The Backyard Brew — Restaurant in Mumbai

THIS IS FOR PET PARENTS WHO WANT TO VISIT THE BACKYARD BREW. BE WARNED!

We chose to visit The Backyard Brew because it CLAIMS to be pet-friendly. As dog parents, we're limited by choice when it comes to dining out with our dogs. So, at times, you put up with the worst of the average too.

The Backyard Brew's "Pet-Friendly" claim is a CRUEL JOKE. But they’re in the “HOSPITALITY” business, right? Well…: Two small tables (3-seater & 4-seater) flank the patio entrance as the manifestation of their "pet-friendly" vibe. They seem to have been placed in a very UNFRIENDLY way because the awning above, supposed to block out the sun especially when the sun is aiming its fire-hot rays directly on you, has gaps in the right places that leaks said blazing rays on you, making it very uncomfortable for you and your canine. Especially in the morning. But be freaking grateful okay, because you’re limited by choice. At least YOUR DOG provides SMILES and JOY to the other patrons, helping The Backyard Brew’s reputation of being oh-so benevolently pet-friendly. Aww. The wall-mounted fans are of no help because for the 4-seater, they point to THE OTHER EMPTY TABLE. Which, the UNFRIENDLY, HOSTILE, STAND-OFFISH staff/waiter/waitress inform you, WILL NEVER SWIVEL in your direction. And don’t even think of requesting the staff to make it swivel toward you because they WILL STARE YOU DOWN. At the 3-seater pet-friendly table, the fan does swivel but the air it throws out lands on plants. Screw you paying-patron whose business runs this restaurant, pays salaries. When you repeatedly request said staff to help with the fan situation, they part teeth which you assume is a smile, saying they’ll “surely look into it” and then forget about you. Gratitude, ingrate, gratitude. Surely The Backyard Brew will be nice to your adorable doggie, you think. No, because that’s asking for too much, but not as much as their SKY HIGH PRICES which are directly inverse to The Backyard Brew’s ABYSMAL SERVICE/HOSPITALITY. Come on. Asking for mundane water for your dog can’t be too much of an inconvenience for The Backyard Brew’s well-dressed staff, no matter how incompetent, unpleasant, high-handed, etc. they might be. They serve water for your dog in a FLIMSY FOIL CONTAINER that buckles under the weight of the water when you lift it, spilling all the water. Sorry dog, The Backyard Brew won’t invest in two simple water bowls for you but will bill your parent exorbitantly for bad service, stifling ambience and misleading marketing. And they will serve overpriced basic boiled chicken pieces (laced WITH SALT, so obviously it’s the same chicken used for human food orders) for your doggie, STEAMING HOT. Who gives a shit, right? It’s just a dog. So he/she burns their tongue. They’re voiceless, they’re not going to write a Google Review. Just drink some no-water from the flimsy foil container and hit the road, dog. And ungrateful parent. Through all this, you absolutely must, must work up even more of a sweat to get The Backyard Brew staff to deign to notice you, if you are so lucky you maggot sitting out in the stifling heat with the sun beating down on you and your oh-so-cute-and-welcome doggie in the despicable zone. Because they will UNSEE you. Through the air-conditioned section’s FULLY TRANSPARENT GLASS wall as you desperately wave to be served. Then the bill arrives quite stylishly, to give credit where it’s due, with a SERVICE CHARGE audaciously added to it. You want to hiss through your teeth that have clenched themselves, outraged, and say, “Please remove the OPTIONAL service charge!” But you just pay it because you know you are going to return to this uncomfortable, sweaty, hostile, overpriced ambience. Because even though you’re an irate ingrate, you are limited by choice when it comes to dining out with your doggie, the love of your life. So you just put up with it, even if it be The Backyard Brew, the worst of the average.

OR YOU COULD STAY AT HOME TILL YOU CAN TAKE YOUR BUSINESS SOME PLACE...

Genuine & not a paid review:

1. Vibe & Atmosphere (4 on a scale of 5):

The place oozes an aura of a typical Cafe. It’s just riveting in terms of it’s setup - Full blown outdoor area and a pretty radiant and cozy inner section (AC section). It’s quite organised and things are suppose to be where they should be! They have a blooming bunch of plants in the inner section which was adjacent to our table along with old school lamps hanging around. The place was almost full at all times when we were there. I just wish their inner section had more room because the place had a lot to offer in terms of creativity.

