99Rogers — Restaurant in New York

On a rainy Wednesday recently, after finishing P.T., I decided to try 99 Rogers for a quick meal before heading to another appointment.

I googled the menu and liked the happy hour prices especially $2 sliders and lobster roll.

The place is a on the corner near where I was parked. Outside a cute patio is set up. The inside was large and simple. I followed the instructions of checking in @ the window. Since it was still drizzling, I asked if I could sit inside. "Sure, anywhere you like," I was told. I guess because there was only one other patron. Lol! I knew I wouldn't be there long, so I grabbed a table near the door.

I placed my order, then the waitress came back to say the food I wanted wasn't available. My reply was that maybe the website should be updated. She said that's not my job,she then added, also there is no longer happy hour, and that if I stayed at the table there was a $25 minimum.

Wait are you kidding? Not only is a minimum ludicrous during a pandemic, but unless they were expecting some humongous crowd within the next 20 minutes, which I highly doubted, I don't believe there should be a table minimum except maybe on New Year's Eve. In my humble opinion. 😌

My other issue with minimums is you don't know how much I would have been willing to spend if I enjoyed the ambience and the food. I am a business owner, so I know Google reminds you periodically if you have changes to update your website. I also dine out regularly, and I've happily spent a $100 in one solo sitting; but I personally take umbrage to forced minimum requirements.

So I asked where can I sit without having to pay a minimum, thinking maybe the minimum was because I chose a booth. I also asked if I could speak to the manager.

My questions seemed to be met with annoyance. And I had to repeat myself several times until another woman came over and directed me outside.

Frankly I found this a little offensive and unaccommodating and hard to believe that there was a $25 minimum at every table indoors, which may I remind you were ALL EMPTY.

But outside I went... because now it was too late for me to go anywhere else before my next appointment which was a 30 minute drive on the other side of Brooklyn.

I hope everyone will understand my low rating is reflected in the absurd farce that I encountered...not because there was no happy hour or that the menu had changed, that is reasonable.

But because of the refusal of the staff to be flexible with a policy that was unnecessary to enforce on a wet Wednesday afternoon when the restaurant was empty!!!

I really can't speak on the food since all I had was some burnt zucchini sticks. But for service and ambiance and pure ridiculousness alone, one star is the best I can do.

Try one of the many other restaurants on the next block for great food, great service, great atmosphere and no table minimum if you are in the area looking for a pleasant experience. You can see my 5 star reviews right here on Google if...

(Dec 2022) Great service. Friendly & attentive wait staff. Nice ambiance - beautiful interior. Ample selection of indoor and outdoor seating.

My burger was not memorable - I got the 6oz Rogers burger without cheese - it was not delicious. It filled me up, but I did not enjoy the eating.

My wife liked her pulled pork grilled cheese.

The fries were fine.

Update (May 2023): The waiter told us that the kitchen didn't have what my wife ordered as he was bringing out our party's food after a 30-35min wait. The appetizers came out with the main course. The restaurant music genre was aggressive/oppressive - think super intense heavy metal (maybe appropriate for 12am, but not so much 12pm) and the restaurant smelled like weed when we first walked in - very much an "open for business but not expecting customers" vibe. Wireless NFC-enabled POS terminal made paying really easy. My fried chicken sandwich was good - large portion. The wings were good. My kids loved the fries. We weren't charged for the missing entree, but we weren't comped anything to acknowledge the degree of the miss either. It seems the restaurant was understaffed for the Saturday brunch/lunch hour. I am less likely to come here on a date with my wife or back with family as a result of...

I waited for several experiences in this place before. So: I live in the same block, and my first time there I loved it because of the fries 🍟 but as soon as I was in, I noticed how white American the environment is and I did felt the difference when waiters (all of them white) talked to another white ones or just Americans and how they hardly talk to me. Not rude, not disrespectful at all, just cold like: “ ok, yeap, we do, no, we don’t, got you”… but with the other people they go: “Heyyy!! Of course, yeah, let me show you, haha, oh really? That’s cool” … As a Latina I’m used to it but it doesn’t mean that it’s ok, and that racism it’s so internalized that maybe they don’t even realize they do it (if they do it on purpose … I wish them well… in hell!). I’d love to have a more welcoming vibe for everyone, for me, I want more 🍟 And yeah, they are blasting music, for me it’s not an issue but if a Latino spot do the same in this neighborhood… ¡Ay bendito! I’ll try...