Jersey City's Light Horse Tavern Sucks (but dessert somewhere else didn't!)

Adam and I went out for dinner on Saturday night to Light Horse Tavern.  He had been there before for drinks with friends, since they have a pretty extensive beer menu, but I'd been wanting to try it for a while.

I will probably never try it again.  Here is why, adapted from my Yelp review.

There are different expectations for meals at different price ranges, and there should be.  This should always be taken in consideration when you pay more than $70 and leave, feeling like you just got fucked over.  While Light Horse Tavern's was nothing compared to that time at Crapplebee's, it was on par.  The service at a restaurant with $30 plates shouldn't even be allowed the comparison.

When we got there, it was kind of crowded.  I mean, they had a lot of empty tables that I assumed they were holding for reservations.  The hostess asked if we had reservations, we did not, and then she started talking to another staff member next to her about where to seat us.  The length at which she talked about it and her general confusion and frazzled behavior made it really awkward.  She asked if we wanted this even more awkward two person table in between her hostess counter and the bar, in direct way of all other seating, and we declined.  She said something about how a lot of people had reservations - great, who cares?  It's not like we were panicked or in a rush - and Adam actually got so annoyed he wanted to leave, but didn't say anything until later.

We were seated outside and left there for at least 15 minutes.  A runner, who looked like he could have been a waiter, walked by and did not bring us water or anything.  Table Two shows up, sits behind us, and then the waiter appears and asks for their drink order first.  Okay, no.  He also spends his time shooting the shit with them, talking about specials and what not, and then makes his way over.  We order our drinks and our entrees, and he does not mention the specials to us and is generally unfriendly.

Table Three is seated in front of us, and the same runner who ignored us, brings them water.  I was the only non-white person sitting outside, and I jokingly (or was I?) said to Adam that maybe he was racist.  Table three then receives an entire loaf of bread, while our table and Table Two have nothing, even though we've both been there longer?  When we finally get some bread, we have four slices total.  When I tell you Table Three received an entire loaf, I am not kidding.

This is what theirs looked like, after they had each eaten at least once slice.

This is what ours looked like when we had each eaten one piece.

Our entrees were taking a really long time - so long that the waiter came over and said how he was going to check on why our food was waiting so long (Crapplebee's deja vu). Table Two and Three ordered appetizers after we ordered our entreees, by the way, and were in the middle of eating and/or finishing them, as seen by the man nibbling at his steak tartare.  The waiter comes back and says our entree are next on line.

Then they come out the exact same time as both Table Two and Three.  So.... you're a liar then, guy?  The timing does not make sense, and I'm annoyed by his lie.  And by annoyed, I mean fuming.

I ordered the grilled bronzini with pine nut butter and broccolini, fennel, tomatoes and potatoes.   It was cooked well, but could have used some salt and pepper.  I know they used lemon juice to season it because I bit into a lemon seed.

Adam got the bacon-wrapped meatloaf, loved it and said the bad service was forgiven once he bit into it.
I did not have the same feelings.

Some people love dining out.  I live in fear of experiences such as this.

Dessert, on the other hand, was a pleasant experience at Tommy Two Scoops.  How wrong can you go with gelato?  Adam had the Oreo, and I had the watermelon.  Below is an example of the speed at which we both eat.