Table & Tap

PLACE: 555 S. Saginaw St, Downtown Flint (Corner of S. Saginaw and W. 2nd St - NOT AVENUE. Between Kearsley & Court).

NUMBER: (810)250-3631

VISIT NUMBER: 1

PRICE: $$ for beer and food

CUISINE TYPE: "Bar Food", with a high-class twist.  And Beer, Glorious Beer!

TIME TO ORDER: Beer-0 mins; we held off on food for about 10 minutes.

TIME TO FOOD: 10-15 for a group of 4, on a moderately busy Saturday afternoon.

STAFF IMPRESSIONS: Very friendly, helpful, and knowledgable.  We even got tipped-off to a possible tap-takeover that may be happening in September.  Also, the server made sure to add a personal touch, adding (only good) commentary on our beers, and getting our names.

FOOD IMPRESSIONS:

•Baked Macaroni and Cheese was good (the crumble on top was crispy as opposed to mush, which can ruin the dish), but it wasn't anything special.  The pasta itself seemed a bit overcooked, almost rubbery, and the baked cheese had the same consistency.  The flavor was on the high side of average, but...

•Honestly, you don't come to T&T for the food.  The drink selection is one of the largest around, and is insanely diverse.  Trust me when I say, there's something for everyone - from Average Joe to Beer Snob to "I Don't Like Beer" (my pick for IDLB - the Kuhnhenn's DRIPA packs a punch without the bitter, hoppy flavor).

DRINK SELECTION: Coke, and a very good selection of beers.  They have their tap menu listed here, updated often: http://www.beermenus.com/places/8716-table-tap

SATISFACTION: Very.

WOULD RECOMMEND?: Absolutely.  I love a good beer.

NOTES: The tables tend to run too high for a high chair (unless you get the ones in the window nook), but the staff truly does try to make children feel welcome.  Unfortunately, with the small space (it's in downtown Flint) and tall tables, this joint isn't really kid-friendly.  Also, the bathroom is in the back, down the hall, and seems to be shared between the other commercial properties, which could be a bad thing after one too many beers.

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Capitol Coney Island

PLACE: Capitol Coney Island (G4021 Van Slyke Road, SE corner of Bristol and Van Slyke).

NUMBER: (810)238-5961

VISIT NUMBER: Lost Count

REASON FOR RETURNING: My personal favorite Flint Coney Island.

1. PRICE: $
2. CUISINE TYPE: American
3. WAIT TIME TO ORDER: 15 minutes.  I'll explain in the notes.
4. WAIT TIME FOR FOOD: Did not get food.

5. STAFF IMPRESSIONS: Did not seem understaffed, but the waitstaff who were there did not seem to care about those of us who were waiting for food.

6. FOOD IMPRESSIONS/TASTES: N/A.

7. DRINK SELECTIONS: Pepsi products, plus the usual coffee/juice/milk selection.

8. SATISFACTION: Honestly, none.

9. WOULD RECOMMEND?  Not based on this visit, no.

10. NOTES: They are remodeling from the light-50's diner style they had, to a darker style, and had apparently decided that they only needed 8 booths (plus the bar) for their patrons.  As they are a 24-hour restaurant located diagonally from one of the largest employers in the city (and less than a mile from another), this seems like a rather odd move.

I walked in and sat down, as is normal, and the waitress brought me two menus, asking if I was "dining solo".  I said yes.  She sat both menus down, got my drink order out to me, and walked away, and I didn't see her for another five minutes (when she walked to another table to spend some time with those patrons).  Ten minutes later, she walked over to me to ask if I wanted to order some appetizers while I waited.  She either misheard or didn't believe I was dining alone, but had not thought to check on me until I had been waiting for a quarter of an hour.

I finally got to order what I wanted, and sat back to wait, but ended up having to leave almost immediately due to a phone call.  I never received any apology, though one table did have the chef come out to apologize to them over a food mixup, which I thought was rather appropriate.

I honestly was rather upset by my treatment, and if this had been my first visit, I probably would not be back.  My only hope is that the waitstaff is a bit more attentive to a single diner.

Freakin' Unbelievable Burgers

PLACE: Freakin' Unbelievable Burgers (5100 W. Corunna, Flint Twp.  Next to VG's)
NUMBER: (810)422-5429
VISIT NUMBER: 2
REASON FOR RETURNING: Good food.

PRICE: High $-Low $$
TYPE: Burger Joint meets Fusion meets Nightclub
TIME TO ORDER: Queue, ~8 minutes.
TIME TO FOOD: Less than 10 for straight-off the menu orders, about 10 for a custom.

STAFF IMPRESSIONS: Bright, bubbly, mostly-female floor staff; why were all the guys seemingly hiding out in the kitchen?  Very helpful, but not good at moving the slower-ordering people along or out of the way, and speed is crucial in line-ordering.  Due to the set-up of the kitchen-floor door, customers standing and waiting are privy to kitchen conversations - including private lives, and disparaging remarks about the food/orders.  It isn't terribly comforting to hear, "GROSS!" coming from the back, and not know why.

FOOD: The smells of the food are wonderful.  It literally smells like an outdoor barbecue, and who doesn't live the smell of grilling meat?
The Thai Burger (Cheddar Cheese, Grilled Pineapple, Thai Sauce, Fried Wontons, and Lettuce) is a great mixture of sweet, spicy, and savory - the pineapple and sauce work together perfect harmony.  The fries are thick-cut and starchy, without being too potato-tasting - a pillowy center surrounded by that perfectly fried crust.  The wontons had a sort of stale taste, probably from the frying, but the Cinnamon Wontons had no real sweet flavor to them along with the stale-fried texture.
The custard is creamy, thick, and delicious, but melts more quickly than ice cream (meaning major brain freeze)!  The fried portobellos are amazing, and the balsamic vinegar reduction sauce is *to die* for, even alone.  The fried green beans are good, but the chipotle mayonnaise just tasted like Red Robin's Campfire sauce, with less BBQ sauce.

DRINK SELECTION: Great selection of Michigan craft and not-so-craft beers.  Coke products with public fountain.  They have smoothies, shakes.  More alcoholic choices include cabernet, chardonnay, and moscato wines; as well as frozen drinks like margaritas, piña coladas, punch, and daiquiris.

SATISFACTION: Burgers are delicious (and the Make Your Own out of ANYTHING is a wonderful idea I will have to try and review in the future!), as are the sides, but be wary of some extras.  The service is good, as long as you aren't in a hurry and decide to stand and wait up front.  Make sure to judge the speed of the line over the size.

NOTES: The atmosphere reminds me a bit of an under-18 nightclub, with the grayscale colorscheme, color-changing lights. and pop music, but most of the clientele seems to be over Katy Perry, One Direction, and the like.  I do wish they had a larger music selection.
Also, the place is kid-friendly, offering plenty of high chairs and booster seats, but no space to put the high chairs except an aisle.  Also, the dining room seems to be mostly tables, but there are about a dozen booths that I saw.

WOULD I RECOMMEND? Yes.  The taste and price of the appetizers and burgers far makes up for my decor and dessert issues.  Also, they sell bottled Dirty Bastard!  What's not to love?

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