Down On Mainstreet — Restaurant in Washington

Alright, so first up, the wait for a table wasn't too bad, maybe like 15 or 20 minutes. After getting seated, we started with the appetizer....the crab dip. Honestly, it didn't look that great, and taste-wise? Yeah, it tasted exactly how it looked, like it was missing... something. Just fell flat. The bread they gave you to dip with wasn't bad though, that was okay. Then came the gumbo. Man, I'm still not even sure what that was supposed to be. It seriously needed work. Zero depth of flavor. And the sausage? It added absolutely nothing, and looked suspiciously like chopped-up hot dogs. Not good. The crab cakes were just... alright. Nothing special, nothing terrible just dry and kind of salty. Honestly, you could probably grab some from Publix or Harris teeter, bake 'em at home, and they'd taste better. Seriously. BUT, the shining star of the whole plate? Those sweet potato fries. They were perfectly balanced, perfectly seasoned. That was actually a really nice surprise. The okra was pretty standard okra, like you'd get anywhere, you'd be fine with that. Now, the water? Yeah, avoid that. It tasted... thick, somehow? You could just tell it came straight from the tap, maybe through some filter that desperately needs cleaning. Just skip the water. Oh, and my date got the shrimp and grits – she said she did enjoy those, thankfully. But, and this is key, she said she wouldn't be going back either. Even with liking the grits, she felt everything else just left a bad taste in her mouth... no pun intended! Overall feeling? I left pretty unhappy, really wishing the food had been better for me. It was definitely busy in there, and the staff were hustling, keeping up with how chaotic and hectic it was. They were really moving. But honestly, it was hard to tell who even worked there with so many people coming in and out of the kitchen area. And with that front and back entrance thing, watch out for flies around your food – guess they can't help that, but still. Anyway, bottom line is neither of us will be going back., Just not my cup of tea at all, and apparently not hers either, she felt bad because she wanted to go here for a while and took me out here for my birthday and it ended up being very...

This was the absolute worst grouper I’ve ever had. After just two or three bites, I decided it was awful. When it arrived at the table, it already looked dry and was coated in what seemed to be Old Bay seasoning. I grew up eating grouper, and this neither looked nor tasted like it—just gross!

The coleslaw was practically drowning in a mayonnaise-based liquid. It was clear that the cook had lost their passion for cooking—especially on this day.

On a positive note, our server, Grace, was fantastic. She sincerely apologized for the poor quality of the meal and was upfront about the kitchen having both good and bad days.

My granddaughter’s bowtie pasta with mushrooms wasn’t any better. It was swimming in sauce, almost overflowing from the bowl, to the point where you could barely see the pasta. The presentation was awful. She let me taste it, and it was just as bad—bland and lacking flavor. After one or two bites, she put her fork down and got really quiet, which told me everything I needed to know. It was especially disappointing since this was her birthday dinner.

I barely touched my dish and told Grace I didn’t want it. She left the table, and that’s when my wife put the fish in a container, saying she’d give it to the dogs when we got home. Grace kindly offered me another meal or even dessert, but by then, I had completely lost my appetite and didn’t want to take another chance. Besides, we don’t eat sweets.

Did they take anything off the bill? Nope. That would’ve been a pleasant surprise, but I don’t expect anything for free these days. I wasn’t expecting it, but still, a $66 bill for such a disappointing meal stung. We did, however, leave Grace a full tip because she was great. I had to edit this after I got home because I really didn't put everything that I wanted to put in the review because I hastily wrote the initial review while I was still in the restaurant.

Would I ever go back?...

Been hearing about Down On Main street for awhile now but had never had the opportunity to go. The wife and I were downtown tonight finishing up some last minute gifts that the wife had not had chance to do. We were walking down the sidewalk when she said, Let's go. Nice place, nice atmosphere and nice people. I ordered their club sandwich and the wife got herself some cheese fries. It was not liking at all before our order was in the table. I got fries with my sandwich and they were hot, crispy and delicious. The sandwich was quite a handful. My wife says that I have a big mouth, but I couldn't get it opened up big enough to get a whole bite. I had to put it down on the plate and give it a good hard press, just so I could take a bite. The fries, stayed warm and crispy the whole meal, from the first one to the last. My wife's did the same. Even covered up with all that cheese, they stayed crispy as well. I know this because she gave me one, a few minutes in, and I stole the last one on the plate when she wasn't looking. I gave her a couple bites of my sandwich so I thought I deserved it. We both finished our plates, first time in a long time. She washed hers down with an ice cold coke and I with a glass of lemonade, not to tart, not to sweet, just right. Our server Brooks, was a very pleasant, very informative and very professional young lady. She told us that some kids had an accident and maybe ate so much that they couldn't hold it all, and after running around, had made a mess at the bottom of the stairs. That was why she was on her hands and knees, scrubbing it up, when we walked in. Goes to show that she is not afraid to handle the tough stuff in order for the people that choose to eat at that fine establishment. I will be returning again, this time,...