Sat 8/31: Red Robin (99th Ave & McDowell)

Went to Red Robin for lunch and I was surprised to see it so busy. I expect that during the dinner hour, but not lunch. There were groups of people waiting, but the hostess said if we wanted to sit in the bar area, then there was no wait. I said sure, though I recalled that past experiences in the bar area produced less than stellar service. But I hoped this time would be better.

Sat down in a booth that needed to be wiped down. The hostess started to hand us menus, then stopped and paged someone to wipe the table. The server greeted us quickly and took our drink order. When she came back with the waters, she said she’d get us menus. We mentioned the table needed to be wiped. She went to get a rag and menus. I noticed they are no longer using the cardboard coasters to set drinks on, or napkins for that matter, so the glasses condensate and easily slide around on the table.

They updated their menus since my last visit. They’re spiral-bound now. While my favorite burgers here are the Banzai, Whiskey River BBQ, and Royal Red Robin, I ordered the Keep It Simple burger, no pink, on a whole grain bun with American cheese and pickles. I chose Freckled Fruit Salad rather than bottomless steak fries. When the table next to us received their food, I noticed the steak fries now come in a metal cup. Only later did I realize that the food was served on plates, rather than baskets, like it used to be. I guess they’re trying to reinvent themselves a little bit.

When the food came out, I found my burger to be cooked perfectly. In the past I’ve had burgers that had some pink all the way through or a lot of pink on one corner. But they did it right this time. And it tasted delicious. The fruit consisted of apples, mandarin oranges, strawberries, watermelon, and pineapple. It tasted very sweet as the strawberry syrup had permeated throughout. I couldn’t help but notice the guy in the next booth, eating his burger in layers (top bun, then tomatoes, bacon, etc.). Interesting... But anyway, our server was very attentive and this was a really good Red Robin experience.