The Other Place Restaurant — Restaurant in Salt Lake City

This was the worst and the owner still hasn't called me like the host/Manger said he would .I called to ask on 2 dinner items the veal dinner and the broiled lamb chops. Asked the female host and then the manager Artie what I needed to know before ordering my to go order . 1) how many ozs. Is the veal? Is it a real cut or ground up meat ? I was told a cutlet and approximately 8- 10 oz. Lol that was a lie it what was 4.2 oz and ground and tasted like it was in the freezer or fridge for weeks. # 2 asked same question on the weight of lamb chops ( how many and how many ozs.) I was told 4 and approximately 12-14 oz again this was even more disturbing then the veal- 4 chops and 2 of them were 1.1 oz and the other 2 were 1.2 and they were 24.95 on their website menu , and the veal was 16.95 and then there was the mashed potatoes( lol) I asked are they real mashed potatoes verifying 3 times even telling the girl that something I read from a post from a customer that they were instant she told no they are REAL. guess what they weren't. But with all the mis information ( lies ) I placed my order and the total was to be 42.00 plus tax. When I got there they food was bagged and on the counter it took me about 18 minutes to get there . The Manger/ host Artie told me the total is 52.00 I asked why and that's when he got the owner he came up didn't say really even hi or anything he just looked at the bill and said that will be 52.00 I said no it's 24.95 for the lamb chops and 16.95 for the veal he said no the lamb is 26.95 and the veal is 18.00 I said I'm sorry but that's the price on your website menu and I also verified the prices own the website with Artie . Plus the owner said we charged you 2.00 more for Xtra salad dressing that I never ordered I had just told Artie since I wasn't getting vegetables that he gave me more salad and I said just make sure there is enough dressing then. So then the owner says to me when I said those are the prices on YOUR website he pulls out he's menu and goes here's my website and tosses his menu at me at the point I told him shame on you , he then goes to his adding machine and goes 46.00 so I and was disappointed like most restaurants these days they don't bother to update their menus and when you get there for your order it's a whole different price and there answers are oh sorry we haven't had time to change it .There's 2 restaurants out there that have been saying that for 4 years it's ridiculous. But when I got him and opened my food up I was excited ( nobody really serves veal anymore ) and I couldn't even believe my eyes of how there was practically no meat. It was a joke plus instant mashed potatoes , watery lemon rice soup , and they forgot all together the chocolate cake - oh and by the way the 2.00 I think he still charged me for Xtra salad dressings ( wasn't even the box, lol) So immediatly called and told Artie all of this and that I want at the minimum 30.00 returned charges to my cc and he said the owner wasn't there and when he got back he'll call you waited 2 hours called back and Artie yes I mean no he's not back lol - and again he will get back to you. I said if not I will make a dispute and cancel the entire amount with my bank , do a review like I am it almost 1 in the morning and I was going to call the restaurant association on the local food bloggers I'm 66 and I remember when they opened and now the owner by the way rarely leaves the premise . But as you can see he never called me back . I told Artie too that if I was eating in the restaurant the food would have been sent back to the kitchen but with a to go order once they have your money they could careless, it's a shame the great neighborhood restaurants act like this I see more and more . In the past they relied on regulars now they don't care there's so many more people in Salt lake some other sucker will pay 26.00 for 50zs of lamb and 17.00 from frozen ground veal pattie 4.5 oz Sorry for the long post but I feel...

