39° NORTH — Restaurant in Stafford Township

My wife and I live here and frequent most of the local restaurants. When I read the article in the Sandpaper about the Horizon being under new ownership we figured it was time to give it a try. I DID NOT read any reviews prior to going. With that said, I can honestly say most of the negative reviews are out of line and all of the positive ones are spot on. There were a few things mentioned in the negative reviews that are true but somewhat exaggerated. As far as the appearance is concerned, it is obvious that the new owner is investing in sprucing thinks up. The previous owner was really not doing much over the years. I watched a big crew painting the exterior as I drove by two weeks ago. Much needed. The parking lot has been completely resealed and parking lines repainted. As soon as we walked in, the first words out of my wife’s mouth were “wow, what a nice difference” the ugly rug floor was replaced with black and white tiles.the place looked and smelled clean. Did not smell like a greasy diner! We were greeted by a very cordial and smiling young lady who I later found out was the manager . She did not work there for the previous owner. Our waitress, sorry did we did not get her name, greeted us promptly and also with a smile. Prior to receiving our main meals we were served a very generous size salad that was very fresh. It came in a bowl resting on another plate with a fresh roll and butter next to it on a doilies no less! Nice touch. My wife ordered a grilled Salmon special that came with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. All fresh and delicious. I ordered the half Rotisserie chicken that came with broccoli, not mushy but steamed perfectly, mashed potatoes, delicious and a little chunky like I like and a very tasty cornbread stuffing! I usually never eat the skin on chicken but this time was an exception as it was crispy and seasoned perfectly. Half of the half chicken came home with us! It was a very generous portion. I asked for a side of brown gravy for the mashed potatoes and it was also very good although not really necessary as the potatoes were excellent as is. Contrary to some of the negative reviews, the prices are in line with what other places charge. My dinner was excellent and was only $16.95! Salad, bread and entree! My wife could eat Salmon every night as it is her favorite. $20.95 also with the salad and bread. Soup can be in place of salad if preferred. As far as the comments about the interior from other reviews, over exaggerated. Yes, the booths are older and could use some reupholstering but nothing that turned us off. That’s the way they were when he, Diego, the new owner took over. I wouldn’t be surprised to see more interior improvements coming in the near future. One reviewer mentioned that a lot of the items on the menu were of Mexican origin. I do believe Diego is from Peru. And if Mexican food items on the menu is a negative then someone please tell it to the TWO Mexican restaurants right down the road that were jammed packed and people waiting outside when we passed both places at 7:00 on the way to 39 Degrees! We use to be able to walk in to those two places at any time without a reservation. Not any more!! So I guess the owner has been reading all of the reviews because it seems he has addressed some of the negative comments as far as service and personality are concerned. I was a little surprised to see the chef/owner not in the kitchen but rather here and there in the dining area. I’m sure he wants to keep his eye on things but he should trust and let his manager take care of the front while he prepares meals and makes sure everything comes out as ordered and is plated properly as some of the reviewers had some issue with that. Once again, we had no issues and truly enjoyed ourselves. Btw….BYOB! Sorry for the long review but a lot of the negative comments are really not justified in our opinion. Just one last thing. If Diego IS reading his reviews, he or his manager should respond to them as soon as possible. Both positive...

My girlfriend and I chose to come to this restaurant today to try something new. The restaurant is very nice and has a retro feel to it. The menu has a decent variety which we appreciated. I tried the Matcha and Pistachio Pancakes which was NOT GOOD at all to me. My girlfriend also tried them and agreed they were not good. Due to the dissatisfaction, I barely ate the pancakes which came with strawberries and berries on top. I expressed my dissatisfaction to my waitress and she stated she would talk to the manager about it. Several minutes later a gentleman with a 39 North T-Shirt approached our table and said “everything ok?” I went on to tell him that I did not like the pancakes, his immediate response was “would you like a box?” This was a bizarre comment to make when someone is telling you they do not like something. I told him no and he proceeded to walk off. Before he went too far my girlfriend asked him “are you the manager?” He then said yes I am. Not sure as to why he didn’t initially introduce himself as the manager. Once he said this I recommended for the pancakes to be omitted from the bill, instead of trying to satisfy the customer, he told me “this is one of highest sellers” and asked me questions as though I was under an interrogation. He asked me the following questions:

What did you not like about? Do you know what Matcha is?

These comments and questions were irrelevant to my taste buds. Simply, if I don’t like it, I don’t like it. After the back and forth between me and the manager, which we discovered is the actual owner, he told me he would take care of it and removed my plate from the table. Several minutes later our waitress returned to the table with an itemized bill which displayed a charge for “a strawberry fruit bowl”. This was extremely petty. So because I recommended to have the pancakes omitted he still attempted to charge me $8 for the strawberries and berries which were also uneaten. How do you try to charge separately for something that is already included within the meal? Not to mention, if the pancakes are $16…how do you charge $8 for just the strawberries on top? Needless to say, he never returned to the table and my girlfriend and I had to walk up to him to inquire about the mysterious charge. He went on to say “yeah, you ate the berries and strawberries”, I told him I did not. He then grabbed the menu to highlight that the pancakes come with berries and strawberries which was already understood and I brought up the fact that the berries and strawberries do not have a separate price. He finally said ok and omitted the strawberry fruit bowl from my bill. This was absolutely ridiculous, I have never experienced such pettiness and unprofessional at an establishment in my life. Not once did he try to me satisfy me as a customer. He was unaccommodating and never asked if I wanted to try anything else or assist with making anything right. Before this my girlfriend and I discussed returning to try more menu items but after today’s interaction with the manager/owner who never gave us his name, we will...

My daughter and I decided to try out 39° North since it changed ownership. We’d gone to Horizon for decades. First thing, the table we were seated at was dirty. We had ordered water with lemon and there were coffee stains on the table. As I looked around I noticed the new owner didn’t do much to change the aesthetics of the place, there are some patches on the walls, the ceilings are peeling around the vents, and most of the furniture looked ragged. The waitress was not very personable, she almost seemed like she didn’t want to be there. After delivering our drinks to the table didn’t offer us her name, any specials, drinking straws or personality whatsoever. She took our order and a few minutes later places a platter with our fried Mac and cheese bites, with no appetizer plates, or napkins, and one of the “bites” was deconstructed. Their cook there needs to work on his/her plating. They were mediocre. I asked the waitress for more napkins because the app was quite messy without a plate. My plate arrived a few minutes later, it was delicious. The cook had made a mistake on my daughter’s order and hers came out a few minutes after. It still wasn’t done correctly. Any other diner/restaurant in the area has amped up their service this time of year. For the menu and the amount we paid, we were highly disappointed and...