The Grey Dog — Restaurant in New York

I admittedly do not have my black belt in restaurant etiquette, but being directly asked to leave after 2 hours at the table just felt kind of wrong to me.

I was here with 3 coworkers on a Sunday for brunch, and we were in the midst of an all-time gossip/vent session when our waitress came up and said she needed the table.

We were just sitting there chopping it up for like 30 minutes after the corpses of our shared Chocolate Chip Pancakes and my Mediterranean Bowl got cleared from the table and I could see the waitress trying to get us out of there with her eyes ahahaha.

2 hours is a lot so I do get it, but at the same time I don't get it. Part of what I'm paying for is the time to enjoy sitting there, letting my food settle and talking to whoever I'm eating with, not looking up at the clock to see how much longer I have until I need to leave.

I don’t know, I’m always open to constructive criticism. I'm not letting it reflect in the rating because I normally don't sit at a place for 2 hours.

Outside of asked-to-leave-the-table gate, this place is delightful. A warm and cozy vibe that one could expect in Southwest Michigan, or "Swishigan" as the locals call it. A classic American brunch spot with huge portions and solid pancakes which is honestly harder to come by in NYC than you'd think. Really makes you wonder........

My big homie showed up late and teetering that ever-so-fine line of being hungover/still drunk, so the Bloody Mary cured him. He was drinking that thing like it was water ahahaha. He also had a fit on that you would never catch him in at work… Corduroy pants?!?! Okay we see you big homie…

Also, I just need to mention I'm blessed to have 3 coworkers who I like enough to see outside of working hours. GOD DID!

IG...

So you guys did it. Now it's time to take her to brunch to show that you care.

Instead of breakfast in bed, you want to show her off and impress her with your tastefulness.

You take her to The Grey Dog, seat her in front of one of those wooden windows, and let the winter sun gleam through her tousled hair.

Inside, the earthy tones of the brick walls and bookstore decor stand in stark contrast to the blizzard outside.

In her eyes, you see the reflection of you: the lucky dude dating the "creative" chick.

I mean - the somewhat high-maintainance, vintage wearing, farmers market going, yoga practicing, no chain café (with an "é"), no label, not easy, and hopefully hot hipster chick.

She will be charmed by the number of vegetarian and gluten free options on the menu. The plethora of choices directly translates into the index of your "sensibility."

The kids menu and dog motifs (hey, the place is called "The Grey Dog") will evoke her fantasies of a perfect relationship (with YOU).

The price range is high enough to demonstrate how much you "worth" but chill enough to not make you look like you are trying too hard.

Most importantly: What is better than swallowing a warm filling (read: large portion) gourmet Breakfast Quesadilla and feeling the crispiness of the thin pita against the elastic layer of moist scrambled eggs...after a night/morning full of passion?

Once you're done eating, lead her to the restroom and leave your cheesy love vows on the chalk-walls inside:

The restroom is coincidentally spacious...

Third time at this chain. Second time at this location. Last time, period. I ordered disco tots and sticky nuggs from the Happy Hour menu — items I’ve had before and used to enjoy. This time? Total disappointment. The tots were dry, barely had cheese, and had no gravy at all. The sticky nuggs lacked flavor and felt underprepared. The quality just wasn’t there.

When the server — a blonde woman in shorts and glasses who never bothered to give her name — asked if we wanted a box, I hesitated. We explained why, and instead of listening, she got immediately defensive, claiming she had “checked on us three times.” She hadn’t.

I told her to stop because she was talking over us and not actually listening. We weren’t asking for a replacement or discount — just pointing out a problem with the food. My partner enjoyed his meal, we paid in full, and we still tipped.

Oddly, a nearby table mentioned a food allergy after starting their food, and she immediately replaced the dish — no questions asked. So it’s clear something can be done after food hits the table. She just chose not to when it came to us.

I called the restaurant afterward to speak to a manager and was told there wasn’t one — just a shift lead. He apologized and said it would be “addressed with the team.” That’s not enough.

We were seated near the kitchen, behind the brick pillar, around 6 PM on Saturday, June 21, 2025.

Declining food. Defensive service. No accountability. I...