GI Migration Week in CA

So glad I decided to skip this. I knew it was going to be a shit show. Sorry guys.

 

hahahaha seriously, especially when SMM is a guaranteed success..

 

Yeah I bailed

 

Got there around 5:30, around 25th in line. Doors were closed but a lot of people were inside already. Throughout the next 90 minutes no explanation of what's going on, line hardly moved, a LOT of insiders being let in through the side door. Tons of GI shirted folks wandering in and grabbing freebies or drinking ahead of the people waiting. 4 oz pour of Prop or Vanilla as part of a $18 "deal." Pie Dog is pretty local to me but they've lost my business until I forgot how poorly run this was.

 

Ouch, 18 bucks for just prop or vanilla? Where they giving out glassware or a shirt with it?

 

Was planning to go but woke up late (work graveyard) and now im glad i didn't. Will try provisions or los alamitos.

 

3 options to access prop or vanilla, but basically you had to spend $18 to access either. 2 options were a pint, a goblet and taster; the other was burger, half order of fries and taster.

Shirts and glassware went to the friends and folks inside. GI could have easily managed the situation by giving stuff out to folks stuck outside in the line, but I'm not a marketing person so don't ask me. Maybe this is the norm for folks to put up with so I'm being overly sensitive - the only reason I bothered is I live around the corner from there.

 

Got in around 6:20ish, got seated next to some cool people, turns out that we all had a nice bottle in each of our cars, we all retrieved them and had a pretty sweet impromptu bottle share. Got free swag as well. Add that to getting drink tickets handed to me a few times and it all worked out great for me.

 

Here at PD now. Waited maybe 10 min to order. $18 for flight that includes either Prop or VN. I passed and ordered glass of Gillian and Coffee for $6 each.

 

The Migration guys are pretty friendly. Offered free shot of Prop to people waiting.

 

I went as well after SMM. Stood in line for almost 3 hours before I got a beer...and that was me getting there at 530.

Prop, VR and coffee were all on point so I'm not mad but it was ran rather poorly. GI was blaming pie dog as they were supposed to get everyone out at 4, but they didn't...or so they said.

 

Went to Pie Dog since this was probably my best shot at Prop without having to trade for it or get it in Chicago. $18 was a bit of a stretch for such a small pour of it, but couldnt complain since it came with beer, hell, the people I went with wound up getting 3 additional actual pours since Pie Dog was so flustered. Wouldve been better to have the pour option t not have to sift through terrible flights or just get such a small pour. Glad I was able to get a glass, no shirt sadly. At least I have toe pleasure of saying that I had Prop and thoroughly enjoyed it. Hope this was a learning experience that it shouldnt be at such a small place and GI should come to LA instead.

 

I don't really get the complaining here. A friend and I arrived around 4:30 or 5 and were part of the first 25. Everyone else had to wait outside, sure, but what other option is there? From the sign posted inside only 97 people or so were legally allowed inside so how could they have handled this differently?

In regards to the side door, I know some people used it to retrieve bottles from their car but I didn't personally see anyone letting their friends in who weren't their (not that im debating whether it happened or not, I'm sure it did).

All of the employees seemed to genuinely want us to have a good time, they were unfortunately just as confused as us some of the time.

$18 for a burger, fries, 5 oz of vanilla rye, and 5 oz of prop though? YES PLEASE.

 

3 pours of prop and one of vanilla. Went smooth.

 

You got all that and only paid $18??? You obviously got the better end of their poor performance. The beer gods look favorably on you.

 

that was one of the options, its what I opted for as well. the burger was damn good too. I had never been to pd, but now knowing they have such a good burger, I'll be sure to stop in again



also, on a side note. GI had a long table that was reserved their reps who weren't working the event. when they saw how crazy packed it was, that whole table of reps gave the table back to pie dog so they could seat more people and the reps went to have drinks down the street. That was pretty cool of them to give up that table, if it wasnt for that I probably would have been out front for another hour +

 

There were a bunch of people who told the staff "oh I have friends in there" and they let them in to sit with their friends, cutting in front of all the people waiting. These were people not already inside, for example there was a group behind me in line who bitched about how everything was handled for about an hour until they did this themselves. That was earlier on though when there was often someone standing by the door. After awhile, no one from Pie Dog was at the door and really anyone could have just walked in and got in line by the bar to order. And yes, people did just walk in, cutting in front of everyone else.

When I got in line, there were about 25 people in front of me (plus maybe 35 people inside at the time), there is no way I should have had to wait 2 hours to get inside and order. Tons of people were allowed to cut by the staff or friends already inside.

I can forgive the slow service (I waited about 45 mins for food) because they were so busy, but they did a piss poor job of dealing with the crowd. It was my first time at Pie Dog and this experience does not make me want to go back.

Sounds like you lucked out on the "combo" it was supposed to be burger, fries and a pour of prop or vanilla.

 

If it was AND, I would've jumped on that. I wasn't interested in the food or the other shelfturd brews included the flight, so $18 for 6oz. pour of either VR or Prop wasn't enticing to me.