Magrogan to open Grady David's

[Morgantown Locals]

Big Boobies wrote:

No smoking right?

Hello BB. There is only one place to smoke and that would be in the lower level dance/sports/Nascar/Harley/Hig h School Garage band area. The upstairs is very nice though.

[Mike]

BB - the downstairs sports bar is where the 'locals' congregate. upstairs is a nice restaurant environment, non smoking , and fine for families with children. i didn't have an issue servers...if anything they were overly nice...the touching thing was a little stange but other than that the hostess and waitstaff were very friendly.

[Jack -Big Boobies-]

Thanks for the feed back, from reading the posts sounds like the place is a little over priced for the quality of food.

Also it doesn't sound like they have their act together. I may wait a few months or so to take the family there while they work out the kinks.

Maybe a nicer place to a drink with the wife and split an appertizer, if we could ever get a baby sitter LOL.

[Mary - Honey Brook]

Haven't been there yet. Sounds like I should wait a while. Had a feeling the prices would be high. Wouldn't mind if the food was good. Was very disapointed that the town's people were not given more info on the opening. You would think we would be the ones they want to capture.

[JD in HB]

FYI since asked:
http://www.gradydavids.com/
Not much on it yet.

[Jack -Big Boobies-]

Thanks for the info, I could have made that website myself LOL.

[Jack -Big Boobies-]

Its looks like Grady Davids put a lot of thought into it.

[MLD]

Waitstaff? Making good money?

[Top T]

Went to Grady's last night, Sunday. Servuce was good....no long waiting. None smoking restaurant was nice. Smoking is allowed downstairs in Sports Bar area. We had the pasta w/sausage and chicken. It would have been nice to have some shredded cheese on top with some rolls. But since the open oven only makes flatbreads..rolls would be a nice touch to soak up the white garlic sauce. No Nascar shirts. Upstairs restaurant people dress casual, downstairs sports bar..sports T's., etc.

[Brian]

Service was definitely good and the food was not bad. The upstairs is nice, but the downstairs won't be the best place to watch the Birds play due to the NASCAR crowd. The waiter told us a few clowns were already bounced. It's a shame they couldn't put up a Kildare's, but Honey Brook obviously doesn't have the Irish demographic.

Top T wrote:

Went to Grady's last night, Sunday. Servuce was good....no long waiting. None smoking restaurant was nice. Smoking is allowed downstairs in Sports Bar area. We had the pasta w/sausage and chicken. It would have been nice to have some shredded cheese on top with some rolls. But since the open oven only makes flatbreads..rolls would be a nice touch to soak up the white garlic sauce. No Nascar shirts. Upstairs restaurant people dress casual, downstairs sports bar..sports T's., etc.

[a local yokal opinion]

I suggest some changes to the menu.
a. NO side dishes are offered. They should offer side dishes!
b. Many entrées only have a meat and a vegetable, but no potato.
c. Many entrées only have a meat and a starch, but no vegetable.
d. I asked to have a side of mashed potatoes, but this threw them for a loop. They removed the spinach from my plate and replaced it with with mashed potatoes (the mashed potatoes were the worst I've ever had in my entire life, just a crushed potato; not mixed with milk, butter, salt and pepper).
e. I had the slow roasted chicken. The chicken was good, once you removed the slimy skin (not crisp/not golden brown skin). I took thigh/leg home, and put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. That crisped the skin and made it palatable. Why couldn't the "chef" do that?
So, after a careful review of the menu, it seems to me that the owner is catering to the chef's ego, not the desires of the customer. It also seems to me that the "chef" could take a little more pride in food preparation and presentation.
I'm not going to eat dinner there anymore, but, I'll have a beer there occasionally.

[a local yokal opinion]

strange......nobody has commented after me....is this website rigged?

