J Maries Speakeasy & Supper Club

After seeing a coupon on doubletakedeals.com from Clipper Magazine, my wife & I decided to try J.Marie’s Olive Branch Food & Sprits on Wilmington Pike (not in the city of West Chester) on Friday, 6/10/11. I feel it is my obligation to explain our visit. It is the worst dining experience we have ever had. Even though they are changing themes to a “1920s style speakeasy & supper club,” I recommend never eating at this restaurant.
1. Facility
a. Entire dining room closed for painting on a Friday night. We had to sit in the bar
b. Single page, wrinkled, stained paper menus
c. Air vent in bar caked with dirt & filth
d. Musty & Old smell
e. Rolled up carpet in bar leaning against TV
f. Beer cooler doors caked with built-up dirt
g. See into kitchen through a porthole in the wall where we could see the cook. Halfway through our meal, the screen was closed
h. Bathroom door didn’t lock
2. Service
a. We ordered a glass of wine. The “house wine” is Corbett Canyon, and it was not cold, so the bartender plunged it into an ice chest (I pray it’s wasn’t ice that will be used in drinks). It didn’t get cold, but was served anyway. It was $8 for this wine. At the liquor store next door, we can get an entire magnum for $10. Not a good start to our evening.
b. Before taking our order, the bartender went to the convenience store next door (Wawa), buying a sandwich (kept on a barstool) along with club soda and other supplies for the bar. Don’t they stock it? Why is he not eating the food at the restaurant?
c. We were the only patrons, yet my wife’s wine glass lay empty for 10 minutes before being offered a refill. Then, when the bartender’s friends came in the bar, he made drinks for all 4 of them before finally getting around to my wife’s drink again.
d. No bread served with dinner
e. When the owner (presumably) came in, she showed a handwritten menu with “limited items that the cook could prepare” to the bartender’s friends. We were presented with a full menu and received old, low quality food
f. No dessert offered
g. Despite sitting at bar, and only 8 other patrons by this point, they held our credit card for 10 minutes, and the gal who took it was seen outside at one point
3. Food & Drink
a. Our meatball appetizer was clearly not freshly made – one was cold in the middle
b. Our caponata was clearly not fresh – it looked like a pile of rubbish, was barely warm, and the few slices of bread we received were untoasted
c. The pasta intensely oily and overcooked
d. Chicken specialty, at $20, was three sliced extraordinarily overcooked, dry, and 3-day-old slices of chicken rolls. An enormous disappointment.