Tool's Restaurant — Restaurant in Town of Bethlehem

It's rare that a place and server deserved zero tip but just a tour de force here. If you're not a local (which I am) and if you are not known to them, don't waste your time.

If they did one single thing right I would've tipped out of obligation because I've served and bussed tables before. Not here. Every item of food took forever, we were served after people who came before us, and the food came out cold except my son's $10 kids meal hot dog (fries were cold).

The bar for my expectations and deserving a diner tip are very low. For example, if any single one thing they messed up just wasn't messed up, then I would've left a tip.

Like warm food? Tip. The french dip having actually dip/au jus being served with it? Tip. The waitress just not spilling half my kids fries on the floor? Tip. The waitress spilling the fries but actually replacing them? Tip. The waitress at any point before the bill coming back and asking if the boys needed more water? Tip.

The au jus for my French dip was brought out after my wife and two little kids were in the car, and I had been waiting for 10 minutes for my check. No apology or acknowledgment at all.

If you are saying "well why did you stay? Why did you pay? I would've walked out! It's your own fault!" You are correct. But when you have two kids under 4 who are hungry and cranky and you've been to two other places with hour long waits while on the road, the answer is unfortunately "this place or we go without food. Just give me something warm to eat". Little did we know that was not on the menu this Saturday afternoon.

Do yourself a favor. Go to the luncheonette or My Place down the road if you have to stay local, or drive to albany or Selkirk instead. Or Stewart's for...

Tool's has been a homey breakfast spot for decades! Owned I believe, by members and friends of the original owners. It has been modernized and updated very nicely over the past few decades. As prices on just about everything continue to rise, the owners have tried to keep both the menu and the prices low to moderate without loosing that old time flavor. One of my faves is their western egg omelette with chopped, onions, green peppers, with home fries, toast or one of the fantastic cinnamon buns. Oh, and for desert there is home baked delicious carrot cake with yummy butter creme frosting, or s piece of lemon murainge pie, or the coconut creme, pie, all home baked by Ms. Katie! Wow, I'm hungry already, make Tool's a weekly brunch, lunch or dinner habit, you won't...

The door was open, so we walked in. The waitresses yelled, in an unpleasant tone: ""We're closed!" When I pointed out that there was no sign on the door, they shouted, in an equally unpleasant voice that there was a board. The women could have given the same info in a much more pleasant manner. It's not at all clear to me why they wd leave the door open. The message that I re v lived was that I was inconveniencing them even though they had left the door open. They clearly don't care about customers. When I told them that I wouldn't come again because of their behavior, t hh ey shrugged their shoulders and rolled their eyes. STAY AWAY FROM...