Welcome to Review Raiders, where we defend the honor of some of our favorite establishments from the savage judgment of the internet. In other words, we’re taking irrational restaurant reviews and giving them some constructive feedback. Now, let us be clear—we wholeheartedly believe in freedom of speech (and taste), which is precisely why we feel inclined to exercise our own. Every 1-star review has its story, and every story deserves a happy rebuttal.
I want to talk about a phenomenon that’s exploding in America’s “out to eat” culture. Well, maybe it’s less of a phenomenon, and more of an unfair and boring expectation a large portion of society applies to every trip out to eat (a phenomenon sounds cooler). Let me explain—there are a ton of folks that expect to walk straight into a restaurant, be seated immediately in a quiet booth in the back where a waitress checks on them every 3.5 minutes and their water is always full with free birthday cake on the house and a toothpick for the walk out. As soon as you break that mold, their experience suffers a gruesome death. Casino El Camino broke that mold, and I don’t mind it one bit.
Look, I waited a little bit for my burger too. But while I waited I also noticed a couple of no-nonsense gentlemen working their asses off to satisfy a small community of burgerheads trying to get their lunch fix. Did it make me mad? No, it got me fired up. And as each minute passed the desire in my stomach grew larger, culminating in a beautiful marriage between my appetite and the LA Burger that stole it’s heart. I don’t know if I can ever eat a burger again without sprouts and avocado, which was unbridled joy inside a bun. Also, is the difference between picking up food at a bar and having to order said food at the bar worth getting 1-star-all-caps angry? I’ll let you decide.
I want to go back to the “out to eat” phenomenon/expectation. When a restaurant is opening, it is of the utmost importance that they position themselves in the marketplace by differentiating themselves from their competitors. This is a cutthroat industry. Like, Game of Thrones level cutthroat. If you don’t figure out what your restaurant’s personality is and establish a brand, your restaurant’s head is getting chopped off by a Valyrian sword. Saying that to say—a rude bartender to one person is a laid-back, efficiently plainspoken bartender to another (me). This is a gritty burger spot, and the staff perfectly reflects that. Also, if your Amarillo Burger is an edible firework featuring serrano chiles and cilantro mayo, a spicy personality is to be expected.