Dayblock or Freehouse

I prefer dayblock by far.

 

In my opinion, Day Block generally brews much better beer than The Freehouse (not that either is going to stand out in a positive way in ratings), but I prefer the food and ambiance at The Freehouse. The Freehouse is from the Blue Plate restaurant group (The Lowry, Longfellow Grill, Scusi, etc.), which knows what it's doing when it comes to designing and operating restaurants. I'd choose Day Block if everyone in the group appreciates good beer and The Freehouse if anybody's indifferent to the beer.

 

Beer: Day Block > Freehouse.

Though neither one really impressed me that much. The beers weren't bad by any means, nothing really stood out. But DB has had some beers I would like to try.

Food: Freehouse > Day Block.

The food at both was good. The 2 times I went to DB, they only had pizza (I noticed they have sandwiches now). Which was good. But FH has more options.

Crowd: Day Block > Freehouse.

This is NOT a bash against Freehouse. But if you're a uptight pretentious looking d-bag, you'll fit right in.

 

Seconded. I'm also remembering something about the Blue Plate group screwing over their wait staff with the tips. I can't remember exactly what it was but I remember a bunch of folks got all up in arms about it earlier this year.

 

I assume you're referring to the fact that Blue Plate briefly withheld credit card processing fees from servers' tips from customers who pay with credit cards. These are fees that Blue Plate has to pay the credit card company (i.e., Blue Plate doesn't pocket them), and it is both legal and standard practice among larger restaurant groups to withhold these fees from servers' tips. These are very small fees from the perspective of the server but add up significantly to the restaurant owner across all tips among multiple restaurants. Many individual restaurants don't withhold them mainly because they lack the systems or financial sophistication to do so. Nonetheless, that common sense explanation for the policy held little sway among the rabble rousers at CityPages. Anyway, Blue Plate caved to public pressure and reversed this policy almost immediately upon implementing it a few months ago (and increased its wages at the same time to above market rates). If you're looking for a Blue Plate scandal, look to the fact that they advertised discounts to people for voting in the 2010 election before being gently reminded by the authorities that paying for votes is, you know, illegal (they ended up giving the discounts to everybody regardless of voting participation). Reversing course upon bad press is Blue Plate's modus operandi, whether they are right or wrong. See also the fact that they briefly charged remarkably high prices for macro pale lagers (in an effort to encourage patrons to try their own beers) upon The Freehouse's inception before facing an avalanche of bad press.

As for the pretentious crowd, I'd call that a function of the yuppie, foodie North Loop neighborhood. The Freehouse actually is a lesser offender in that regard compared to neighbors like Bar La Grassa, Borough, Smack Shack, Sapor, etc. (all of which serve more highly critically regarded food).

 

Assume the bill is $100, the tip is $20 and the credit card processing fee is 2%. Using these numbers the restaurant is saving 2% of their total revenue from the transaction by taking 10% the servers compensation from the transaction. Doesn't seem like a particularly fair business arrangement to me and its not hard to see who has the leverage when it comes to "negotiating" this arrangement. I get that there are some costs to the business associated with administering the process but forcing all of the cost back onto the server is over the line IMO especially when the convenience of credit card payment is the expected norm in this type of operation. Maybe a 50/50 split of the fees would be more appropriate? Or maybe in the interest of employee morale and public perception the business could just build the fees into the labor cost structure and pricing.

For the record I have never worked in the service industry and currently work in a very "corporate" job. Also not mean't to come across as attacking Islay either. Just commenting on what appears to be a curious business practice.

Sorry for the thread derail. For a casual outing in my experience Day Block fits the bill pretty well. If your New Years Eve lunch is more of a formal tradition then from posts above sounds like Freehouse (never been there) may be more appropriate.

 

Day Block easy. I was not impressed much by Freehouse when I was there. The beer was ok. The food was nothing special.
Day Block's beer is good, but nothing that blows you away. The pizzas are really good though. The apps are rather hit and miss, but I've been there multiple times and never not wanted to go back.

 

I know this is something of a side topic, but this is a very real business issue to at least one brewery (The Freehouse) named in this thread. To set the record straight, the 2% fee that Blue Plate was withholding from the tips was just for the portion of the payment that constituted the tip. Blue Plate has always paid the fee that applies to the rest of the bill. In your example, Blue Plate would receive $98 of net revenue ($100 minus $2 in fees), the server would receive $19.60 of net revenue ($20 tip minus $0.40 in fees), and the credit card company would receive $2.40 of revenue ($120 * 2%). Blue Plate and the server would be splitting the total fee 50/50... if the tip were 100%. Anyway, again, that policy lasted for a few days after the storm of public criticism hit.

The business can't just build the fees into the labor cost structure because, in Minnesota, unlike most other states, servers qualify for full minimum wage (despite making well over minimum wage after tips), which presently is above market levels (so there's no way to reduce wages to cover the credit card fees, aside of course from hiring fewer employees). In practice, part of these fees (and the minimum wage) gets passed along to customers via higher prices, and part gets eaten by the ownership (which, indirectly, affects servers as a group because a less profitable company facing higher labor costs will hire fewer workers). I also have no restaurant industry experience and no stake in the argument other than a general desire for sound economic and business practices and policy.

 

I take it neither is not an option?

 

I just went to day block for the first time and thought there beer was solid, really enjoyed the Mole Porter. Also thought the pizzas were delicious, can't speak to Freehouse unfortunately.

 

Agree with the general sentiment here. The beer at Dayblock is much better.

And on that note, personally, it's a getting a little more annoying each time going to Groveland and seeing 4 or 5 lines occupied by Freehouse beers. Obviously it's their prerogative, but as a beer drinker, better choices are being excluded in favor of the fairly mediocre Freehouse options.

 

While I definitely agree with the sentiment, GeezLynn, sometimes that $2.50 price is pretty damn nice, even if I know I'll be getting something pretty mediocre.

 

Fair point. Mostly squawking about the number of taps.

 

I think the Freehouse is a waste of time. The beer is generally disappointing and the food is subpar (and annoyingly named). I have yet to make it down to Dayblock, but it wouldn't have to do much to be more impressive than Freehouse.

 

How about neither. Try a place like Birchwood Cafe, excellent food your wives will enjoy and beer from plenty of local breweries like Surly, Indeed, etc... Pork Belly sandwich is awesome.

 

Lol, yes it is.

 

Birchwood Cafe is indeed a nice suggestion- I would also throw Northbound in the mx. I think the food there is top notch, their beer is decent plus many nice guest taps. Smoked meat and good beer, can't go wrong!

 

Wow.

I've never been to Freehouse but if people think Dayblock is somehow better then I'm going to stay far, far away.

Last time I was there, 3 of the 4 beers I tried were offensively infected; 2 of diacetyl and 1 lacto. They need a new maid.

 

Diacetyl is not an infection but a by-product of normal fermentation. Regardless, probably not something you'd want to detect in most beers - though Day Block does many English-style ales.