Homegrown Gastropub — Restaurant in Reno

As the owner has asked for details:

What was once a jewel of Virginia street, has lost its luster.

On our approach to the restaurant there was a melancholy man haunting the front steps, as we neared he silently walked inside ahead of us and headed behind the bar. We stood at the host sign, and to our surprise the same man returned with menus, I held up two fingers and bid him hello, wordlessly he pointed my partner and I at a table near the front, set the menus down and left before we finished seating.

It was almost nine on a weeknight, and the venue stays open till 12; but it is strange the host seemed so unenergized to see us, I don't need fireworks but as would become a common theme of the night, it was as if they held no enthusiasm for their work.

The table was clean and the tableware tightly rolled, though the modern-kitchen-gadgetry combination salt shaker and pepper grinder felt large and incongruous for the rustic chic vibe Homegrown used to nail so well. Later I would go to try and use the salt, only to find it crusted by humidity or human oils, as to use the pepper grinder one must cover the salt shaker with their palm and twist. It would be more elegant and hygienic, to use two small shakers on each table. The small size would force these to be filled regularly, keeping them functional as well.

Looking around the table the first thing I noticed were the plants, or should I say lack thereof; the succulents that once adorned the walls are gone, their barren pots are not. Predominately in the window to the right of the door where we sat:

1. Wall planter in the shape of Nevada, no plants, just dirt hanging barren on the wall
2. 12 inch planter, leaves curled and dried littered around a single deathly stem, withered and dormant.
3. Above me a hanging pot, the plant clinging to life, it's edges curling and brown.

There also appeared to be a spot on the wall where another wall planter was likely hung, all that remains is a large screw with a brightly colored plastic wall anchor, a sore thumb on the otherwise warm copper walls.

A short while after ordering drinks, our waiter returned and informed my choice of draft was unavailable, and offered two alternate choices. Our waiter was kind, attentive enough for a private dinner, and did good work, he seemed the only person happy to see us. The star knocked off for service is entirely for how strange the melancholy host was.

The food was middling, we shared a Margherita Pizza and the wood fire Brussel sprouts, with balsamic glaze, and a bar drink each.

All our food came out at once, about half an hour after ordering, it would have been nice to have the appetizer first. I understand how difficult brussels sprouts can be to cook, there is a narrow window to get the texture correct, and the flavor needs thoughtful consideration. However, there is neither here; the sprouts we received were undercooked, and the balsamic glaze was thinly applied only to the top. Anything without this glaze felt directionless, and without passion. I will say there was a great volume of sprouts in the dish, I was able to give my partner several large serving spoonfuls from the dish that seemed not to diminish the amount left in the skillet, however we ultimately did not wish to eat that much, and would have much preferred a smaller serving with more flavor, more than half the dish was left unfinished.

The pizza was the best part of the meal, however it also suffered from the lack of passion and attention that had now become the theme of the evening. A Margherita is a standard, so the execution must be where it shines. The choice to use cherry tomatoes halved means the tomatoes fell off the pizza; likewise the basil had no adherence to the cheese beneath it. The pizza was also not fully cut meaning much of our meal was tearing apart pieces, further scattering toppings.

I hope this helps you find your passion again, and reconnect with why you started a restaurant in the...

They get a 1 rating because the food really was good. When we arrived they sat us at a table for four, we were a table of 3. A party of 6 came right behind us and they asked if we would mind sitting at the bar. I didn’t want to sit at the bar as I was saying goodbye to my son and his girlfriend and I wanted to be able to have a conversation with both of them and not across a bar. I was going to suggest that we could move to another table but then they came up to us and just said “We are moving you over here” which I thought was rude. If they had asked if it was okay I would have said 100%. We placed our our order and waited a really long time to get our food. We only ordered three sandwiches. Meanwhile a party of two had come in, placed their order (after us) and they were served, had eaten and paid their bill and LEFT BEFORE we received our food. Meanwhile our server never came up and apologized or explained why it was taking so long. He didn’t ask us if we wanted anything else while we were waiting, drinks, etc. The food arrived and was good. I did leave a small tip, with a note explaining why I didn’t leave more. It was my last get together with my son before they took me to the airport. When I arrived at the airport I realized I had left my credit card with the note and bill. When my son went back to the restaurant for me to retrieve my card they said they didn’t have it. I KNEW that not to be true because we had just left there and went to the airport and I hadn’t been able to use it anywhere else. When my son called and said they didn’t have it I KNEW they were lying. I called The restaurant and asked to speak with the manager. As I was on the phone with I believe a young gentleman named Davis, I explained the situation and I heard Chris, (apparently our waiter) in the background stating that my credit card was just found and I knew it was there the whole time and they weren’t giving it to my son. They miraculously happened to find my credit card as I was on the phone with them. I had to call my son and tell him to turn around and go back and please retrieve my card. They were purposely holding my card out of spite because I didn’t agree with how we were treated and the service that we received. Horrible!! I will be filing a formal complaint...

If it weren’t for the treatment from one employee, this would have been a 5 star review. The atmosphere is wonderful, and the food and drinks we tried were great - Mango Margarita and fries were highlights! Prices are high, but we’re willing to pay that for locally sourced ingredients and a quality experience.

While our main server was great, another employee really impacted how comfortable we felt. There were three different negative interactions, with the final one being our cue to leave. While it wasn’t blatant disrespect, it was certainly enough for us to get the clue we were not welcome. My husband and I were visiting at 2pm on a Saturday with our 3 and 5 year old. The front room had between 2 and 3 other parties throughout the length of our visit, which was about 75 min total. Now, I know well that a 3 and 5 year old can be SO challenging in a restaurant, but this wasn’t the case. The first 60 min these two were fantastic - coloring, talking, laughing, all at a reasonable volume. We had one point, about an hr in, where our son got upset and the volume spiked, and we of course were doing our best to address (this was maybe 45 seconds of slightly above “normal” volume). We were asked to keep it quiet because the restaurant was quiet. I told them we were leaving. Prior to that it was mild rudeness and non-verbals from this one employee that simply don’t make you feel like you belong or are wanted in the space.

Obviously kids are not welcome everywhere. But these two were phenomenal patrons for 99%. And if the presence of children aren’t aligned with this restaurant’s vibe, just be open about it - I get that and I respect it.

I really hope it was just one person’s bad day. This is a lovely place and we would have...