Mill Top Tavern and Listening Room — Restaurant in Saint Augustine

Millhouse is a great place to visit, eat, have drinks, and be entertained with Live Music... BUT THERE'S A STIPULATION!  The accolades ONLY apply when John Q is NOT performing IF you are not someone who FITS HIS CROWD!

Let me explain.  The atmosphere, service, and food were wonderful until I approached John Q, who was performing Live, and requested he play Mustang Sally.  I made the request after having asked about a song he played in his set when he personally asked me what I wanted to hear.   I initially responded, "Anything,...to which he responded, "No, not just anything."  I laughed with him and sat down.  Thinking he was sincere in asking me what I wished to hear, I later went up and requested "Mustang Sally."

I purposely chose that song because John Q was obviously playing strictly Country Music, and as a DJ, "Mustang Sally" (specifically performed by numerous National Country Artists) seemed like a great fit for the entire audience...based upon the PHENOMENAL response I get when I play the song (specifically from Country Artists) from audiences I play for who enjoy Country music.  However, upon requesting the song, Mr. John Q chose to attempt to entertain the restaurant by stating to me, using his microphone, "THIS IS NOT THAT KIND OF CROWD, (while adding a sarcastic..."SORRY")... followed by laughter.

Me and my wife immediately proceeded to leave Millhouse but not before expressing my concerns with the staff who were extremely understanding.  Upon leaving the restaurant, I could hear him outside, within an easy earshot for all patrons visiting the "Night of Lights"  who were passing by the restaurant to hear.. because they have speakers outside...literally talking about me, and laughing, saying that I had had too many drinks and that I was asking for an inappropriate song and thinking I could just say anything I wanted to.  Upon hearing him, I went back upstairs to the restaurant and said to him, "Mustang Sally" IS a Country Song...to which he responded..."Not Really."

My impression of this Jon Q act at Millhouse is now such that any patron who does not request or like Country Music...as deemed "Country" by the Country Music Expert, John Q, should avoid patronizing Millhouse when he is scheduled.

I was completely offended because, upon spending my money at an establishment that I chose to patronize, I felt that I was a part of the "crowd" visiting the restaurant.  John Q, however, made it clear that when he is performing, patrons are subject to his taking ownership of the establishment that hired him, thus he can determine who is and who is not a good "FIT" for Millhouse while he is performing.

Lastly, even if I had requested a Rap Song, which would have been inappropriate, it would the epitome of ignorance for any performer, hired to please patrons at an establishment that is not their's, to announce openly to a customer that..."THIS IS NOT THAT KIND OF CROWD."

The next time someone asks you to do a song...per your prompting Mr. John Q,...don't use the person as your personal punching bag to humiliate in front of your crowd... just simply admit that you don't know the sing and apologize. You're NOT a comedian; you're a musician.

Also, take note, Mr. John Q, that there have been a plethora of Country Artists who do know the song well, as well as their audiences, and have very successfully performed the song without the song even being requested. You may want to add it to your repertoire...since you seldom actually play any particular music related to any of the song you perform...your m.o. is to play a certain tempo of music and sing several different songs without ever changing the music. Also keep in mind that you don't own any of the venues that hire you to entertain their customers. Thus, you are not hired to determine what KIND OF CROWD the establishment wants or doesn't...

A bit pricy, but quality and quantity of food made up for it. We were a bit uneasy seeing the prices, but we got the chicken tender baskets with fries anyway.

I was surprised to see how much we got and was very impressed with how good it was. The fries were incredible in every metric. Seasoned for flavor, not too salty, perfectly cooked to be crispy on the outside but still a bit soft on the inside. The chicken was also very good. In my experience, local restaurants like this will oftentimes serve dry chicken covered in way too much batter that accounts for more than half of the tender. To my delight, the tenders were coated just enough without being overbearing, and the chicken itself was plenty moist and tasted great.

Shoutout to whoever setup the audio equipment. I'm not sure if it was an employee, or the guy performing, but the live music was at the perfect volume. Loud enough to hear clearly while still allowing a conversation at the table without raising your voice.

The utensils were plastic and the salsa bowl was styrofoam. I don't really mind as I imagine it cuts costs and keeps the food from being even more expensive, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

Last little bit at the end, as it's the least important. The water was awful, downright undrinkable. I know taste, especially on water, is subjective, and I am very particular about my water taste, but it tastes like metal and rocks, much worse than even mineral water. Being in a very old historic city, there are going to be complications in updating the water supply over time; I understand that. However, surely there must be some sort of method to filter the water coming in to be drinkable. Reverse osmosis systems are relatively inexpensive and can go right under the sink or tap without taking up that much space. I'm sure there are plenty of other options to get the job done by filtering the water coming in without...

I was in the mood for some live music with a second story view so I moseyed over to the Mill Top Tavern and Listening Room to catch a set.

I wandered in and found myself a seat at a one-seater little nook in the back past the stage where music was already being served. The server didn't take long at all to approach me. I asked for a water and a virgin mojito just for kicks and a little sugar. She brought me a tall glass of mojito-themed seltzer well-endowed with mint for muddling with my straw and graced with lime. The sweet and the slightly sour nuances hit the spot for me as I was mostly present for the music.

Seth Cole was playing 4:30pm-8:30pm. Sharing a plethora of familiar and well-loved country songs from Waylon Jennings to Johnny Cash, Clint Black, Hank Williams and so many more that Seth can easily pull out of his hat--the crowd surrounding him were dialed in, raising their glasses of wine and singing along every word they could conjure out of memory to enjoy the environment Seth was creating with his very capable voice and 6-string guitar.

The energy in the room was appreciative and receptive of Seth's talent. It seemed like they were all chomping at the bit a little to hear what Seth would play next. I especially enjoyed how Seth Cole would create a medley of what seemed to be one particular country artist at a time, flowing skillfully from one song to the next. For someone who enjoys having their horizons broadened to music I've not ever heard, I appreciated such a mashup so I could not just dip my toes into the water there at the Mill Top, but instead I feel like I went for a country music swim!

Thanks Mill Top for having your website functional and keeping your live music bookings updated there. That really helped me to find my way to this experience on a Sunday night after working hard this weekend. See...