to be friends with them, so they end up eating there at least twice a week. It seems to be the same concept as strip clubs (women faking that they care), but adapted to a restaurant setting instead. I'm sure it works out well for the waitresses as well, as men tend to think leaving bigger tips will make the girls "like" them even more.

This is why I tell my friends to always keep in mind the 0th law of strip clubs (and I guess places like Hooters, etc):

They don't really like you.

jesteinf wrote:

Max wrote:My married friends are absolutely in love with places like Hooters and Tilted Kilt. They think the girls actually like them and want to be friends with them, so they end up eating there at least twice a week. It seems to be the same concept as strip clubs (women faking that they care), but adapted to a restaurant setting instead. I'm sure it works out well for the waitresses as well, as men tend to think leaving bigger tips will make the girls "like" them even more.

This is why I tell my friends to always keep in mind the 0th law of strip clubs (and I guess places like Hooters, etc):

They don't really like you.

Reminds me of the episode of Parks & Recreation where they go a strip club:

”There’s a girl here (at the strip club) who also works at Quiznos. She’s really nice to me here, but really mean to me at Quiznos”

Max wrote:
My married friends are absolutely in love with places like Hooters and Tilted Kilt.

Time to find some new friends. Actually I've always found Hooters decent bar food and their beers are always ice cold. Tilted Kilt registers as my worst meal of 2010.

2146 north wrote:I have several friends down there, and the their favorite that I get dragged to is a place called Twin Peaks.

http://www.twinpeaksrestaurant.com

Different strokes, I guess, cause I'd be all over that place. Short stack of griddle cakes, maple syrup slightly heated, melted butter, slice of ham... and a piece of cherry pie for dessert, of course.

Oh wow, look what's coming. Naperville put up a protest (it's right next to Chuck E. Cheese), but free enterprise won. You have to look pretty hard to find the menu on their site.

http://showmes.com/

Okay this isn't a "concept" that I don't understand, but I don't understand the following. I have learned from this board that restaurants can be shut down if they see an open sore (aka cold sore) on someone who prepares food in the kitchen for their customers...but its okay for servers to wait on a customer in their skivvies?

The menu link? Just above the picture of the girls in their bikini briefs.

CM2772 wrote:Okay this isn't a "concept" that I don't understand, but I don't understand the following. I have learned from this board that restaurants can be shut down if they see an open sore (aka cold sore) on someone who prepares food in the kitchen for their customers...but its okay for servers to wait on a customer in their skivvies?

The menu link? Just above the picture of the girls in their bikini briefs.

I'm not sure that's what the waitresses actually wear (there were a bunch of articles in the Trib about this a few months ago). I'm sure the actual uniform is closer to what you would see at Hooters.

CM2772 wrote:Okay this isn't a "concept" that I don't understand, but I don't understand the following. I have learned from this board that restaurants can be shut down if they see an open sore (aka cold sore) on someone who prepares food in the kitchen for their customers...but its okay for servers to wait on a customer in their skivvies?

The menu link? Just above the picture of the girls in their bikini briefs.

The bartenders at Crabbby Kim's wear bikinis - beer tastes the same as at places where they don't, far as I can tell.

jesteinf wrote:

CM2772 wrote:Okay this isn't a "concept" that I don't understand, but I don't understand the following. I have learned from this board that restaurants can be shut down if they see an open sore (aka cold sore) on someone who prepares food in the kitchen for their customers...but its okay for servers to wait on a customer in their skivvies?

The menu link? Just above the picture of the girls in their bikini briefs.

I'm not sure that's what the waitresses actually wear (there were a bunch of articles in the Trib about this a few months ago). I'm sure the actual uniform is closer to what you would see at Hooters.

I'm guessing that a lot of them do have cold sores, though.