[Bertha]

Of course the website is rigged. That or it just happens that no one has posted since you. Until now.
I think this place has phenomenal potential. The fact that they are using food grown and/or raised by our neighbors says a lot. When you go into any chain restaurant your baby back ribs most likely came from South America; the tomatoes from Mexico, even at their peak in the summertime.
Sure there are kinks to work out and plenty of them, but what I ask many of my fellow locals is this: what is your basis of comparison? When is the last time a NEW restaurant opened up Honeybrook?
As for the meat/starch/vegetable all in one package deal; new restaurant ventures abanoned that tired routine long ago. It might just be that you are used to the "same old, same old" that has been the mainstay in this area for years. If you want all the fixin's, go to Shady Maple, and honestly, who can beat that?!
They say that the menu will change with the seasons, so I figure I'll give it a shot at least four times a year.
As far as the downstairs Pub, sure it can be "scary" at times, but the more friends you bring, the better company you will keep. It seems that NASCAR is being bantered about like a euphamisim of sorts. Don't knock it. It's the fastest-growing spectator sport in North America! Plus, it's almost over anyway.

[a local yokal opinion]

Since when did the standard, healthy America meal go out of style (meat, starch and vegetable)? To be sure, excessively greedy new restaurant ventures want to offer less, but charge more.

I stand by my opinion, and many others do too. Grady Davids offers zero bang for the buck. No side dishes are offered on the menu. When I
tried to order a side dish (and pay extra), they removed the primary vegetable and replaced it with a crushed potato (I ordered mashed potatoes, not crushed potatoes). Only flat bread is offered, and only at an extra cost. Perhaps some people prefer leavened bread. A SMALL salad must be purchased ala carte. My meal was absolutely disgusting. I left hungry and unsatisfied.

A comparison: One of the staff said that we were actually paying for "ambiance". What a crock of crap. Has anybody been to Harry's Restaurant lately? Harry spend over $1 million in renovations. Has anybody been to the newly renovated Thorndale Inn? Thorndale's meals are bountiful, thoughtfully presented, and delicious! And, for a reasonable price. So, if Grady Davids thinks that they are the only local restaurant with "ambiance", then they should check out the competition. In my opinion, Grady Davids "ambiance" is merely a ludicrous mask for an excessively greedy pricing structure.

Now, let's move onto the "locally grow" issue.
Do you really believe that most of the vegetables are locally grown? How could any restaurant in the northeast survive using only local vegetables in the Winter, Spring, or early Summer months? Get real. I'd bet a substantial amount of money that there's a ton of canned food in the kitchen, especially canned tomato sauce and canned whole
or chopped tomatoes). And to be sure, Pnnsylvania is highly regarded for potato production. Oh, let's not forget the asparagus; like asparagus is in season now! Surely, Grady Davids wouldn't use asparagus from Chile!! In January, where will the fresh salad greens come from? I guess they'll be grown in Amish farmer Stolfuz's garage with high powered artificial lighting systems.

I've transversed the globe thirty times or so. Accordingly, I've eaten in some of the best and some of the worst establishments mankind has to offer. China, India, Egypt, Oman, Singapore, Indonisia, Japan, all of South America, some of Europe, the UK, and most of Central America are some of the places I've lived in (my work, not a tourist). I'd much prefer to eat street vendor food in China, at the same prices Grady Davids charges, because at least I'd have a full belly and wouldn't be disgusted by the slimy white skin of Grady David "roasted" chicken (actually, I think the chicken was boiled).

Regarding the seasonal menu(s), I sure hope they start to cater to the local desires (not only my desires) for variety, quantity and quality. I understand that they may need to charge a little more, but not Lebec Fin prices.

As for the downstairs bar - I like it. I have no problems with the varied clientel. Variety is the spice of life. And, I find the prices to be fairly competitive (except for the Petron tequila,$9.00 a shot; other bars are $7.50 a shot). But, that's ok. We live in America and can speak with our dollars. If I don't like the price of Grady's tequila, I don't have purchase the item.

