This is one of the most bizarre ordering experiences I’ve ever had. Great overall spot, but it felt like playing a game of Paperboy from the 90s just to order our stuff

This weekend we saw an advertisement for “Pancakes and Ice Cream” at the Northside Market

We decide to go with our 3 year old. We walk in and we are greeted with a TV sized advertisement for “Pancakes and Ice Cream”

We walk around aimlessly in the food area. Nothing at the dessert stand. Nothing at the bar. Nothing on the Nomz menu. Nothing on the table printed out menus. Nothing at the Boba stand. I finally decide to walk to the Nomz stand to ask someone, and I find the tiniest bookmark menus that finally include pancakes and ice cream

We take the menu along with the Nomz menu to our table and review our options. Our choices are boozy ice cream, hot chocolate with ice cream, or an ice cream ball (?).

We decide on hot chocolate and some tacos, I go up to order

I place an order from the tiny menu for the Teriyaki tacos. Order taker is caught off guard and has to walk to the kitchen for something. She returns and I am informed that the Teriyaki tacos aren’t available until 3. I walk back to my wife and ask for her alternative. She chooses the avocado toast. I go back to order again. I go for the Chorizo tacos, because it’s brunch and chorizo tacos are typically a brunch item. I am informed that all of the tacos are unavailable until 3. To be fair, this is written out in the menu, but we’ve already established the total menu confusion taking place so I missed that in the confusion. I settle for the fig ricotta whatever sandwich. I order the avocado toast. I begin my order for hot chocolate with ice cream. I am interrupted and informed that this must be ordered at the bar. Ok.

I finish up the first order and go to the bar to place my second order. A bartender arrives, and I begin my order. I am interrupted with the question “oh, are you ordering?” I indicate that yes, I am there to order. She tells me to hold please as she is taking care of another order. Ok.

She returns a minute or so later to take my order. On the ice cream and later-taco secret menu, my options are written as follows: “Chocolate Peanut butter, Vanilla Coconut”. So I go for two hot chocolates, one with Chocolate Peanut butter and one with Vanilla Coconut. I am informed that my options are rocky road or vanilla or vanilla coconut. Okey-dokey.

I go for rocky road and vanilla. My order is placed and I am instructed to go back to my seat while she prepares our hot chocolate. My order is called, and I step to the bar to pick up my ice cream thing. I am presented with two mugs of hot chocolate, and a rock hard frozen scoop of vanilla and rocky road (I believe this was their “chocolate peanut butter”), each placed in a plastic beer cup.

I walk back to my family. My wife and I share one, my three year old struggles with his rock hard rocky road ball as he just wanted ice cream, and he later gives up and asks for one of the free cupcakes being handed out.

We receive our food. My fig ricotta whatever sandwich is heavy on the fig spread, light on everything else. I am sweetened out, having finished hot chocolate, ice cream and a jar full of fig spread. My wife receives a falling-apart piece of avocado slices on top of a piece of dry bread, and a plate of what seems to be 6 eggs scrambled with no seasoning. We finish up and leave.

This place is cool. But the logistics are absolutely mind boggling unclear, and the food is just ok.

We’ll be back but will not be under the expectation of what is being advertised. Definitely won’t be promising a 3 year old Ice cream from this place any longer