One Bad Meal destroys a good restaurant

[Alan Mendelson]

One bad meal can destroy a good restaurant and that's what happened to The Chop House on Newhall Ranch Road in Valencia.

I had a bad meal there the other night... and that ruined The Chop House as one of my favorite restaurants.

I used to go to The Chop House for its clam chowder and its Baby Back Ribs. The clam chowder portion was large but it was so delicious and I ate it up with such zest that I felt the portion size needed to be even bigger. The ribs were perfect -- delicious and falling off the bone -- and the full slab order was so big I could never finish it.

And the ribs were always so filling I never had enough room for the mac 'n cheese side dish that came with it... or the vegetables.

Disaster struck the other evening when I ordered the half order of the ribs. Yes they were delicious and they fell off the bone -- but it wasn't a half order... it was more like 1/4 of an order.

When the waiter brought it to the table I immediately commented on the small size... and the waiter said he not only agreed with me but he said to the chef "do you expect me to take this to the table?"

The waiter went back into the kitchen and brought out another plate with what would have completed a half order. But the damage was done.

It was that one bad meal that destroyed a good restaurant.

[Dan Druff]

One bad meal can destroy a good restaurant and that's what happened to The Chop House on Newhall Ranch Road in Valencia.

I had a bad meal there the other night... and that ruined The Chop House as one of my favorite restaurants.

I used to go to The Chop House for its clam chowder and its Baby Back Ribs. The clam chowder portion was large but it was so delicious and I ate it up with such zest that I felt the portion size needed to be even bigger. The ribs were perfect -- delicious and falling off the bone -- and the full slab order was so big I could never finish it.

And the ribs were always so filling I never had enough room for the mac 'n cheese side dish that came with it... or the vegetables.

Disaster struck the other evening when I ordered the half order of the ribs. Yes they were delicious and they fell off the bone -- but it wasn't a half order... it was more like 1/4 of an order.

When the waiter brought it to the table I immediately commented on the small size... and the waiter said he not only agreed with me but he said to the chef "do you expect me to take this to the table?"

The waiter went back into the kitchen and brought out another plate with what would have completed a half order. But the damage was done.

It was that one bad meal that destroyed a good restaurant.

I agree. This was worse than a bad meal -- it was an attempt to cheat you out of what you paid for.

I wouldn't want to return after this, either, especially if it's true that the waiter had already brought this up to the chef and the chef sent it out anyway.

Sounds like they are struggling and trying to find ways to cut corners at the customers' expense.

[Alan Mendelson]

Yes, Dan, this is exactly what happened:

When the waiter brought it to the table I immediately commented on the small size... and the waiter said he not only agreed with me but he said to the chef "do you expect me to take this to the table?"

I don't think it was an attempt to cheat me, I think it was more of a sign of a disorganized kitchen that couldn't get the orders and the portion sizes right.