Economics 101: Basic Law of Supply and Demand. If the supply is low and demand is high, you can charge a high price and vice-versa. Time will tell us all where Grady Davids falls into the Supply and Demand structure of the our local economy.

[Jessica]

I work At Grady DAvids, I am a server. And although there are some kinks to work out, i recomend everyone to at least give it a second try if your first experience was a bad one. Everyone makes mistakes, and it is hard when you first open a restuarant to have everythign perfect. You as well as the employees have to be a little patient with us, as we are learning too. And if the service is slow, dont blame the server, it is not their fault that the food isnt coming out when you want it to. There are other people in the restuarant as well, so when your food doesnt come out in 2 minutes, dont get offended of pissed off... be a little patient, and if it is taking a long time, say something to your server, and i guarentee that she/ or he will do something about it. We are very into making our guests happy, here, we were always taught that "the guest comes first" and that "the guest is always right" so now knowing that, i hope you all will give it second chance if your first was a bad one...

[Holly]

Well I am excited that someone finally made use of such a fine piece of Real Estate. Great job on the renovations. I don't want to sound like a pessimist, but my glass of wine was not even half full. The menu could use some adjusting as pioneering in Honey Brook to the Center City crowd is not recommended for continued success. The menu does have to be a little on the pricey side in order to keep out the local riff raff out and have half a chance to survive. I did notice alot of employees with ties doing alot of standing around while only 2 employees without ties seemed to be busting their rumps at the complaints of those with ties. My guess is the ties meant superiority. The older woman with the black hair in a short pony tail and bad lipstick cut me a dirty look for no good reason and put on the fakest smile when I asked for the restroom for my son. I think that there needs to be a few positive changes in order to make the return on their investment.

[Holly]

I am not from Wayne. That just popped up.

[Brian]

Wow. Are you sure you don't work for one of the other local so-called restaurants? Your attempt to throw Grady David's under the bus seems a bit harsh. Sure they have some kinks to work out, but they are the closest thing we have to a real restaurant in this area. They brought some class to the toilet of Honeybrook. Is that too much for you to bear? Or do you resist change like many original inhabitants of this area? I think the place looks great and the food shows promise. The crappiest thing about the place is some of the clientele and I suspect and hope that might change.

[bovice01]

To be completley honest, Grady Davids sucks. The food is not that great, especially for the beefed up prices. I'm positive I can name atleast ten restaurants with more flavorful food and reasonable prices. The only reason people are praising it is because 1. it is the first "up scale" restaurant in this area and 2. they don't really know what "fine dining" is. The management at Grady Davids treats their employees with disrespect and hositlity, I should know, I worked there. Between never recieving fair pay, the dishonesty, the hostile enviroment, as well as the managements attitude towards all their workers, I had no other chocie but to stick up for myself and quit. I called other former employees and they quit for the same reasons, it is not just me. If anyone out there has heart you will boycott this pile of bricks they call a restaurant until they stop exploiting minors, and start giving fair wages, abiding by the law, and treating their employees with the dignity and respect they deserve. We have to let the management know that just because we are minors, doesn't mean that you can treat us inhumanely.

[Racyt- HB Resident]

I have a local business and some of my patrons came in and told me of the $8 hotdog and $11 hamburger, I didn't beleive it until I saw it myself. After looking at the menu for 20 min. I settled on the best choice available, and it was okay- Chicken Wrap. The menu has to change and the prices are too exspensive. As for the previous comment on keeping the prices high to keep out the locals, then they will be eating with nothing in their stomachs.... I talked to a few of the locals downstairs while I was there and the response was drink here eat somewhere else. It is nice to have a new place to go to and have a little more upscale atmosphere. Locally the Ritz in New Holland started the 1st time kind of like the Grady Davids, high prices but nice atmosphere they spent 2 million in renovations. The Ritz closed, too much noise and disruption in the community, however they have reopened and are serving decent food at a more reasonable rate while still able to have an upscale atmosphere. Hopefully Grady Davids will hopefully come to find the way to a balance between it all.