Strawberry Banana Crepe
The National Exemplar

The National Exemplar

6880 Wooster Pike, 45227, Cincinnati, US, United States

Wine • Pasta • Chicken • American


"I have to say, my husband and I have LOVED this place for years. We come to stay at Mariemont a couple times a year and The National Exemplar is the biggest reason for that. Last night was the first negative experience we've had here. The service was absolutely terrible for us. There was a young lady that waited on us. When we ordered my husband specifically asked if they had A1 steak sauce. The girl told us she wasn't sure. They had it the last time we were there several months ago. She never came back to let us know either way so I assumed they did. We both ordered filets. When another young man brought our food out, my husband asked again. The young man said no they did not, but there was bordelaise sauce on it. We would not have left because they did not have it, but he would've ordered something different. I love their bordelaise sauce, but he is just partial to his A1. And unfortunately, not having it makes it not as good for him. After that, the waitress did come over a few seconds later, we said everything was fine. We ate our dinner and did not see her again. We ran out of our drinks, which there is no excuse for. After we were done eating completely she came back and I asked for a couple new cokes please. When she brought them out, she removed our straws with her hands, never asking me to remove my own and put them in the new cokes. I truly hope that is not common practice. The wait staff should never be touching someone's straw. I just asked for the check at that point. She brought it out, but did not come to pick it up. I wanted to place a Togo dessert order but felt it was futile to try. Eventually, an older woman, possibly the manager came to our table and took our check. We do not mind paying for exceptional food, but that should also include exceptional service. We were very disappointed with the unfriendly and unpleasant attitude of someone who is supposed to be making our dining experience better. I hope she was just having a bad day and that this is not how she serves all her customers. Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: $100+ Food: 5 Service: 1 Atmosphere: 5 Recommended dishes: Mushroom Soup"

Brunch Cafe-fox River Grove

Brunch Cafe-fox River Grove

935 Il Route 22, Fox River Grove I-60021, United States, 60013

Vegan • Coffee • American • Vegetarian Friendly


"We like to head out for Sunday brunch occasionally and Brunch Cafe in Fox River Grove is our normal go-to place. Of course the line was out the door there so we decided to try someplace new. Found JC's Cafe a few miles away with 5 star average yelp rating so we went straight away. It's conveniently located on the corner by the tracks. When you first walk in there is a vestibule type room before you walk in to the restaurant part. It took a minute to get my bearings when we walked into the restaurant area both because I had never been there before and also because the lighting is very low. There put burlap bags over the light fixtures which is kinda cool but also made it a bit dark. We were promptly greeted and offered a menu and a table. This place is cozy small). There are only 3 or 4 tables. I was craving an omelet or something similar so I was a bit disappointed that the only eggs were in a panini sandwich. The reviews I looked at briefly before we got there raved about the paninis so I ordered the egg and turkey one. Husband ordered the turkey and bacon with chipotle aioli. The menu is limited which makes sense for a small place making food from scratch. They had a special today of tacos that I wished now that I had tried instead. But I had breakfast on the brain. The cup of coffee I had was really good! 5 stars. This is a family run business and I overheard the owner talking to the other table that his wife does the cooking and our server was his oldest child. Another son about 4 yr or so was milling about and had a tendency to stomp his feet around as kids will do and that was kind of annoying to be honest. Our sandwiches arrived. My husband really liked his. He said the chipotle aioli gave it a nice flavor and good heat. The bread/bun was different than other paninis I've had. It was a cross between a croissant and a bun. I'm not a fan of croissants because they come across as greasy due to the fat content. Plus I usually prefer a healthier bread choice. Ruffles type potato chips were served with the sandwiches. I nearly never eat potato chips because I consider them a sinful but empty/poor nutrient food. Of course I ate every one of them since they were there : For me this is probably not someplace I will frequent due to the limited menu and lack of healthy options."