Bud's Pub & Grill — Restaurant in Dixon

Wow, we were shocked at how good this place actually, for reals was! The ratings are true (see below). Cannot wait to go there again. Cannot. Wait. Let me explain:

I am not a foodie and I don't eat out often, but I have lived in multiple, major coastal metropolises, boasting the kinds of restaurants you see written up in food magazines. I'm able to eat, and enjoy my meals, at both incredible Michelin guide places and Chipotle. As a result I do adjust my expectations to the context, and take with a huge grain of salt the "4.5 star" places in smaller towns, along some interstate highway, with fewer gourmet benchmark experiences nearby. Well Bud's Pub & Grill blew me, and my entire party, away! The cajun battered shrimp and the battered mushrooms: what even is this heaven??? It was all I could do to force myself to share! The steak salad, YUM: the mean felt so high quality, cooked perfectly. PINK AND JUICY. Good portions too. The chicken wings- huge, juicy, solid! The burger, wow. Even the French fries were impressive: perfectly crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, shoestring cut, with fresh grated garlic on top. Decadent gorgonzola sauce for everything. The sweetest, fast, and non-overbearing service. NOM NOM NOM. So well done, it's rare (hope you get my meat pun dad joke)....

My husband and I were so excited about Buds, we are moving to Dixon and we're really looking forward and hoping Buds would be our go-to place. Upon entering the atmosphere was great, everyone was friendly and we were seated right away. After ordering our salad and soup came quickly, when our food arrived, my new York steak was cooked to a good medium and had great flavor BUT my husband's prime rob was cold.... When I say cold I mean COLD, not Luke warm, just cold. When he said it was cold, I originally thought he was overreacting but then I felt it myself, 100% bona-fide cold prime rib. After informing our waitress she stated she would get mhim another then came back and let us know they were out she could get him something else. Ok, you run out of things, not a huge deal, she later brought the check where we discovered that they took the prime rob off but they n charged us $7.00 for the salad that came with the prime rib. Hold on wait, what?.... After inquiring, she said she had to charge us for the salad... even though it was their fault the meal was cold. We were pretty blown away by this. We laid the bill and left which is when my husband promptly vowed to never return because that is bad customer service. I gave them 2 stars because my steak was good and...

I went in today around 2:40. I sat at the bar for about 10 minutes. No one greeted me. There were 2 girls behind the bar. 1 of the ladies wentnto a table to take their order. The girl left behind the bar, washed a glass, maybe 2, made a drink for herself and another customer who was sitting at the bar. Shot that back. Meanwhile, 2 men sat beside me. The girl who was at the table asked the girl who was more concerned about her own drink than the customers sitting at the bar with no drink or menu....if she had taken care of the men who walked in, she said no. The girl who was actually working greeted them and asked what she could get for them. At that point, I left. I get she probably did not notice that I came in 5 minutes earlier because she was making drinks and taking an order, even though other than that, the place was pretty slow. I left because, when she asked the other girl if she had gotten to the new customers, that she could have greeted me and theb the other customers in leui of focusing on drinking herself..... Although, she still did not make an attempt to greet anybody????? Wild. Buds, you might need better employees or maybe you just don't...