The Glade 4.0

So I had to take a late lunch today and I went to a place I frequent pretty often: Buffalo Wild Wings. I love their traditional wings, their dry rubs, and sauces. Today I decided to stray from my norm and ordered their traditional bratwurst (and yes I do pronounce it "brought versed").

They are served in pairs, on a nicely toasted roll, with cheese, sauerkraut, and dijon mustard. Despite my German heritage, I am not a fan of sauerkraut so I ordered them sans 'kraut. Blasphemy to some, but those folks can kiss it.

My food arrives about 10 minutes later. Almost everything looks right. The buns like nicely toasted. The sausages are split down the middle with the mustard adoring it. However, two things were wrong with the picture. No cheese and... the sausages were small and pink.

They didn't look like brats. They didn't taste like brats. I know brats can have a variety of shapes, forms, and colors, but these... these looked suspiciously like hot dogs and tasted like them too.

I asked the server if these were in fact the brats from the menu (I know she got the order right, I saw her right it down). She said she was pretty sure. I mentioned the "no cheese" thing as well and then she started second guessing what the cooks gave her. Without me asking, she took it back to the kitchen.

There, another chef told her that they were in fact hot dogs. I don't know if the line cook had never seen a bratwurst, or if he was figuring that a lametard who ordered one without 'kraut doesn't deserve a brat and "wouldn't know the difference anyway" or what.

To the restaurant's credit, they were the nicest displayed hot dogs I've ever seen. But a hot dog is still a hot dog compared to a brat.

They brought out the real stuff another 5 minutes or so later. Finally I saw the gray sausages I was expecting to see. The server was nice enough and took the price of my drink off the menu (I told her she didn't have to do that, I am NOT one of those folks who try to weasel their way into getting free stuff). She apologized a lot, but I told her I knew it wasn't her fault and that I even understood, as I've worked in the restaurant industry before as well. Stuff happens. It's no big deal and not the end of the world.

Moral of the story: If your bratwurst is small and pink you may just have received an expensive, fancy, hot dog.

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Les Zombis et les Loups-Garous!

Funny, but when i spent a summer in Berlin, when I would get bratwurst form some sausage stand, they'd always resemble a hot dog or a weisswurst more than my traditional Wisconsin bratwurst. That may have been perculiar to the Berlin region, though, since the Wikipedia page on bratwurst has them looking a little more like what I think of as a brat.

And, don't worry, we never put sauerkraut on our bratwurst, growing up. Maybe that's just because we ate enough sauerkraut at other times.

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This cold and dark tormented hell
Is all I`ll ever know
So when you get to heaven
May the devil be the judge

Coulda just as easily been bockwurst/knockwurst too (although probably not at Buffalo Wild Wings), and those are pretty darn good eatin'.

I also won't fault you for not eating the kraut, definitely an acquired taste. A quarter of the Wisconsin folks I know won't touch the stuff either. And also as a Wisconsinite, I'm not going to fault you for putting cheese on bratwurst anything.

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Your problem is that you frequent Buffalo Wild Wings and are thus convinced they offer quality food ... at all.

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Quality and deliciousness are independent variables.

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“The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government.” - Thomas Paine

I prefer my chicken without bacteria colonies, thank you.

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So ranch, and not bleu cheese.

Gotcha.

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Holy shitsnacks!

Depends on the wings, actually, as to which dressing they get. Good wings don't need something that covers up their flavor.

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This is true of most food. I generally shun dipping sauces and condiments.

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“The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government.” - Thomas Paine

I still like Mustard on my dogs.

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Raell Kromwell

Oh, I missed my quote where I said they offered quality food. Just because someone pays a 10 dollar prostitute doesn't mean they have to dislike the experience.

On the flip side, I am also convinced Ruth's Chris also offers low quality and overpriced and overrated food. A sizzling plate and bread crumb scrapers does not a great restaurant make.

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Les Zombis et les Loups-Garous!

Numbuk:

There are very few restaurants where I cannot find something edible, insofar as I can eat it and be mostly pleased. I've ordered the same thing in 3 different Buffalo Wild Wings in 3 different states to the same effect: raw, still cold chicken with burnt breading on the outside. I also concur about Ruth's Chris Steakhouse; I'm not a fan. If I wanted my meat speed cooked on a conveyor belt over extreme heat, I'd go to Carl Jr.'s, Hardee's, or Burger King.

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I have never had a problem with the food at Buffalo Wild Wings, other than the lack of variety in things to have with the wings. What I HAVE had a problem with in both Ohio and Texas is the appallingly slow service.

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

+1

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“The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government.” - Thomas Paine