Rocky S.'s Profile
Date
1 Previous Review:
-
10/5/2011
I expect good things from this place because it's got a good location and has a decent menu. Their customer service reminds me a bit of what you would expect at a typical diner, though.
When I went, I just had drinks. And they were pretty good. The bar was clean and the atmosphere was pretty neat.
The person to my direct right, though, ordered some lamb chops. He got what I could clearly see was a cut of filet. It looked delicious. The guest asked the waitstaff if he could send his plate back because they gave him the wrong thing. The waitstaff insisted he was served the right thing. It wasn't until an array of managers came out that they finally determined that the customer was right.
Even if the customer was wrong, common customer service practice is to find a way to please the customer - not flat-out deny his criticism.
I'll be back, Clearie's... I'm just sayin' you need to make sure you're dedicated to being a good downtown establishment.
The decor in this place is a big upgrade from Rivers. It's got an edgy SoMa San Francisco feel with a nice bar atmosphere.
The view is spectacular from this restaurant and if you can sit outside on a beautiful night, I highly recommend it.
Okay, now for the tough stuff.
Where this place lacks seems to be in two crucial categories: the menu and the service.
1.) The Menu - The food that I've seen, with the exception of the Mandarin Chicken Salad (avoid at all costs), has been very well done. The meat - especially the prime rib - is cooked to perfection, probably using the sous vide technique.
In one sense, View 202 does it right - Restaurants SHOULD have a small menu. It ensures that ingredients stay fresh and that overhead is low so that the restaurant can be successful in the long run.
However, the few items that they do have on their menu are very lackluster. Nothing on the menu sticks out. I'm not sure if the simple menu intentionally tries to find the lowest common denominator (a taste that everyone doesn't hate) or if it was intended to simplify the menu to appeal more to a Redding audience.
"Oven Roasted Chicken" sounds like something Mitt Romney (who I'm convinced is not a real human) would order. Throw in some spices! Do something interesting! Take a direction on it... make it... French, Italian, Korean, Indian, Mexican... anything!
I thought the most interesting thing on the menu was the ribs and the merlot reduction sauce. I thought the least interesting thing - other than the Mandarin Chicken Salad - was the glazed asparagus, which is really just kind of a limp, soggy half attempt at putting something green on the plate. I'd be way more stoked if I saw the asparagus come out with grill marks or with just a little crunch and even just a slight dash of some acid, salt, or spice.
2.) The Service - View 202 is in a location that sets itself up for the ultimate dating environment. The service, though, is almost identical to that of what you would expect at an Outback Steakhouse. The waitstaff is friendly and cordial, but kind of erratic, and more robotic than they should be in a "romantic" environment. Ideally, the waitstaff should sort of play you up as a high roller (whether you are or not) coming into the place. They do this very well at Nello's and have for years...
I have faith in you View 202 / Joe Wong. You can have my five stars in a little while... Just do everything you can to make your customer's experience unique and special.
Red Bluff, CA 96080
(530) 529-1222
Cornerstone Community Bank
Category:
Banks & Credit Unions
Eugene, OR 97401
(541) 844-7331
Campus Chicken Shack
Categories:
Chicken Wings,
Fast Food
The place just deep fries frozen chicken wings and throws them in any variety of sauces for a fairly steep price given the product. You could get the same wings anywhere else in Eugene. The difference, though, would be that you would be eating them in a clean environment!
This place is pretty dingy. There was an employee sweeping the floor, but I think the place could use an all-out pressure washing.
Also, I'm pretty sure that the "Damn Hot" level of wings is just Frank's Red Hot with Sriracha.. So it's not that hot...
The staff is really friendly as well.
The best part? They have multiple hot sauces on hand and Wilda's mustard is a pretty good side as well. Their prices are really reasonable, too.
1 Previous Review:
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11/28/2011
For what this thing is - a gas station burrito place - it is incredible! All the prices are reasonable, it is cleaner than any gas station establishment in the country, the portions are large, and the staff is friendly!
That said, you MUST take this place with a grain of salt. Just because I'm giving it 5-stars does not mean it's the best Mexican food in Redding. I'm just saying, given the circumstances, it is the best gas station establishment I've ever seen. It's got some novelty hole-in-the-wall value, too. The next time you're looking for an interesting place that will switch it up, try El Delicioso!
Redding, CA 96001
(530) 229-0755
Tortuga Bay Grill
Categories:
Cafes,
American (New),
Seafood
The food is very low quality given the price. I ordered the Tortuga Chicken salad. The lettuce was wilted and the chicken was pretty gamey. The person I was with ordered the veggie burger and that looked pretty unappetizing as well. My parents told me to avoid this place too...
