AS220's Empire Street Complex — Attraction in Providence

So my friend and I went to the crab, and first thing was confusion if we sat ourself or wait. No host, 3 waitstaff here, bartender and bar back there. No one jumped or announced themselves for almost 3 minutes. We were given a rolled trashbag, no silverware or drinks. We waited another 5 minutes almost for another waitress to ask. We I don't drink alcohol, and I don't like tea. That's all that was on the menu, I had to ask if they had fountain drinks. My friend knew what she wanted and I said I would like the chicken fingers and onion rings, and that is my meal. My friend then asked the waitress if they had drawn butter, she didn't know, then asked about fresh melted butter, yes. I asked if the rings were beer battered or breaded, she didn't know that either. I was given the wrong information, I was given my meal as the appetizer, along with her fries, so I waited until her food came out to start eating. The wings were the cheap 3.99 for 10 at price right quality, the onion rings were like the breaded ones were stripped off and battered, very distinct taste of not dipped and soaked in buttermilk. No quantities on the menu, just prices, and very pricey for 5 normal, tiny, thin chicken tenders, not even tossed, just slathered. The best part of my meal was the BBQ sauce. I finished my drink, tried flagging and calling our waitress over, almost like she was trying to avoid me that time, I say that because she had walked around the bar, and for 5 tables in the whole restaurant, there wasn't that much action. My friend had to ask for the claw crackers, I needed a fork, and there was no shell pick. Very lousy, will not return. Too expensive for my kids meal....

Unfortunately, it seems like AS220 has changed quite a bit after reopening. They used to have such INCREDIBLE vegan options, but they’re lackluster now. The tofu teriyaki sandwich was one of my favorites but now there are just two vegan sandwiches (and neither is as good as the ones before, unfortunately). The mac and cheese also used to be one of my favorites, but now it was dry, bland, and tasted like it was made with vanilla non-dairy milk. It feels like they got a new chef who doesn’t quite understand vegan food. I even miss the counter service instead of full service because it fit the vibe of the place so nicely. They did add fries to the menu, which is nice, however. I’m really hoping it goes back to how it used to be because AS220 Food was one of my favorite downtown...

The cooks - not the food, but the cooks - are the grimy problem here. Leaving aside descriptions of their physical persons, they make all their dishes barehanded -- I haven't seen one gloved hand any of the several times I've been here. Tonight was the last straw: after watching one cook toss noodles back into my girlfriend's bowl of soup with his bare fingers, we watched them go through their spice refrigerator, sniffing everything and discussing whether or not it might still be good. "What is this?" "Balsamic vinegar, man." "I don't know, smells like vomit to me."

The fact that they display a grungy, hyper-local arrogance toward customers while making unsanitary food makes the experience all the more distasteful. While the menu is good, I cannot...