The Mill on Round Lake — Restaurant in Town of Malta

I must admit that when the food is ok or even good but the charges are so ridiculous as to be insulting, the entire meal is now soured for me. When I could eat or drink the same meal in Brooklyn NY for half the price, the meal is then ruined.

This past Sunday, we stopped in for lunch on our long drive home. Our first option, The Ugly Rooster, had a line so long, they had a complimentary coffee and water station set up outside. Thoughtful and appreciated. The Mill was about 3-5 miles away and we were in a rush so we moved onward. No lines.

First, let me say that the wait staff was lovely. They were attentive, expedient, and kind. The individual who greeted and seated us, not so much. The place was relatively empty bc they had just opened and over the time we were there I didn't see any hospitality from him toward anyone. No friendly smile, no eye contact, no greeting at all -just "how many?" And "no, you can't sit outside, people keep asking but it's supposed to rain"(it never rained and there were only 3 tables seated. Sir, please pull your under wear out of your crack before arriving to work). He was clearly irritated at this question. How do I know? He made eye contact and grunted. Our initial introduction was not good.

For an appetizer we order the Piggy Bites. It was crunchy and sweet and I loved it, though there was so much sauce on it that i needed to wipe them on a napkin. The hubby didn't like it bc it was heavily coated in sweet stickiness. The cost was $16. For our main entrees, we had the Piggy Figgy Burger and the Roadhouse Burger, both without the bun. Both were cooked to medium, when we asked for medium rare but we were fine with that. Flavor and texture of the meat alone was on point. The Piggy Figgy has the potential to be something uniquely good but it is far from that. Mixing a strong garlic mayo based sauce with fig jam, bacon, onions, cheese and arugula results in a very confused dish. The flavor profile was confused but it was the overall slimy texture that ruined it. To eat it, I had to scrape off as much goop as possible. The husband said his burger was just ok, not flavorful and not worth the $$. Each burgers was $19. We chose Cole slaw as the side and I disliked it greatly. There was a flavor in there that did not belong, much like soap. My husband didn't like his portion either bc it was "strange" but he ate it anyway, saying he was still hungry.

When the bill came the insult arrived. The cost of the food was expected. The charge for beverages was disgusting. I ordered a cup of black tea. I received luke warm water with a Lipton tea bag. The water was so cool there was foam bubbles on top.I was so cold (AC was pumping ) and in need of caffeine that I didn't care. The small cup went down fast bc again it was not hot. Soon after, I ordered a refill. I honestly never expected it to be the same way. I should have said something regarding the first cup but I truly felt that the first was an error since they had just opened and there was no way that could happen twice. It did. One Lipton tea bag in tap water. The charge $9. What in the actual ballsy hell is that? The husband had ordered unsweetened ice tea. No charge for the refill. Again, what in the hell is that? $4 for an ice tea, which by the way requires more effort and less product than my mop water tea. All together our bill was about $72 for lunch.

If the irritable and unfriendly door bouncer/slash/ host is also the owner the bill fits his personality.

I am always amused when a restaurant charges what they believe to be fair market prices for Manhattan when they exist off the side of the road in a small town. I will further add that in Manhattan, where real estate prices are through the rough leading to higher menu chargers, a $19 burger, includes, fries, Cole slaw and a pickle. Maybe the Mill needs to charge more to pay for those expensive ten cent tea bags.

Please treat your customers with the respect they deserve starting with the host and extending to...

Often call and place exactly the same if not almost the same order. Live local to the restaurant. Great for dinner on the way home. Called for a PickUp order. Order was a Bacon Cheeseburger Med Well with Lettuce Tomato and Onion. And Chicken tenders with BBQ sauce. Went and paid. Picked up sealed bag and went home. Got home to find a Hamburger with Lettuce tomato and onion. So I called and just had them remake it. No problem. Didn't want anything in return. And did receive adequate customer service by the girl at the bar to fix it and get it made again for me to pick up again. Super happy still at this point in the service. No big deal. Go pick up another sealed bag from her at the bar. With confidence, she hands it to me with an apology and a smile. I say its totally cool no worries. Leave with sealed bag and get home. To open find the exact same thing. Just a random hamburger Luke warm with its lettuce, tomato and onion. So I call back to tell they girl she won't believe it. She is super sorry. Which it ain't her fault. No Bacon Cheese burger ever got made. Even tho she printed a new ticket to correct the mistake. She puts me on hold. To where the kitchen manager(according to her) picks up the phone. Where I ask to simply not be charged for my meal at all. He says yep he can do that. Then with NO APOLOGY. Says "is that all". I drove back to the restaurant a third time to bring both Burgers Back. And tell the bar girl she is still awesome in my book. And tell her is was taken back by the Disrespectful canter of the (kitchen manager). I obviously have upset someone there. And all I've ever done is place to go orders. Had a couple family events there too. Spent good money at the restaurant. After this experience I won't be going there for dinner any time soon. When spending 16$ to 17$ plus tax for one meal, People in general expect what they ordered to be CORRECT. And when was the last time you ordered...

In person, no doubt this place is a 4 or 5 star experience.

Unfortunately I can not say the same about Togo. 2 times in a row I have ordered Togo orders for pickup. Both times not only were the orders very wrong but cold! I ordered a BBQ chicken sandwich that comes with lettuce, tomatoes and onions. What i received was a bun with a cold and fatty 1/3 of a chicken breast on it. That's it. That was all that was in the box for 22$...... a toasted bun and plain chunk of cold chicken. The other food in the same order wasn't even the correct order, but it had the correct receipt/order taped to it. After driving 20 mins there and back , im not going to waste more time going back, complaining, waiting for it to be re made, then driving 20 mins home to eat super late at night. What was supposed to be a good alternative to cooking dinner after a long day 2 times in a row was an un edible mess. I will not be ordering to go again from there.

Like I said before, tho, in person, the outdoor seating and indoor is a great atmosphere and great service. 99% of the time in person, you have a great meal and experience.

Don't waste your money....