Critic's Review
For the first time this year, the NY Giants game wasn't on regular TV. Ugh. And a 1pm game. So sleeping really late was out, and I have to miss the pre-game show driving somewhere. I HATE YOU DOLPHINS.
So I've been to most of the Bru's Room except Coral Spring and Deerfield, and I really don't want to deal with Deerfield. So I headed out to Coral Springs. A nice drive on a Sunday, although I don't understand why my nav system insists on steering me to Powerline road. I got there at 1pm sharp, just in time for the kickoff. Parking in the main lot was full, but they have another big lot just across the road.
The rear entrance brings you into the patio, which is quite large and fully covered.
It's also where the smokers hang out. There was one guy smoking a cigar ruining the experience for everyone. Why allow cigars? To get one customer and lose 20? It makes no sense to me.
Open the door and you're at the spacious bar. I was surprised at the number of seats available. With the Dolphins on the road, and the Jets and Giants both playing, I expected to have to stand.
I got a seat at the bar, facing backwards to a TV. To sit at the bar and watch a TV on the far wall isn't as good. These aren't huge TVs.
4 other Giants fans nearby, so I felt comfortable cheering. Bartender offered me a menu. Just an iced tea for now. I'm not ready for lunch at 1:01pm on a Sunday.
I got 2 big wedges of lemon. Good enough. They do a strange thing with the lemons in that they peel back the skin to put them on the glass. The first time I've seen this in 1500 reviews.
The game was a disaster. Interceptions. Giants couldn't do anything in the first half. On a trip to the bathroom I discovered that they had another room. All of the Bru's Room restaurants are cavernous.
As the day wore on, the bartender became the story. About midway through the 2nd period, all of the soft drink glasses were empty. She had no interest on refilling. The fact that there were 3 guys at her bar drinking soda and ice tea aside, it's not like she ever offered any of us a menu. Or a refill.
So the dude next to me got a refill on his coke, and he was a local that came here a lot. "You have to prod them to get a refill here. They just don't notice". I suggested that it wasn't that they didn't notice after 15 minutes. I told him that I purposely wasn't asking for a refill, to see if she ever gave me one. Game on.
About 5 minutes after that conversation, she cleared all of the napkins around my glass, without refilling it. Clearly she just didn't WANT to give me a refill on my $2.50 glass of colored water.
Halftime came, and still an empty glass. She didn't take the glass either. My bill was $2.65. I had 75 cents in my pocket so I left $2.75. instead of the $5 I would have left if I'd gotten a refill, just for taking up a space. I might have even stayed here for the 2nd half and had some food.
Here she is. Don't spend your dime all in one place, babe.
I never out a bartender. Today I did. This person is costing this venue business.
Conclusion
Another Sunday, another Bru's room. They're all about the same. I saw some food come out and it didn't seem as good as it once was. Smaller portions; you used to get a pile of stuff here. The guy next to me had a burger and it looked like Red Robin food.
The service is abysmal, as it is at all sports bars in this area. They all pay the minimum tip wage, so I don't understand why they can't get decent bartenders in sports bars.