Well, I'm editing the review I made in 2020. That very detailed review is still shown below, and I stand by it. I know it's been a hard year for restaurants, but The Other Place actually was thriving after the first few months of the pandemic. They followed all the precautions, and their clientele are loyal. Now, since these months of winter are heading into spring, they're doing fine. But unfortunately, they've reduced their portion sizes, so, while the prices are still good, it's no longer the bargain it used to be. Any examples I can give will seem "silly" to those who haven't gone there for a long time--but I have, and I know the difference. If you comment on the differences, the staff pretend not to understand. For example, marinated pork and eggs used to be just a mound of pork chunks, and now they seem to be specifically counted by number of 10 or something. The side of french toast was a large piece of bread that nearly covered an oblong platter, now it's a typical square that fits on a small plate. The dolmades are half the size they used to be (they lost their cook who made those, but they don't seem motivated to teach the new guy to make them the original size). The entire plate of mezedakiah has fewer tomatoes, fewer cucumbers and less meat unless you get the lamb chops. The lamb chops are still 4/$16.95 (or $18.95 in mezedakiah), and when they decrease that, I'll probably start looking around for another place to eat. They're a bit flippant when asked about delivery, saying Check with DoorDash or GrubHub. But they did not sign up with those services, and DD or GH does not deliver for them. Just because those services are out there, doesn't mean they include any certain restaurant. [Correction: They finally DID sign up with DoorDash, so that one's available. What I referred to as the 'flippant' unfriendly attitude was real though. They've really becoming very "confident" about themselves and taking success/popularity for granted in my opinion.] It's hard for me to believe that all this is a result of the pandemic. I know their business dropped off sharply for a while, but now they are still indeed one of the busiest most well-patronized places around. Just feels to me like they're cutting corners and hoping the regulars don't notice.

~

This is just about my favorite restaurant. It's my general go-to place. One wide-open room with nice windows on the south side facing 3rd.

One thing I like about it is that it's carpeted and doesn't have loud overhead music. It's often very busy, and it gets noisy that way, but when it's not crowded, you can easily sit with your own thoughts, your own papers or reading, and your own personal conversation with a friend across the table.

I like about 50% of the menu, maybe a bit less. Some of it is not all that great of food, but some of it is just fabulous.

I mostly go there for breakfast. I love their marinated pork and eggs, the Athenian omelette, and lamb chops and eggs. Love their big piece of French toast with either maple syrup or generous powdered sugar, if you request it (or both, haha), but I have to ask for real butter wrapped in paper instead of the margarine stuff that goes on top of that.

Another great thing is the Friday lamb shank special. Only available on that day.

I love their stuffed grape leaves, which are called dolmades. And I love the little white fried fish that come in a pile almost like french fries, called smelts.

The baklava is good, and the chocolate cake is awesome. The rice pudding dessert is creamy and has cinnamon in it. They put a huge head of whipped cream on the top which kind of overwhelms it--sometimes I ask them to put that on the side.

They have real half & half with coffee. And you can also get a glass of wine with your meal which is very nice. They only have one kind of red or one kind of white, but it's nice as an option.

Need about $15. Free parking is in the back of...

For some thirty years, we have spent a week or two weeks in Salt Lake City every fall. We have a timeshare that facilitates the long stays. On each visit, we sample local restaurants, eating out just about every evening, choosing places we have never been. Most are wonderful and are run by hospitable, welcoming people.

I will not ever return to The Other Place after our reception there this past week. From the moment we walked in, the man greeting customers and seating them was rude, hostile, and extremely unwelcoming. If I had had my druthers, we'd have turned around and walked out at that point, but I was one of four, all of us men up in age, and the oldest of us, who's in his 90s, finds walking a bit difficult and I did not want to inconvenience him.

I have no idea what the problem of the man greeting and seating customers was, since he had never met any of us. It couldn't have had to do with age, since two elderly women came in after us and he treated them hospitably. His venom seemed reserved for us explicitly, and venom it was. It gave me a bad taste for the entire restaurant and the food we ordered, which is typical Greek-American diner fare, pasta cooked to death, large portions, comfort food for those who grew up eating in places like this.

The senior member of our group was taken with the person who waited on us. He enjoyed joshing with her, and perhaps part of her strategy was to make up for the rude, hostile reception we got when we walked through the door.

Food cannot taste good in a restaurant in which you are greeted with hostility. Period. No one welcoming customers to a restaurant and seating them should ever fufill that role without showing respect, hospitality, and...