Felt — Restaurant in Englewood

Look, I’ve worked in the industry for over 7 years. I’ve worked dj bar to fine dining. I get that guests can be annoying at times & maybe the bartender was just having a bad night, but whoever was at the well when we went was just straight awful. I’ve never had such a blatant disrespectful customer service interaction in my life. Over something so minuscule. First of all- I don’t have high expectations at places like this because it’s more casual & that’s fine. Because I’ve worked in multiple different serving settings I know what to expect based on first appearances & what type of place it is. But we didn’t get a server for probably the first 20 minutes of being there. Had to walk up to the bar to grab a menu. Finally someone comes by. Cool. Order. Another 15 minutes or so pass. Drinks aren’t out. I have classes in the morning, so I just changed my mind on the drink. It wasn’t like it was some special cocktail or liquor. It was literally a bottle of Smirnoff. I walk up & tell her what was going on, super polite (and yes, I genuinely was apologetic about it because I GET IT! I’d never in my life be rude to someone who handles my food & drink). Apologized multiple times but told her I just wanted to do a soda instead. Met with silence and a resting b** face. Okay fine. Maybe she’s having a bad night. We all have those in this industry. She hands it to me. I apologize again. No acknowledgement. I walk away. Whatever. It was annoying, but I just brush it off because AGAIN- 7 years of experience serving & TRUST me I have had my fair share of rude people in this industry which is why I genuinely try to be on my best, but I truly was just not feeling the drink- especially after how long it had been. Time passes. We decide we’re ready to go. My partner walks up to close our tab & that same bartender is checking us out. She looks up & sees me & oh my god dude. She looked like I had spit on her. It was insane. My partner even said something to me on the way to the car about it.

It was just so insane to be treated like that over a damn 7 dollar bottle of Smirnoff that probably came from a 6 pack. Never in my life have I ever been treated that way going out. I’m sorry if she was having a rough night, but you just don’t do that. Just all around bad practice regardless of whether or not you work at a pool bar or capital grille.

Edit: I want to add that when I did ask if I could just get a soda instead I heard another bartender say the Smirnoff was in the well & I even TOLD the bartender that it was totally fine if not (if I couldn’t just change it) because I was trying to be genuine & as polite...

Frankly, I want a pool hall to be a pool hall, not some loud sports bar or eatery so food and drinks are secondary to me; I'm there to ... now guess ... PLAY POOL . Most who currently frequent this place don't realize it was a top players spot when Table Stakes II was the sign above the door and Frank Burgess was the owner. Oh, how things have changed.

In 2016 I was part of the NAPA large table, laggers choice league and our team was first at the end of the winter session, but the anger in me grew in the last few matches of that session and into the first three matches of the spring session until I quit because the manager refused to unplug the damned jukebox during league play. Not only was it too loud, it often blared -- and I do mean blared -- the most vile rap instead of blues or jazz or something conducive to concentration and serious pool.

In the days when pool was king you had silence only interrupted by the click of balls, a tap of the rubber bumper on the floor when your opponent made a fine shot, and quiet conversation; apparently those days are long gone, along with serious pool, at least at this place. No respect for genuine players, absolutely none.

I'll be back at Felt when the absentee owner in California sells out to someone who cares about players and removes the jukebox, but I suspect I'll be waiting a long, long time.

In closing, this place deserves a single star for the steep decline from its glory days as a real pool hall, but it deserves an additional star for the Monte Cristo sandwich and for that alone. Like I said, the food is secondary, but at least that's something...

Did you ever watch the classic 80s sitcom Cheers and find yourself marveling at the exquisite customer service performances turned in by Sam Malone? If so, get ready to pity the pour souls who whiled away their evening hours in that beloved Boston basement bar. On Tuesday the twenty second of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty two, I chanced to stop into this fine establishment, known to me only as “Felt.” My friends, when I tell you that Savannah (sp?) and Daizha (sp????) offer a first class, no a business class, no a world class customer service experience, I do not speak with forked tongue. When this dynamic duo is on the job, your glass will never be empty, your belly will always be full of laughter, and you’ll never feel like a stranger. From the friendly banter, to the attention to every detail of the customer experience, every minute with them is a newfound delight. In all seriousness, you can’t go wrong spending a few hours at Felt, especially when you have Savannah (sp?) and/or Daizha (sp????) taking care of you. So, when next you find yourself thirsting to quench your thirst or hungering to sate your hunger, you owe it to yourself to stop into Felt and ask for Savannah (sp?) and/or Daizha (sp????). And tell them I sent you. You probably won’t get a discount or anything, but how hard is it to say “Josh sent me?” I...