Twisted Spoke

At that point, I would have given them a piece of my mind. Sheffields did that to me once, but they gave us free drinks all night as an apology

 

Long post with lots of good points and bad points. Here's my take:

At least you admit it.

Which is it? Either he doesn't care, or he's lazy. To let stuff go like that for so long is inexcusable, and the menu has a huge effect on the success of a restaurant. Here's just one of the 20 things I found searching around for 5 minutes:

http://www.restaurantinformer.com/2009/10/the-importance-of-menu-design/

So by not caring about the menu, you've set the tone of the restaurant/bar, and what should I as the customer take away from that then?

You and every other beer bar. I don't think you're going to get any sympathy there.

Awesome. Keep up the good work. You could ask any of my friends, and they'll tell you how much I used to talk about your place, so don't be offended, but you needed some tough love. Don't let the new-found enthusiasm die out, and maybe I'll make my way back over there to check out the progress.

Cheers.

 

Touché. I've never met the owner when there, but I've mentioned it to the wait staff. But you are correct. Posting here isn't going to make any difference. But what other reason are people on this forum to do besides airing their opinions

They do, but isn't it still a hassle to ask about 7 or 8 beers every time I come in that are not in stock? Especially on the waitstaff's end that has to run and check every time? It makes more work on both ends.

I enjoy Hop Leaf, I'm just saying that with the way the craft beer scene has blown up in the past couple years in Chicago, there are better ways than to have "Ask your server about availability" listings on menus. Most of those beers don't stay long as it is. So why have them listed for the other 51 weeks out of the year? I'm not going to go to a bar just because of what I find on Beer Menus. We all know it can be inaccurate. But the physical menu once I'm at the bar is another story.

[*thinks of idea for bar with iPad menus at every table networked into stocking database but can't find insurance policy that will cover drunks spilling beer on them]

 

In most online forums, I'd agree. But, based on cliff's response above, posting here sometimes does yield some results. I've also gotten PM responses from Flat 12 about comments I've made here, the Pipeworks guys are active here, and obviously Vav from LP Binny's is very active here.

I'm not saying that every bar owner should be lurking BA or RB. But somewhere that wants itself known for beer - like Hopleaf - should probably peek in every once in a while.

 

On the other hand, Hopleaf has been open for ~25 years without, as far as I can tell, checking in on these sites. Michael and Louise seem to have a pretty good handle on how to run their business without needing to crowd source other ideas/suggestions.

 

I apologize to using Hopleaf as an example. It was all based on somehow being navigated to their very old website with working links to old menu pdf's. It seems that they do have some bottles on their list that are not always available but it does not compare with the situation at Twisted Spoke. I've never been disappointed in Hopleaf except when I was stupid enough to rush over based on an old menu.

 

I love this place. I frequent it....but last night (Friday 9/21) I was very disappointed. I ordered Parabola, $10 a glass, with my wife. When we got the beer, i tasted it and it was 100% not parabola. I've had Parabola many times and what I was served was not Parabola. I thought maybe I just got an incorrect pour and mentioned it to our server. He first said that I was wrong...but then checked after I insisted. The beer ended up being FW Reserve Porter. Parabola had run out. I have no problem with a beer kicking and a bar putting on another beer...but inform your staff that they are no longer selling a 10 dollar beer.

Instead, a buddy that was in there earlier in the night was charged 10 bucks for Reserve Porter. He texted me and said, "they have parabola - but i think its too cold, tastes like any other stout". I assume he was served the wrong beer too. And the kicker...and why I decided to post this....was after I called them out, I saw the bar tender serve another guy "parabola" for $10 just before I left.

I don't think that Spoke is doing anything shady. I honestly think that there is just no communication going on. It's sad because I love this place.

 

So, any progress on TS?
I'll be in the area in a weeks time and was thinking of popping in. Whats the new verdict?

 

Is that list online, or is that being reworked too?

Even if they don't have a reserve beer list, do they have some reserve beers in house? Is there a secret password to getting something rare?

 

To be fair to them, they actually did have pretty much all those beers in house as late as last year July.

 

People in the thread are talking like it's been years since the list was updated, when it's pretty much been the last 6-9 months.

 

Well, I went back last night, but it still wasn't a good experience. The only thing different was the lack of a reserve beer list, which (when it was accurate) was one of the coolest reasons to go there.

A friend and I stopped by around 10pm. It wasn't too crowded, so we grabbed seats at the bar and checked out the menu. Almost nothing was right. My friend stuck out on his first two requests, and when he asked what was on tap, they told him to take a look, but several of them were just generic handles from breweries. So we had to ask again...

"What's the Southern Tier beer?"

"What's that Green Flash handle?"

My friend isn't as experienced with beer as I am. He can't define a beer or a brewery from the tap handle the way a lot of us could, so he asked me if we could just go, but I was able to convince him to stay for one beer.

This is the message Twisted Spoke is sending with their attitude towards their menu. This was the first time my friend had ever been there, and I don't see him, or myself, going back any time soon.