Hyde Park Bar & Grill

Waitstaff were wonderful, knowledgeable, attentive and prompt with bringing our food and quick to clean up. The bus boy who cleans the table seems to be very passionate about keeping the tables clean. I'm here for it, great enthusiasm and nice not to have dirty plates in your face as you're trying to have conversation with friends. The decor is outdated and you can tell at one point it was a hip Hotspot but not anymore - the Westgate location is a big place and nice big bar. Definitely not a fancy place, seems to be more family friendly and old people friendly. I definitely wouldn't take a hot date here if you're trying to make an impression but I would come if you're in a established relationship and want a nice date night out. I only had the dumplings and they were good but I should have taken the waitresses rec of getting them crispy, as a matter of fact they actually said when I ordered them off the menu as they were, she stated: "Are you sure you don't want them crispy"? I know this sounds cryptically critical of the place but I do like this little spot, not the best neighborhood but still a nice relaxed place to eat. I will be back if I don't forget it's there.

The space is casual, music not too loud, local art featured on the walls. They are def short staffed, as there was only 1 server on the floor. Our server Shawn (sp?) was quirky and upbeat. We ordered the fried avocado appetizer, which was good but not much seasoning in the breading really, it was definitely better with the slightly spicy sauce it came with. We also got the Hyde park fries large portion and he warned us that it was enough for 5-8 people. He was right about that! Lol We did see a small order which would have been a better choice for our table of 3. My guy ordered the chicken fried steak with mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and I ordered the chicken fried chicken with green beans and mashed potatoes, my son had the meatloaf with the grits and mashed potatoes. The appetizers took a while to come out, then our entrees came about 5 minutes later. They accidentally gave my guy chicken, and the server noticed that when he got to the table so he gave him the plate anyway and said he'd get him the steak, we all finished eating by the time the CFS was done so we just had that boxed up to go. They did take the CFS off our bill without being asked to do so. The fried chicken was good, we haven't tasted the CFS yet, the green beans were fresh, young and tender but lacked seasoning. The mac n cheese was good but not spectacular. The meatloaf was a thick dense meatloaf that had good flavor and topped with French fried onions. The grits were okay but not great. We had the peach pudding dessert and oh my goodness! It's awesome! It's like if you had a pineapple upside down cake but substitute peaches and a tres leches mixed together you'd have this! Divine! The downside was definitely the cleanliness of this place. There was trash and food on the floors, tables were left dirty for quite some time and bussed very slowly, and as a server myself, I would have more pride in the dining room cleanliness and bust my tush to try to keep it cleaner. You have to wonder, if they let guests see this uncleanness upfront, how clean is it in the back, where we can't see?