62057 Sat Aug 07 00:11:01 -0700 2004 6 2 Los Angeles Area 0 330676 I so want to like this place. It's in Santa Monica and I live in Santa Monica. It's new, cool and wants to be a serious hamburger shop. But if this past Wednesday night is any indication, it was not meant to be for us. We arrived around 7pm just in time to score one of the center window tables. Warm summer breeze, great energy. But soon the incessant Buddha Bar style music seems to clash with the family oriented Jetsons meets Johnny Rockets decor. The cliche plasma screen is a nice touch and there's a game on which makes sense. The server could not be nicer and in all fairness it's not the establishment's fault that for the second time in a row we are in the presence of yet another "hip" young family that thinks nothing of letting their two kids flap about the dining room unsupervised, bumping into other guests' chairs and screaming their lungs out. (Finally, quicker thinking patrons other than us speak to the parents as sternly as one might to the kids themselves and they leave.) The burgers were good but pricey at $7 for the basic 1/3 pounder with a great soft bun and fresh condiments but lacked the seasoning of a Houston's or an Apple Pan. And the chile cheese fries come on wax paper and an aluminum pan and are a tad small making us long for Tommy's big boat for almost half the price. My friend also makes the trivial revelation that the chile could pass for the Bolognese sauce he had at Spumoni's on Montana the night before because both were dominated by the same cinnamony sweetness. The do it yourself ordering sheets seem a bit prescious to us because we end up explaining the order to the server anyway. It all ends up being a bit fabricated with a half eaten burger bowl at the next table looking like the most unappetizing dish since Splichal forced meatloaf and mashed potatoes into a tacone. I guess we'll just have to wait for a table at Father's Office. Sat Aug 07 00:11:01 -0700 2004 0 cvc 1 330684 OH MYGOD!!! We were there tonight, and for the umpteenth time, it was a disaster. The order IS ALWAYS WRONG...we were comped our meal tonight becuase EVERYTHING we ordered came out at a different time, and the meat was almost raw. We got grilled onions when we checked off fried, and burgers on bun when we requested and WROTE DOWN burger in a bowl. In additon, the screaming wild kids made the atmosphere Chucky Cheeze esque. PARENTS, DO NOT LET YOUR KIDS SCREAM LIKE MANIACS AND RUN AROUND RESTAURANTS unsupervised. I am a parent myself, and I can't imagine this behavior. Our free meal was worth exactly that. Sat Aug 07 01:34:16 -0700 2004 330676 0 Robin Tuvi 2 330707 Just curious, after so many bad experiences why do keep going back? Sat Aug 07 14:43:27 -0700 2004 330684 0 markn 3 330710 Good Question. I have been here countless times. I have never had a problem. Service, food quality, price, and ambience are unmatched for this type of place. Judging from the amount of people and the waits on certain evenings I would say there are many who agree with me and few who agree with the others. GO Go Go counter Sat Aug 07 15:22:20 -0700 2004 330707 0 frankie b 2 330711 Sorry you had a similar experience and then some. Looks like we both want to like this place more but it doesn't look like it's going to happen. Sat Aug 07 15:27:03 -0700 2004 330684 0 cvc 1 330722 I'm sorry you had such a bummer evening. The screaming kids/running around a restaurant thing is enough to send me over the edge. I'm one of those who goes and confronts the parents. I have never gone in the evenings, but have enjoyed the lunch experience very, very much. Aside from the too few tables and too many patrons, it's a great spot for me. Sounds like perhaps I've been lucky?! Sat Aug 07 17:21:53 -0700 2004 330676 0 Cat'sChow 2 330727 Sounds like you have had the experience that most have had. that is why it is busy there at lunch and dinner Sat Aug 07 17:56:43 -0700 2004 330722 0 frankie b