05/18/09

Great Jazz, Good Food, Great Atmosphere

by Jazzmin

What a wonderful Saturday night out, good food, great service, and really good jazz - saw "Jimmy Bruno & his Quartet" Had soup of the day which was a lump-crab bisque, excellent. Our waitresses were very attentive. If your looking for a really enjoyable experience (of course there was a $20 cover-charge, but how do you put a price on real talent and those who can truly appreciate it) an overall fabulous night out in a really comfortable setting. Can't wait to go back.

• Pros: Great little Jazz Club in Center City, Philadelphia
• Cons: Layed-back Lounge with very enjoyable smooth jazz

01/08/09

Bizzare Jazz, Insulting Food and Slow Service

by jbs36

Tonight, I had the misfortune of paying a $15 cover to listen to Free Jazz while some schizophrenic women provided narration.

At least her shrill chanting managed to distract me from the "Romaine Salad." It was just that: 15 cents worth of romaine lettuce, some Sodexho brand Caesar dressing sprinkled on top and then decorated with a single extruded-breadcrumb crouton on top. All of this was a reasonable $7. When it was brought out, I had an obvious look of disbelief that prompted the waitress to ask if something was wrong. She curtly responded that the menu was literal when it said "Romaine Salad," and then offered to get me some fresh ground pepper (which she forgot).

I knew something was amiss starting with the bread. Instead of putting a bread basket on the table with a couple of rolls, like every restaurant which serves bread with meals, the wait staff came around with the basket and retailed off a single roll per person. Although, they probably could have safely left the bread in the back alley; it was so stale it must have had been a week old.

The sweet potato fries ($5) were just simply ghastly. Not even Sodexho could be blamed for that gastronomic Hindenburg.

Even getting this substandard food was a battle of will; It was a good hour from the time we ordered to the time we saw a morsel.

On top this indignity, the management ordered that none of the patrons talk so some tool with a DV camera could film the band for a DVD. The home edition of this experience might offer better food. One might think that the management would have the curtsey to reduce the cover charge for effectively making this a recital. No.

I will probably not return to Chris' Jazz Cafe in the foreseeable future.

• Cons: Everything

06/14/08

Very Slow Service

by tjrad01

Music was great atmosphere was good and the food was excellent. However the service was painfully slow and took away from the entire experience. Drinks took 5-10 minuets to get, dinner was over 40 min and desert took over 25 minuets to get. It seemed we spent more time waiting for service then anything else. They were only about half full also no reason for such slow service.

• Pros: great music and food
• Cons: very slow service