2. Food & Drinks (4 on a scale of 5)

A) Pesto Basil with Sun Dried Tomatoes (Spaghetti) (4.5 on a scale of 5):

This was the show stopper definitely for me, it was so well cooked in Pesto basil sauce which had sheer class written all over it. It was cooked to perfection. The veggies were tender & sun dried tomatoes had good flavours infused in em. The only let down was we had to send it back for the first time since it was not saucy for a typical pasta. If you want it to be a little saucy and not dry, recommend you request the staff to cater to this request before hand.

B) Hot Chocolate (3.5 on a scale of 5):

It was a classic hot chocolate, you really can’t go wrong with this. It was a little runny than it should have been but it tasted like heaven since it there was a downpour of rains and what better time to fancy it ! We requested not to add any sugar and found that the Chocolate natural sweetness should be suffice enough for anyone unless you have a sweet tooth.

3. Service & Hygiene (4 on a scale of 5):

The service was upto the mark and nothing special or disappointing that caught our attention. The place has good levels of safety protocols and maintains highest standard of hygiene since its in an upscale neighbourhood.

4. Is it worth your money ? (4 on a scale of 5)

A) Pro’s:

Definitely the Basil Pesto pasta caught our attention and it was actually something to rave about. It was cooked craftily and infused with authentic Italian flavours that will melt on your tongue. Portion size was sufficient for two. Ambience was classy and it didn’t skip from its theme of giving it a cozy vibe. The crowd was quite decent and we even spotted an upcoming talented actor sharing a table next to us.

B) Con’s:

The hot chocolate was a hit and a miss. I didn’t find that to be value for money (cost: 250 bucks ex taxes). It came in a typical sleek glass which barely had few sips if you share it with someone. Not that it was bad, it was decent but not worth the big bucks. The inner section could have had more room since the outer section is usually occupied by people who prefer smoking and this could be a hindrance for people who...

MY REPLY TO YOUR RESPONSE, TBB (had to post from another ID because YOU've blocked/flagged me from my original ID from where I posted. How nice of you to block/flag a paying customer.: YOU DO advertise as pet-friendly (see photo). I DID call in advance to reserve a table with my pet, but the person who answered the call said no need to reserve, just come.

EDIT: REPLY TO 2ND RESPONSE OF THE BACKYARD BREW. Wow, your arrogance is astounding, which can also be stumbling. Looks like this attitude runs top down. Which explains a lot about the quality of The Backyard Brew’s horrible service and restaurant, the frustration and bad attitude of the staff. Says a lot about you as an establishment and the humans behind the establishment.

Also, wonder if your arrogance permeates into other areas of your service and is not just restricted to your attitude towards your paying patrons. For example, do you have a disregard towards the BMC rules that govern quality of service and hygiene at your restaurant? Are you arrogant when it comes to the quality of ingredients you use in the food that your customers/patrons consume? Staff hygiene? Clearly arrogant about the quality of “hospitality” your staffers provide. For example, I specifically told The Backyard Brew’s staffer no salt in the chicken yet he disregarded my request and served chicken with salt in it. What’s the excuse for this now? Backyard Brew should be investigated because the problem seems deeper and this has a direct effect on consumers. And pets aside, look at the pathetic service of your staff in general to even your human patrons who come without pets as is evidenced by the many negative Google reviews posted by patrons of The Backyard Brew’s terrible, rudeness, dismal and poor quality service and bad attitude of staff and the bad manner in which the restaurant has set itself up. What's your excuse for this? Isn’t this the core focus on your business, the service provided to the humans? One can only imagine what must be going on behind the scenes. Isn't paying attention to detail the hallmark of hospitality? Or you are arrogant about that too. You're making excuses so you can continue to offer substandard service. What happened to if you are doing something, however small or simple, do it well?

One thing for sure, you get 100 marks for creative excuses and the misplaced flashing of your victim card.

Supreme Court has said restaurants cannot force customers to pay the service charge, it's optional. Yet, The Backyard Brew arrogantly added it to the bill. Even after knowingly providing...