Baker St. Pub & Grill — Restaurant in Austin

Probably won't be back, although there were things we liked and we really wanted to enjoy this place.

Things we liked: -Loved the English decor and theme. There's pictures on the wall and designs- like the Underground sign and British beer logos. -Loved the decor and space and lights. There's so much space inside - very big restaurant with lots of seating. Rustic decor. Loved the outdoor area with string lights and lots of trees. -Loved all the game tables they have everywhere and they have a pool table and billiards. -Waiters are laid back and friendly. When we entered the restaurant it seemed like it'd be a great place to relax, hang out, and socialize. But it was very empty. There were people on the outdoor patio, but indoors was empty. And we went at 10pm.

Things we didn't like: -I got a Reuben sandwich and waffle fries. The waffle fries were cold and stale and the Reuben was so-so. Not really good thick cut pastrami - very thin. But the sandwich tasted okay. -My husband got a classic burger and it was okay. Nothing too special, but tasted alright. His fries were hot and better than mine. Probably could have gotten the meal from Whataburger though for cheaper and same quality. -The waiters were loud and kind of foul mouthed. That may not bother everyone though. Kind of unprofessional. But it's a very laid back place. -My husband has been a chef and seen how restaurants are run and he said they broke many restaurant rules, like pointing at customers, yelling across the restaurant, using foul language, sitting folding napkins and silverware in the dining area, etc. -They seemed very slow, especially for how not busy it was. Took a while to get food and had to wait forever for the waiter to come get our receipt and card to pay - finally got up and went to the front to pay.

There's better places in Austin downtown so we'll probably go there to search for a good bar next time we're in the mood for bar...

Tonight, I had one of the most disgusting culinary experiences of my entire life. I ordered a frozen margarita no salt. Came in record time...half way down I notice I can't suck anything thru my straw. I end of blowing out whatever is in it and fish it out of my drink. Little did I know, the object clogging my straw was a slug or grub worm. As the waitress walks up, I finish getting out whatever it was and we all notice it's some sort of worm. The waitress grabs it and runs off. No one came by for a while after that. Once the manager finally did come by, he made light of the situation claiming it fell out of the tree. Now, maybe it did, maybe it got there from the machine. The way it was handled was insanely belittling and was embarrassing to see how little they cared about what had happened. The waitress was rude about at the end and laughed as if it was a joke. Overall, my thought was, I must have the worst luck, it fell into my small glass and immediately sunk to the bottom of the glass or it this is something the health inspectors need to check out. Either way, poor performance on how to take care of a customer that was scarred for life by one of your margaritas. Waitress was Taylor and Manager was Brandon. Customer...

Great food. But service is a little iffy. I have been here several times and always had the same results...food was great, but I needed to find my server to make an order and get my check. After the first bad server I tried to order from the bar, but then the bartender says you need to eat and drink at the bar, but it's stuffy and smells weird inside and drunk strangers will yell drink orders over your head. Whoever created this concept has a good concept, good location and good food. It just seems like nobody wants to work there and show it in how the interact with customers. I worked at a restaurant for several years and my place had a 2 minute table greet (waiter comes 1-2 minutes after you sit) then stays around during the end of your meal to help you cash out. Also I went to the bartender to look for my server and they said they would "send her out." This is just wrong, if I'm in a hurry and ready to leave and the server is doing side work in the back (or whatever else there were not many people here) I should be able to leave when I want...