The Normal Restaurant and Bar — Restaurant in Tempe

Last Wednesday we planned to grab a bite at The Normal before we saw a show at the Gammage. It was our first time there. We went to what looked like the restaurant, but were confused by a sign in the window that said "Closed". After investigation we discovered that the pub was opened, but in a different part of the hotel. The management needs to make the "closed" sign clearer for patrons who are not familiar with the lay out of the place. We didn't have reservations, but we were there early and were seated on the patio right away. It was great. From the beginning the staff was charming, personable and eager to please. We especially liked Kayla who, although was not yet a full-fledged server, was funny, helpful, and solicitous. Later Alex, the manager, stopped by all the tables near us and chatted with the patrons. He was interested in how folks were doing and was sincerely looking to be sure everyone was satisfied. We enjoyed the atmosphere and warm welcome we got. We all ordered drinks, both mixed and beer. The beer selection was adequate with a variety of draft and bottled beer. My friend and I both had mixed drinks they were good. I had a dark and stormy that was delicious. We didn't order apps. Three of us ordered burgers and one person ordered the Mac and cheese with crispy Brussel sprouts. For the price, the burgers were good. The meat patty wasn't huge, but we were fine with that. The fries were very much to the liking of three of us. They were the thin variety and VERY crispy. I loved them and although I never eat all the fries, I finished mine!!! My friend who prefers them softer wasn't as impressed. The Mac and cheese was mild in flavor and suitable to the person who ordered it. But the crispy Brussel sprouts were excellent!!!!! They came on top of the Mac and cheese and added crunch and pizazz to the mild flavor of the Mac and cheese. After our meal we got to sample the cheesecake. It was creamy, slightly lemony and the fruit topping was a perfect addition. We really loved sitting on the patio and watching the activity around us. The restaurant is across a busy intersection from the maroon parking lot at the Gammage, which is where we parked. It was a very easy walk. I would suggest more umbrellas for the tables as the sun is bright and at that time of day quite warm. The breeze was perfect! Overall, this restaurant is convenient to the Gammage, well managed, and staff is very friendly. The food is good for what it is. If you are looking for an elite, high-end eatery, you may want to look elsewhere, but if you are looking for a comfortable, reasonably priced pub atmosphere, you will most likely be happy with The Normal. We will go back and look forward to sampling other options...

WARNING - UNDERCOOKED MEAT!! Our experience with this diner located across from Gammage used to be quite good. They offer a discount for theater-goers on the night of performances, and since we are season ticket holders, we enjoyed that discount regularly. The food is reasonably priced, and it is one of the few locations convenient to walk to after parking (a must, since traffic and parking can be a nightmare on show nights if you don't get there quite early). Our last three visits, however, have been problematic. The first problem was several months ago and involved an extremely long wait for our food. When the burger I ordered finally got there, I was prepared to wolf it down just to make it to our show on time. However, it was basically seared on the outside and completely raw on the inside. There was not enough time to have them fix it prior to our show. They did remove the charge from our bill and provided a 25% discount coupon for a future visit. The next visit there, I ordered a salmon, and it was raw in the middle. We sent it back, and they threw my partially-eaten salmon back on the grill and then brought it out to me again (I've never had this happen before, as restaurants usually make a whole new meal, but I didn't have a problem with this - just thought it was different.) I don't recall if we were given a discount for this mistake. The last visit was only a few days ago, and given our more recent experiences, I ordered my burger well done (I usually like it medium well). The burger was medium on one half and rare on the other half. I asked for the manager. A harried woman who clearly had been in the back cooking came to our table. I told her that this was our third visit where grossly undercooked food had come to our table, and while we had good experiences in the past, we considered 3 visits over several months in which we were served dangerously undercooked meat to be our breaking point. I told her we would not likely be back, but that I felt management should be aware of the risk to customers presented by consistently undercooked meat. She listened politely, said she would "uh... fix it," and left. I was seriously underwhelmed with her response. Honestly, I don't think she cared. They did comp the burger. If we go back, we won't order any meats... but it's unlikely we'll go back. If they are that inattentive to foods with the highest risk of food-borne illness, I can't imagine what else goes on in their kitchen. Maybe the situation is different on nights they do not have a Gammage rush, but I can't...

Normal Bar Dining Room lacks capability to serve Gammage Show partons in a timely manner:

My wife, daughter, a friend and I have been Season Ticket Holders at Gammage Shows on Sundays for about 15 years. Historically, we would arrive at about 5pm and have dinner at the Normal Diner before the 630pm show. When Mr Chris Bianco took over the Normal, our initial experience was very positive. Menu items were much improved and the food was good. We had high hopes that good things would continue and then...

Yesterday, 24 Mar 19, we arrived at the Normal at 5pm to find the larger East Dining Room closed. We then found the signs indicating that you're serving in the Normal Bar West Dining Room only, starting at 3pm. We noted with disappointment that west room is a lot smaller than the east room, food was actually coming from the east room kitchen (a longer walk for your wait staff), there were empty tables (because the kitchen was back logged) and your manager directed the hostess NOT to seat more customers as he couldn't handle the business. We realized we wouldn't be seated & served before show start at 630pm, so we had to leave.

We were disappointed in the changes you made in your operation. You've reduced your ability to quickly & efficiently serve Gammage patrons on show weekend-nights by not using the larger eastern room. We believe the bar dining area is not effective as a evening dining room, particularly for Gammage patrons who are on a deadline to get to the show before curtain call.

Your change is a bad decision. You had a captive Gammage clientele as your restaurant is the closest one to the theater. As it is now, we can't depend upon getting seated & served in your smaller, less effective space and still make our show on time. So, unfortunately, you have lost the 4 of us as regular-Gammage-clientele. And, I'll be advising others that I know that: The Normal is no longer a good choice for a meal prior to the Gammage show as you cannot handle the traffic in your bar dining room in a timely manner. We are very disappointed in your change...