"Was recommended by a local friend while visiting with family. They serve a specific type of local cuisine which consists of boiled meat, like ribeye and New York cuts. I know, boiled steak sounds a little unpleasant, but surprisingly, it was fantastic. So tender and flavorful. At first, I had the urge to simply get a grilled steak, as they are on the menu as well, but my friend recommended that we at least try the traditional boiled. The waiters, by the way, were pretty aloof and not very helpful, so once looking at the menu, I quickly googled the offerings for some kind of guide in how to eat their boiled meat specialties. Basically, it starts with a soup that tasted more like a chicken stock, if being honest, in a copper pot with the meats still in the pots under the broth. They give you a bowl of noodles and skim the broth out of the pot and into the cup of noodles. The taste was perfectly seasoned and easily consumed by everyone with lots of “yums” escaping the lips of my fellow diners. The soup was delicious, no doubt about it. The wait staff, on the other hand, could care less how to explain to us the particular etiquette involved with their local cuisine. They weren’t interested in helping us navigate their offerings nor were there any smiles or friendliness. Just blank looks and a presence of not wanting to be there. They merely dumped a bunch of pots onto the table and let us fend for ourselves. No explanation of how one goes about enjoying their food or any other help whatsoever. And it wasn’t a language gap either, it was clear aloofness and a sense that we weren’t welcomed and they were simply doing their jobs at the bare minimum. Next, when your noodles are gone, they pull the cuts of beef from out of the pots and serve your plate with some sides. It looks as if you’re about to eat prime rib without the blood, if I were to describe it in simple terms. Potatoes, spinach, peas and bread on the side. All very edible and once you get started, it’s hard to stop eating. All were satiated by the time we finished and no one had any complaints other than that the spinach was a tad toooo salty. The wait staff, on the other hand, leave a little to be desired. We had one waiter to begin with, but he quickly stopped coming to our table and had another continue our service and then another and then another. Yuck. We weren’t sure why, but there was an air of superiority which one finds in some European countries that’s a little off putting. Like in Paris for example. You know, that feeling of distain. Listen, we are experienced world travelers, I’ve been to all continents except Africa and Antarctica, but being American at this stage in history, there can be an anti American attitude that seems more prevalent than ever. Our politics have stunned the civilized world into believing that we are all about guns and Jesus, I suppose. But still, the dismissive nature of our service left me feeling a little worse for wear and by the time we finished, I was finding myself dismissing them in return as a result. I can’t do it. I really can’t. That feeling that we weren’t appreciated made the experience unsavory even though the food was. A friend of mine at the table noticed it too and he reminded me that in certain European countries, since there is no tip involved, that the wait staff is not motivated to make the your dinner a culinary experience, so thus the attitude. All I could think was they could do better at making their customers feel welcomed and not just tolerated. If one doesn’t like the public, then perhaps being a water isn’t the job for you? So there you have it. Food is excellent, but the experience of dinning on authentic cuisine, left a bad taste nonetheless."
Gemeindebezirk Ottakring
