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I was disappointed with my experience at Hippodrome's encore.
Unfortunately, the meal and service missed the mark in several ways.
The seating wasn't very comfortable, the chair was awkward, and the table felt unusually high, making it difficult to enjoy the meal. Service was also lacking. At one point, our server sat down at the bar, and I ended up getting my own drinks instead of receiving table service.
The atmosphere also took away from the experience. While we were still eating, the manager was vacuuming around our table, which felt disruptive, I don't believe they were trying to close because it was around 5:30 PM. In addition, a customer at the bar was loudly making racist remarks while talking at length with the bartender. It created an uncomfortable environment and detracted from what should have been an enjoyable meal.
I ordered the grilled chicken caprese, but it arrived without one of the signature ingredients: tomato. I looked at the menu and sure enough it doesn't list tomato as a part of the dish. Which is interesting because that is one of the hallmark ingredients to a caprese. The dish was also overwhelmed with sauce and grease, which made it heavy rather than flavorful. The biggest issue, however, was the chicken itself. It had the tough, fibrous "woody" texture that makes chicken nearly impossible to eat. I almost never send food back, but in this case, I had no choice because it was simply inedible. I didn't want anything else from the kitchen and was more than ready to leave. I ended up not having anything else for dinner because my stomach hurt for the rest of the evening.
The one bright spot was the fries they were crispy, well-seasoned, and easily the best part of the meal.
Overall, this visit was disappointing. Between the poor service, the disruptive atmosphere, and an inedible entrée, I don't feel the experience justified the cost. I hope the restaurant improves its quality control and guest experience because it has the potential to be much better.