Ok so this week’s adventure is a lesson in why we revisit places. Because sometimes you can go to place again in almost the exact same scenario but yet have a totally different experience.

In this case it’s a gorgeous evening in early September and we remembered an amazing patio that also happens to have a steak special on Wednesday. Almost exactly one year to the day of our initial trip to Old 97, here we are back again. We had no idea it was that close to the date until we looked it up when we sat down. Sept 4, 2024 —-> Sept 3, 2025

Yep, this looks familiar.

But that’s about where the similarities end unfortunately. We’re titling this year’s visit an exercise in patience.

Seeing the abundance of cars outside we were prepared to have to skip to a Plan B if there weren’t any patio seats available, but fortunately we were met just inside the door by someone who appeared to be an owner or manager – or someone somewhat important – and he assured us he would find us a table. We took that as a good sign.

Spoiler alert, it was not.

We should’ve known we were off to a rocky start when Ted tried to order a drink and was told they were out of pretty much every kind of beer he liked. Guiness? Nope, try again. Truth? Out of that too. Bell’s Two Hearted? Boy do you have bad luck today.

Like seriously, can someone make a beer run? And what epic party did we miss?

He finally opted for a Jack and Coke, and was glad to hear by some miracle there was still whisky at the bar.

Selfishly though, I was happy to pass the disappointment baton, since usually I’m the one having my alcoholic dreams dashed. Ted can have the record.

Shane and I shared a bucket of imports, split between Coronas and Mango Carts, which surprisingly they actually had enough of.

We got the drinks relatively fast, which we thought maybe canceled out the inability of Ayer to get what he wanted. But once again they were just toying with our emotions.

So the server explained the steak night specials and said she would be back to take our orders. Ok. I’m not sure where she went to after that speech, but that was the last time we saw her for at least 20 minutes. Maybe she had to take a phone call? Got lost coming back from the restroom? Or went home to get something she forgot?

I mean if it was the latter then the least she could’ve done was swung by the store on the way back to get Ted a 6-pack of one of the beers he wanted. Geez.

But no, instead she timed it just perfectly to take our orders right after the kitchen ran out of one of the two steak specials that they had that evening. Fabulous. But at least she delivered that news with the same unwaveringly unsympathetic and unemotional tone she told Ted about all the beers they were out of, so that made me feel super special.

I should mention that the steak specials are a little different than what we remember from last year. I think there was only one last time? But now they have two: a six ounce filet for $14.99, which is essentially half off the normal price, and a strip steak for $9.99.

Guess having two helps to dull the disappointment when they run out of one?

So instead of the strip steak I opted for the Philly cheesesteak instead.

Since they still had the filet special, the guys at least got to have a dose of happiness. And since they had seen another table get a plate delivered that looked like a double special, they let their meat envy speak up and asked if they could order two of the six ounce filets and basically get 12 ounces of meat for the normal price of a six ounce.

This may be how they run out of steaks on Wednesdays. Just a thought.

Shane and I ordered an app of chips and Lawsons dip.

Which is why I decided to get a side salad with my cheesesteak instead of the normal side of chips that comes with it.

Imagine my excitement to have traded more chips for this sad little plate.

Because who wouldn’t be excited about brown lettuce mixed with some red onions, tomatoes and exactly two cucumber slices.

When we finally flagged the server down to bring over some silverware – a whole other fiasco in itself – I asked if I had been up charged for the salad. The answer was yes, $4.00.

To which I responded – for that?

I mean the guys technically could’ve had double sides with their meals because they ordered two specials each – although Shane, presumably still scarred by the Great Potato Explosion of a few weeks ago when he was served three full sides with his orders of jumbo hot dogs, opted to just have one order of sides with his two steaks. But at this point I would’ve been better off to just take his extra salad instead of changing my side.

The server did take off the $4 charge after I complained. But then my sandwich arrives – and you’d think since they knew I wasn’t happy with the salad they would be kind and add the chips back in that would’ve come with my sandwich had I not upcharged.

Nope. Just a sad little sandwich on a plate.

Maybe they were out of chips by then, too?

You know what they weren’t out of? Salt. They certainly found quite a bit of it to put on this sandwich. That, combined with the cold cheese, made it just, well, not good. It was dry, despite the description saying it would have mayo. And let’s be honest, I don’t love mayo, but I love even less a dry sandwich that’s held together with cold congealed cheese and some hopes and dreams, so there’s that.

I basically ended up eating it like two separate meals – a pile of steak pieces and some bread. 

Mmmmmmm.

Meanwhile the guys were having a completely different dining experience. They both really liked their steaks and were overall quite happy with their meals. They agreed that the meat was flavored well and they were cooked just right. Especially for the price, they had zero complaints about their food.

No, I’m not bitter at all.

But we could agree that their meals were honestly the only redeeming quality to this years visit. The service this time around was really the biggest factor in our now question of if we would ever want to return. Our server was not friendly, and really didn’t do anything to make us feel welcome. Between the long amount of time it took her to remember our table and take our meal orders, to the salad fiasco, to the way she informed us about things they were out of – it was just not at all customer friendly. Even when I had to flag her down for silverware she seemed annoyed that we actually wanted utensils to eat with.

The horror.

We even had another server stop over at the end of our visit to ask if we needed anything – presumably because she saw our empty drinks – but basically with that move alone she checked on us more than our actual server did. That’s a good look.

So yeah, despite the great patio in a gorgeous evening, I think next September when we get the urge to return we should remember this evening. There are other patios out there.

Picked by: Shane