We now live in Franklin Village. We walk the dogs by La Poubelle daily, and tried it on a late night when we first moved to the neighborhood. That night the service was courteous and fast, the food was delicious (my wife and I like over seasoning, especially garlic…you will get that here). We ordered a martini (gin-dirty and wet at $11.00 for well gin) and a beer (house $3.00 very good). The bartender got the beer right, but the martini was TERRIBLE…small and had to be “fixed”…for $11.00, we expected it to be perfect the first time.
This is a place that you want to be good. It has a “very French” look to it. Lots of people wearing odd outfits draped over the bar, with that look of non-commitment about them…like they are not actually there. Is like a stage play for a French place. So it is very cool.
Some friends came up from San Juan Capistrano (were downtown buying diamonds…recession?).
This night was the same only amplified.
The barman this night was worse then the first. Rude, but not in the condescending (Parisian) French way (you idiots know nothing!). No, this was different…once again like a stage play for a rude bartender. Irritating to the point of being comical, in a Seinfeld-The Office-Twilight Zone way that is hard to put into words.
No house beer tonight… so a Guinness is $7.00. A call vodka and soda and a (very small) lemon drop martini (with salt. not sugar on the rim) came to $23.00! The bartender was definitely put out when we asked him to re-make it. My wife had a glass of the Cote-de-Rhone…it was good, but not worth $12.00….$8.00, sure.
Lesson # 1…Only drink at happy hour if at all.
Getting a table was a negotiation, but once we finally got one…and fries (really tasty, garlicky-thin Pomme Frites…everyone loved them) came quickly, so as to keep me from throwing glasses at the bartender…I could only guess.
At this point we were there for about an hour.
When the food finally came…it was AMAZING and we all were very happy with it. The server apologized for the barman, and for the general disarray of the place…she was an island in a sea of incompetence.
After reading a few of the honest appraisals of this restaurant, it is amazing that it is still in business. Given the quality that is available elsewhere.
We will go back…because the food IS really worth the headache you get with the rest of it. Oddly, we like the place, in a food fight sort of way.
Pros: The food
Cons: The bartenders
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