07/21/08

Cozy bar, friendly staff and good food

by LadyOwl21

I've lived in the Art Museum/Fairmount area for 9 years now and McCrossen's has always been my go to place for good conversation with staff and customers, consistently good food (always check out the blackboard for new additions) and a relaxed cozy bar environment. It's a perfect place to watch a Sunday ball game or meet friends on a Friday night before headed into the city. Bartenders are always friendly with helpful suggestions for food favorites or things to do in the area.

• Pros: Bar staff, cozy bar and food
• Cons: Isolated dining room, sometimes slow service

04/30/08

Poor customer service

by kt9893

My fiancee and I were here only once before for a pint, and looked forward to having dinner here with my father on a weeknight. He was coming in late from out of town, so I called ahead to make sure we'd be able to get something to eat. I was assured that food was served at the bar until 11pm (as the website indicates), so we were dismayed to be told upon our arrival at 10pm that the kitchen was closed. We decided to stay for a drink and figure out alternate dinner plans. The bartender, who was attentive to our first drink, ignored us from then on. After one drink, we sat with empty glasses and no service for at least 15 minutes. This could be understandable on a busy Saturday night, but not in a half-full bar on a Tuesday. She did not, however, ignore the off-duty staff seated near us who were ordering drinks and shots. We watched the four bartenders attend to other regulars, while we sat there dry. As we were quite irritated at this point, we decided to tab out when we finally got the bartender's attention. She took our card and ran it, but left the printed receipt on the back bar as she proceeded to walk directly past us, out from behind the bar to hug a patron goodbye and make small talk with other customers. It appeared to us that unless you put in the effort to become a regular, off the street customers will be blatantly ignored. From now on we'll stick to our tried and true watering holes in the Fairmount area.

I've never posted before, but felt I had to mention this experience. My fiancee and I have both worked in restaurants, myself as a hostess/server and him as a bartender. We understand people will have bad nights that may affect service or friendliness, but making sure your patron has a full drink is vital to customer service. A good bartender will make sure your glass never goes empty. Our presence was definitely unwanted on this particular evening, and it was made obvious by the service.

• Pros: Wonderful set up, dark wood bar and cozy dining area
• Cons: Poor service

02/14/08

Good old bar, good wings, good sandwiches, good place to meet friends

by Iamafatty

Been here a few times, surprisingly has really good French onion soup and some of the better sandwiches you'll find in the area. Bartenders are usually very friendly although the one time I sat in the dining room area I felt like I had to wait a bit longer than normal. If you want a casual, comfy place to meet a friend for a drink, you cant go wrong here.

• Pros: Good bar feel, sandwiches, wings
• Cons: Can get a bit cramped during busy hours