Briarpatch Restaurant

12/31/10

BEST CAKE IN TOWN

by Lisa Seagerss at Citysearch

in winter park that is

:)

sit outside and enjoy a slice of their home made cakes

09/08/10

There should be a ZERO star button!

by sunnydaze00 at Citysearch

We were one of only two other tables in the place, at lunch time, which should have set off warning bells. Our server(no name tag) was an older gentleman, with glasses and a heavy accent. He argued with two of our party about how they wanted they're meal prepared, trying to change their minds to what he wanted them to order. Three of us ordered the grouper sandwich, one blackened with onion, one grilled and one fried (the last two are the ones he argued about). Finally, he put in our order. The other two in our party ordered breakfast food. While waiting for our food our server brought over pitchers of tea and water and placed them on the table behind us and then disappeared. We had to self-serve for our refills apparently, which we did throughout our time there. Our lunch took 30 minutes to come out and there was NO one in the restaurant! When our food finally arrived two of the three groupers were bloody raw. One of us asked for something else, a plate of plain scrambled eggs (nothing else) and I sent back for another grouper. The eggs came out fairly quick, but I had to wait another 15-20 minutes for my grouper and no onion. I was too hungry to bother asking for more onion. Everyone else in our party was long since done!

Now for the service: Our server was barely visible the entire 2 hours we had to suffer this place. When we complained about raw fish there was no apology, just a curt, " We'll make another one." We had to self-serve our drinks. We had to steal rolled silverware off another table to get extra napkins. Those drinking coffee were left empty and cold most of the time. There was a young black man who was a server/busser ( no name tag) who noticed our displeasure and was so super sweet and tried to smooth things over and hoped we would not hold this experience against the restaurant. Right! I truly hope he can find a job at an establishment that is worthy of him!

When the bill arrived the groupers had not been removed. The plate of eggs, with no toast, bacon or anything was $9.50. When we pointed this out the server he said he forgot to remove the sent back grouper, but any decent restaurant would have taken them off the bill completely and not charged for the eggs, out of sheer embarrassment. When the bill arrived again I noticed they had charged 50 cents for onion on my sandwich (really! I could get a whole onion for that!) When my Mom asked that be removed, since I did not get the onion on the second sandwich our server very rudely said, "Well you got it on the first!" True, but I couldn't eat it because the fish was RAW! He refused to remove that charge. At this point we'd all bee pushed to the limit and my Mom demanded to speak to a manager. And guess what RUDE sever man says he's the manager! Of course, he is! At that point we just paid and left, we knew we'd get no where with him.

On our way out we were loudly complaining about the food, service, treatment and a gentleman standing outside next door said to us, "I hope you're not talking about my favorite restaurant?" We said," The Briar Patch?" and he said "Noooooo, that place is awful and the kitchen is filthy! Never eat there!" Well, where were you 2 hours ago? On the way home I started having stomach pains and by the time I got home vomited everything up. I was the only to get ill, so maybe it was because I had eaten some of the undercooked grouper. It was the perfect ending to a perfect Briar Patch meal.

Our party consisted of a couple who had owned there own restaurant and two previous servers. We were dumbfounded that this place can keep it's doors open, with such abysmal food and service. Since this experience I have made sure to spread the word of how awful this place is and have been repeatedly told how filthy and gross the kitchen is. I hope this saves someone else from an awful experience too!

08/25/10

CROOKS...

by shraffo at Citysearch

If I could give this restaurant no stars, I would. While their food is okay, they are CROOKS. When we dined there on a Sunday for brunch, there was a slight billing error where we were undercharged. I called the restaurant back to have them correct the charges, and they overcharged my credit card afterwards. Since I didn't see the receipt, I couldn't sign for it and they could charge me whatever they wish. I will never dine there again, it's pathetic.

04/09/09

Yuk!

by DSWP101 at Citysearch

If you ever see a posting for a position here. Run the other way. No matter how desperate you are. That restaurant is so filthy and nasty I cannot believe anyone actually eats there. Just check out their recent health inspection... Public information (https://www.myfloridalicense.dot com) My favorites are listed bellow. 20 critical violations....

1. Critical. Observed food stored on floor.French fries,walk in freezer. Repeat Violation.

2. Critical. Observed encrusted, soiled material on slicer. Repeat Violation.

3. Critical. Observed interior of reach-in cooler soiled with accumulation of food residue.Strong odor inside cookline cooler opposite stove. Repeat Violation.

4. Critical. Observed combined ready-to-eat potentially hazardous food held more than 24 hours not date marked according to earliest date of opening/preparation.Cut melon cookline cooler

5. Critical. Observed raw animal foods not properly separated from each other in holding unit/during preparation.Beef over seafood in w walk in freezer.

Please note, repeat violations.

As a former employee. Heed my warning...

• Cons: Everything

12/29/08

Discusting Kitchen & young Stupid Servers

by L2theE at Citysearch

The Briarpatch used to be "the Best" cafe on Park Avenue....low and behold, over the years the services has gotten worse. The servers are young, college students and the owner cares nothing about them. She actually takes their tips, no wonder they don't work hard. The food, used to be superb...actually there are certain meals that are fabulous. But, if I can say to the diners of this retsuarant...the kitchen is filthy! I have been in the back, see how the food is made and the cooks are so unsanitary, the area where the food is kept is horribly discusting and filthy.

Don't waste your money, so on down the street to a high class restaurant where the money you spend will be worth it and clean!

• Pros: Certain meals are GREAT!
• Cons: service, management/owners, unsanitary