Day by Day Cafe - August 5, 2007

477 7th Street West
St. Paul, MN 55102

Ok, I know the blog title is An EVENING in the TC, but sometimes you just gotta write a place up regardless of the time or location.

In this case, we stopped in for breakfast at the Day. We've been here a few times previously (and recently) but today was an exception.

I used to rate this place as one of my top 5 favorite places to eat (not always the best places). In the last year it moved to the top 10. Today it got bumped off the overall top 25 (and I really do have a list).

His Perspective: D

Where to start...

There is usually a line on Sunday mornings. Some days the line is shorter than others and you get seated rather quickly. Today was short, and we were seated perhaps 10 minutes after arriving. We ordered drinks right away.

The drinks arrived a few minutes later, and we placed our orders. Maryanne specifically asked for peanut butter with her meal when we ordered. She ordered a short stack of french toast, I ordered my fav meal there called the Heart Stopper: 3 eggs, 4 bacon or sausage, hashbrowns with cheese and toast. Got mine this time with sausage.

25 minutes later our food was delivered... They were busy but not overly so, and the food we ordered was generally rather quick to prepare, so I can't figure out why we had to wait 25 minutes for food. Other people arriving and being seated after us were served their food before us, so maybe there was just a mix up in the kitchen. Regardless, that generally shouldn't happen.

Food was delivered, Maryanne had to ask again for peanut butter.
Being a general gentleman, I waited to start eating until she had everything she needed and started eating her meal.

10 minutes later, she was angry enough to go find someone to get her peanut butter for her. She started asking two different waitresses, but they both turned and walked away while being asked. That's rather rude in my mind, and very poor customer service regardless. Maryanne ended up walking over to the cashier and asked. They walked back into the room we were seated in and Maryanne was given two cups of peanut butter from the cabinet in our room, not 15 feet from our table.

She had to ask 5 people for something that was already in our room, easily within reach.

Now I understand that by waiting for her my food got cold, but I can still tell if something is under or overcooked. My eggs were overcooked, sausage and hashbrowns were undercooked.

Her short stack of french toast was more like a loaf of french bread (more the shape of the loaf actually) sliced horizontally down the middle. She had two of these slices, one half the size of the other. I thought the menu said 'stack'.

I had to wait for a drink refill more than 15 minutes.

We had to wait 20 minutes to pay our bill (pay at the table, but the neither the waiter or waitress that were serving us seemed interested in stopping back, not even to check on the food). He asked if we needed change, and I said 'Absolutely yes we need change.' Our bill was $19.05, and we paid with a $20 bill. He counted out our change and walked away.

To be honest, I wouldn't have minded the long waits for things if the service was even close to spot-on. Instead the service only highlighted all the other flaws in our meal, and actually made us both rather angry and quite eager to leave.

If you're a regular, you'll get better service because the wait staff knows your face or knows you by name, and tends to serve you better. If your an infrequent customer or first timer, try not to go during regular meal times when they are busy. That perhaps might get you adequate service. Also, we always sit inside the building instead of the outdoor area in back of the restaurant, and I've always noted faster service outside than in. Perhaps in a few months we might go back again, and if we do I'm sitting outside weather permitting.

If you like the food, then go to Mickey's instead. Same food (or better), faster service.