"REST IN PEACE"
EPILOGUE
This is the place of no return where the rubber meets the road and probably it was the rubbery chicken that met the road when someone got sick over it. These chains and independents for various reasons failed to open their doors one day. Only four things kill a restaurant.
• Lack of good management. (Hours, staff, offerings, service, speed , efficiency)
• Lack of good location. (In the midst of the Barrio, Rikers Island, Mars, Transylvania)
• Lack of customers. (Usually due to the first three)
The Roadhouse - (2) Average food, mid price range, service average, not competitive enough, lost their "mojo", seemed like a clone of Lone star.
Steak and Ale - (2) Just stalled or is it staled out, boring, dark, gloomy. No excitement.
Sam Seltzers Steak House - (3) Chapter eleven but eventually went seven. They could of recovered if they put good food out. Better back-end management and stop substituting lower class meat on the specials. I doubt it. Update: I was right, just shut the doors and never told the help.
Bennigans - (3) People found other places to socialize. Another Chili's, Applebees.
Shells Corporate - (4) Expensive operation, out of Business. Some franchised independents around in Tampa Bay. Not Corporate. GONE
Crispers - (2?) Salad place owned by Publix, really an experiment, bad location, no parking on a main street, I heard food was good, but no traffic is a killer.
LOCAL BISTRO's - The Lobster Pot, Lincoln Bistro,
Hammerheads,
NOVO,
Elements
These were smaller scale, intimate decent good places, no traffic, tourist trade dependent, none existent, basically the slow season became year round and the oil crisis added many more.
THE DOWN AND DIRTY:
THE DOWN AND DIRTY:
The Egg Platters: (2) What can I say about the "dirtiest place we hit on the tour". I'll borrow from my limited German... "Fursheistenhousen"? which translates I think into "Where is the crapper" ? Two locations equally filthy finally closed.
It was next to a Rally gas station and I decided after filling my car with gas and getting the Rally car wash, I would grab a fast lunch. I went to the men's room, opened the door and almost threw up. I have no way to explain the condition of the toilets, stalls, graffiti, dirt and stench other than to say I have seen cleaner facilities in some third world countries.
I mentioned to our waitress that they should check the men's room. She said she would tell the manager. We ate and left. On the way out I looked in again. No difference. This one needed a call to the Board of Health.
RATING: THEY CLOSED UP, GONE IN OUR AREA,
ON THE COSTE - RUBY TUESDAYS