Restaurant Reviews
Eating out can be a trial when you have allergies. Sometimes I just don't want to deal with all of it and will just take medicine and hope for the best, but when the staff of a restaurant are willing to be helpful and take care of me, that is a restaurant I will come back to again.
Tumbleweed Cafe,
and Fish and Chips
Rating: * 1/5 (food quality/presentation)
October 15, '08
The Tumbleweed Cafe is the second restaurant opened by the owners of the Tumbleweed Cafe found in Hurricane UT. It was built on the location of the Bishops Restaurant that finally closed after decades of service. The Bishops Restaurant was a nice place where the food was plentiful, rustic, and simple. A place that was patronized by many of the older citizens that lived nearby as well as truck drivers and tourists who stayed in the nearby hotel. I had fond memories of going to Bishops with my father when I was younger so I was pleased when I saw that a cafe had taken it's place and determined to visit.
It was obvious once we entered that there had been a complete remodel of the place. The cement floors had been repaired, stained, stamped with their logo, and then lacquered to a high polish. The booths, tables, and chairs were all new and looked comfortable. The blinds were open and the place was cheerful and well lite. Rather then a bar there was a half wall that separated the staff work area from the tables. All in all it was nicely done and pleasant.
We were greeted shortly upon entering, shown to a booth in the corner, and handed a menu. The prices shocked me. I had never seen a cafe menu in the area with an average price of $10+ for lunch. For that matter the breakfast menu was of a comparable price and the dinner menu only went up. When the waitress asked what we would like to drink I asked for my usual water with lemon (I hate sugary drinks) and then before she could leave asked her opinion on the menu; what did she recommend since we have never been there before? She recommended their Halibut Fish and Chips (signature dish), Buffalo Burger, Fresh Salmon with Yam Fries, the Salad was "very good" according to her as was the Clam Chowder (their only soup), and on the dinner menu she recommended the pork chops. The fish and chips sounded quite good as I love halibut as did the Salmon, conditionally. I let her know that I have allergies and needed to know if there was milk in the batter of the fish. I also wanted to know if the Salmon was farmed or wild (I suspected it wasn't) as I didn't care for farmed. After a trip to the kitchen she came back and confirmed there was milk in the batter on the fish but the Salmon was wild, surprised I ordered the Salmon. My husband ordered their Monte Crisco; a turkey, ham, and cheese sandwich they battered, deep fried, and sprinkled with powdered sugar. She assured him that it was really great and took our order to the kitchen.
The first thing to come out of the kitchen was the salad and roll that came with my order. I had thought to ask her to remove the cheese but had forgotten the croutons and she had to take it back. My husband checked and discovered that the spread with the roll was a whipped butter so I began with a dry roll. She returned quickly with a new salad sans croutons (and the lemon slices she had forgotten earlier) and I prepared to eat only to find several rotten leaves on the mix. Showing them to the waitress she returned it immediately for the second time and returned with a new salad which looked much better on the surface. I had barely had time to apply the dressing however when the main courses arrived.
I put the salad aside immediately to eat my salmon while it was still hot. One bite and I discovered that my salad wasn't the only part wrong with the meal, it was most defiantly farmed, not wild, it was also unseasoned. The side of Yam Fries were disappointing too and likewise unseasoned. Sliced too thick and without any salt, they were very bland. To top off the disappointing meal, the fruit side looked as if they had done as little as possible to fit the required description; one slice of cantaloupe and orange which were both still on the peel/rind, and a small bunch of some of the smallest grapes I have ever seen, likewise still on the vine. After eating half of the salmon anyway I set it aside and returned to my salad only to discover a few more rotten leaves that had been hidden inside. Setting them aside and checking carefully for more I finished off most of the salad and the boiled egg that had been split and served with it, the egg being the best part of the meal.
At first my husband was more lucky and quite enjoyed the deep fried sandwich. As it cooled he became less and less pleased and the thick batter became hard and greasy on the outside and gummy on the inside. According to him it was very little sandwich and a lot of poorly cooked french toast batter. Nor did the berry jalapeno dipping sauce that came with it have any real heat, a disapointment. He felt it was a great idea that was poorly executed. My husband also received a similar serving of fruit which he passed to me (except for the grapes) and "Fresh Coleslaw". He couldn't figure out what he didn't like about the slaw so I tried it against my better judgment. It was chopped cabbage with shredded carrots that had been tossed in a light dressing and served immediately rather then being allowed to brine first, it had also not been seasoned with even salt. A theme for the restaurant it seems.
We paid our tip (she earned it) and check and went our way hungry. In my opinion the Tumbleweed cafe is a cafe only in it's serving three meals and offering breakfast till 2pm. The menu and pricing were defiantly not of a cafe style nor are their kitchen staff capable of preparing what had been asked of them. If you find yourself nearby and needing a meal I would not recommend stopping. The atmosphere may be bright and cheerful and the wait staff friendly and helpful but they misrepresent themselves to anyone expecting a cafe and their food is simply not worth it.
910 W Red Cliffs Dr
Washington, UT 84780 Map
- (435) 251-9932