St. Jame's gate - what's your opinion?

I have been going to St. James Gate fairly regularly since we moved in in 2011. Maybe it's me, but has anybody else noticed the quality of food and service getting worse? I don't mind waiting for the waitress if they have at least given me a drink, but we waited 15 minutes just to get our drink order and then another 10 minutes to actually get the drinks. We had to ask for water 3 times. And the food seemed greasier and saltier than in the past. Has anybody else experience this or was it just an off night(s).  

Had lunch there this past winter but it was probably the first time in years.  I think it was good.  Sorry to read this.  I always thought thought they did the comfort food thing well.  Always liked the Irish breakfast.

I enjoy the gate

Food is solid

Nope. Not my experience at all. 

I don’t eat at the Gate anymore. Strictly for drinks and that’s only if others I know are going.

We gave up after really bad (hungry teens wouldn’t eat) fish and chips, clearly cooked in old oil. I can accept that places have good and bad days, but not changing the deep fryer oil when it needs changing is a very bad indicator for me. Glad to hear others have had better experiences, but unlikely to be back.

I stopped going there many years ago - after witnessing a shocking and dangerous tantum by a drunk bartender (Jimmy?) Never again, I said. And never again it has been. 

Yeah, I stopped cold during the gay bashing years ago and never looked back…

The_Soulful_Mr_T said:

I stopped going there many years ago - after witnessing a shocking and dangerous tantum by a drunk bartender (Jimmy?) Never again, I said. And never again it has been. 

there was a thread on MOL about the incident back then. Don’t think it’s in the archives though. Would be fun to go back in time and read those old posts. That was crazy!

Scully said:

Yeah, I stopped cold during the gay bashing years ago and never looked back…

I remember that incident. Does the offender still work there? Hate to tar an establishment when time has passed and they may have mended their ways.

Seems like a good place to ask about The Gaslight?

The Gate is a great neighborhood pub run by a great family. It really sucks when people feel the need to go online and trash them. And Howard, there is not a nicer guy than Jimmy  (and you haven’t been back there because you moved out of town years ago

rcarter31 said:

Seems like a good place to ask about The Gaslight?

You looking for trouble? Most of the opinionated people on MOL have become old and tired of the drama….well… I kinda want to take that back.

algebra2 said:

The Gate is a great neighborhood pub run by a great family. It really sucks when people feel the need to go online and trash them. And Howard, there is not a nicer guy than Jimmy  (and you haven’t been back there because you moved out of town years ago

Nope. I've been to Coda more than a few times of late. I've been to The Spot and to Village Coffee. I've had plenty of opportunity to go the the Gate but haven't. That behavior was, as I said above, shocking and so beyond the pale that I couldn't, in good conscience, go back.

algebra2 said:

The Gate is a great neighborhood pub run by a great family. It really sucks when people feel the need to go online and trash them. And Howard, there is not a nicer guy than Jimmy  (and you haven’t been back there because you moved out of town years ago

If it makes you feel any better I gave my comments directly to the server as well. It is a beautiful pub. That's why I'm hoping they improve to where they were 10 years ago when they had a chef that cared and good service. The comment about the fish and chips above was the same experience I had, the salmon was overcooked and the burger was undercooked and too salty. It wasn't a one off thing either. I guess I do get insulted when restaurants give me the option of tipping their servers 20% to 25% for bad service. P.S. Since another establishment was brought up, I really want to like Gaslight's beer. And if I had a few million to spend I would be deciding between the Gaslight and the movie theater.

Was there a few months ago for food. Don’t frequent there often but fish and chips were solid. Service was on point, polite and attentive. Sorry you had that experience! 

 Perhaps read up on John Meade who was honored several years ago for his contributions to the community. 

https://villagegreennj.com/uncategorized/maplewood-chamber-honor-john-meade-october-20-annual-dinner/

I find this interesting. Besides The Gate, there are two other taverns in M/So that have had their own threads. All three have owners with relatives working there, or a co-owner that engaged in assholic behavior that was discriminatory, abusive, racist or homophobic. With all three, the owner or spouse was liked by the community.

I don't patronize any of the three. One of the three was constantly criticized and subjected to recommendations of boycott. The other two, not so much.

So the question. To what extent should we hold an owner responsible for the behavior of their employee or co-owner relative or not?

Formerlyjerseyjack said:

I find this interesting. Besides The Gate, there are two other taverns in M/So that have had their own threads. All three have owners with relatives working there, or a co-owner that engaged in assholic behavior that was discriminatory, abusive, racist or homophobic. With all three, the owner or spouse was liked by the community.

I don't patronize any of the three. One of the three was constantly criticized and subjected to recommendations of boycott. The other two, not so much.

So the question. To what extent should we hold an owner responsible for the behavior of their employee or co-owner?

That's easy.  100%.  And if there was a problem and it has been addressed, then people should let it go.

tjohn said:

That's easy.  100%.  And if there was a problem and it has been addressed, then people should let it go.

If the employee was not a relative and was not fired, would you feel the same? Do relatives get special consideration?

Formerlyjerseyjack said:

tjohn said:

That's easy.  100%.  And if there was a problem and it has been addressed, then people should let it go.

If the employee was not a relative and was not fired, would you feel the same? Do relatives get special consideration?

They should not receive special treatment unless the owner wants the problem to persist.

I thought we were talking about quality of food and service. 

Quick thought on the relative/employee question: the owner of the business gets to decide who works there. The general public gets to decide if that decision affects their willingness to patronize the business. If business dropped off as a direct result of the continued employment of a particular individual, again it’s the owner’s call to accept the reduced business or get rid of the employee. It doesn’t matter if that employee is a relative, good friend or just an employee. It’s the owner’s discretion.  

We go to the Gate periodically. I would say the food and service are consistently good. I have no doubt everyone has their own experience, and also restaurants have their off days. 

We also are in a difficult time for the restaurant industry. The labor market is tight and consequently labor costs are up. Food and energy costs are up for various reasons. St James Gate still seems to be trying to maintain a more affordable price structure than a lot of other establishments in the area, so I have to give them credit for that.