In addition to the poor quality food and high prices, the waitstaff is way too overzealous. My parents also experienced this when they went. It's one thing to provide excellent customer service and frequent the table to refresh waters, but they take it to an all new level. The waitstaff visits your table almost every five minutes, they don't wait for you to finish your conversation before asking a bunch of innocuous questions like "Are you sure everything is okay?" The waitress on this occasion actually asked me if I would like additional ice in my already-full water. In doing so, she interrupted me during a business lunch and I temporarily lost my train of thought. It was just kinda.. well... rude..
This place could be great. Park Marina is really underrepresented when it comes to good food and there are plenty of businesses that would rather stay on Park Marina than go to the Dana or Hilltop food zones.
Also when Turtle Bay gets a new hotel, there will be a new influx of traffic into this place. I just hope people don't leave Redding with a bad taste in their mouth. Show owner comment »
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
(707) 523-3888
Goji Kitchen
Categories:
Asian Fusion,
Chinese,
Vietnamese
I had the orange chicken and a Vietnamese noodle dish. Our waitress was really pleasant and was very attentive.
Quite honestly I didn't look at the prices this time because I was so hungry. I'll have to go back and check it out again.
However, I contacted them weeks later and spoke to Will Baas, their Internet Manager. He was extremely friendly and helpful, even though he knew that he might not get a sale. The way it worked out, I still had to buy in California because my move to Eugene won't happen for another 30 days or so...
Will helped me out so much that the next time I have a car buying opportunity in Oregon, or any of my friends do, I will be recommending Kendall.
Thanks.
The best addition to this place is the new Rico's Taco truck that parks outside later in the night.
1 Previous Review:
-
4/1/2010
This was originally published on 12/24/2009, but under the wrong profile. I went there on 12/23/2009 a.k.a. 'the-last-time-I-wil l-go-there.'
This is my first negative review, so you must understand I'm not your typical skeptical nay-sayer.
Capone's is a new bar that opened downtown in the spot that used to be the Clover Club. When I walked in, I thought the lounge theme was nice, it had a good crowd of people, and was a great alternative to places like Johnny's or the Squire Room.
The service was awful though. Someone told me that the guy behind the bar was the owner. While I saw this guy treat other customers with a degree of respect and alacrity - especially if they happened to be attractive females - he was a jerk to me. I ordered a glass of wine. The bartender gawked at me and asked "red or white?" and he asked to know "if I knew what I was talking about."
I took this as a joke until I ordered a White Russian a few minutes later and it was sloppily put together by someone who was hired much more for her looks than her skill. Not only did she have to ask another bartender how to make the drink, tt was probably the worst White Russian I've had to date and it took forever to get. I've always felt shifty when attractive bartenders are given quality-of-drink-imm unity. She had no idea what she was doing.
After I ordered, the owner made fun of me for wanting to close my tab. He said "Like, you're sure this is all the drinks you're going to have for the rest of the night? Like, you're sure?!?!?!" Don't get me wrong, this wasn't said in the playful "You're gonna have a fun night!" way. This was articulated in the "You look like a stupid customer that is going to have me re-open a tab" way.
I'm no expert, but I've been a bartender and I work for a wine company, so I don't appreciate when my intelligence is challenged by someone who I am paying to provide a decent product with a side of entertainment, especially when both the product and the knowledge is substandard. ...and the business is brand new! They had one shot to make my lifetime return decision and they blew it.
Fortunately for the owner, he's got a captive Redding audience because the city is starved for a hint of class and cheap drinks. If the service doesn't change, though, I can see this business failing very soon due to fights caused by the bartender's ego or audits done by the local ABC for underaged drinkers. (I am not claiming I saw any, just noticed a lax ID policy...)
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"Spreadin' the love. Including the tough stuff when it's needed."
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142 Useful, 31 Funny, and 39 Cool
Redding, CA
Yelping SinceJune 2009
Things I LoveJapanese Food, Wine, Weezer, Roadtrips, etc.
Find Me InEugene, Oregon
My HometownRedding, California
My Blog Or Website Why You Should Read My ReviewsI'm honest, candid, and highly analytical.
The drinks were also great and made correctly. In fact, I dare say that Jack's and Clearie's have the most accurate drinks in town.
One thing I would say is that this is probably more of a special outing location because their prices are high. You get what you pay for, though.
Oh, and lastly... If you're choosing between here and View 202. Clearie's has the better food and drinks. Hands down.