Anyone eaten here yet? the menu looks Yummy....
http://thebungalowonpark.com/menu.html
The atmosphere reminds me of several places in old houses in Elizabeth in Charlotte, NC
Didn't this place serve German fare several years ago? Just informed my wife that we're trying it out tomorrow.......
Quote from: uptowngirl on August 29, 2008, 04:36:44 PM
Anyone eaten here yet? the menu looks Yummy....
http://thebungalowonpark.com/menu.html
The atmosphere reminds me of several places in old houses in Elizabeth in Charlotte, NC
Oh man... I gotta try this place!! :)
;D wow definitely a place to remember when ppl ask, "so is there anything good in 5 pts/riverside anymore? AFTER 6 pm?" lol jk
JC Staff Member Cindy Stutzman went when it first opened and had many kudos.
http://www.jacksonvilleconfidential.com/2008/08/bungalow-on-park-preview.html
Quote from: blizz01 on August 29, 2008, 04:59:28 PM
Didn't this place serve German fare several years ago? Just informed my wife that we're trying it out tomorrow.......
It has been a German Restaurant, and The Eucalyptus Tea Room (they had a big Eucalyptus tree in front), also art gallery. There have been a lot of businesses in that building.
It is a charming space.
The menu looks great. I cant wait to try this place out. I could even be carbon neutral and walk there. ;)
Somebody post a review if they try it this weekend.
We ate brunch there this last Sunday, it was excellent. We had the crabcake benedict, and the spinach/feta omelete. The food, staff, and environment were great. We said it reminded us of a little cafe we used to go to in NOLA, called Elizabeth's. We will go back and recommend it to everyone!
Quote from: Downtown Dweller on September 02, 2008, 07:19:53 PM
We ate brunch there this last Sunday, it was excellent. We had the crabcake benedict, and the spinach/feta omelete. The food, staff, and environment were great. We said it reminded us of a little cafe we used to go to in NOLA, called Elizabeth's. We will go back and recommend it to everyone!
Thanks for the review... as I said earlier... I will be there!
Quote from: Downtown Dweller on September 02, 2008, 07:19:53 PM
We ate brunch there this last Sunday, it was excellent. We had the crabcake benedict, and the spinach/feta omelete. The food, staff, and environment were great. We said it reminded us of a little cafe we used to go to in NOLA, called Elizabeth's. We will go back and recommend it to everyone!
Thanks for the review. It sounds like a little place I used to go to in Atlanta. I will try it this weekend.
Hey Bungalow Bill, what did you kill, Bungalow Bill...
We went to the Bungalow on Saturday prior to going to the Riverside Art Festival (which was really well done). We opted to eat outside in the rear courtyard. The overhanging trees from the neighbors yard(s) provide ample shade. The service was great, the food was great (albeit, the portions seemed small, but, I think they were supposed to be as the pricing was in line). I would certainly go back. All of the local artwork is for sale & they provide plenty of parking.
The preserves are awesome, but I still like Brick and Mongos for brunch best
QuoteThe preserves are awesome, but I still like Brick and Mongos for brunch best
hmm, I'm curious about Mongo's - they've now opened a new location in Fleming Island (where the owners reside) with another spot yet(?) to be named in the Southside/SJTC area. I've heard that they may vacate the Landing, but I cannot confirm (hope not; maybe they can support 3)...............
We went there for brunch last Sunday. Man, what a disappointment!
Though we were promptly seated when we walked in, it took the waiter the better part of 20 minutes to show up at the table. I brushed it off, since they were busy, and figured they were new and still learning the ropes.
So, it being brunch, I ordered a split of the Kenwood Yulupa sparkling wine. The waiter came back with a glass of sparking wine, which was totally flat. Again, I decided to brush it off since they're new and all, and figured I'd live with it. But then I took a sip and it was just nasty, like a flat bottle of Asti Spumante that had sat open for 3 days. There was no way I was going to drink it, and there was no way it was what I had ordered. So I managed to snag the waiter and told him that it wasn't what I ordered, it must be something else. He argued with me for a minute, before finally admitting that, yes, they had run out of the Kenwood Yulupa, and had substituted a bottom-of-the-barrel freixenet cava split instead.
Now this was irritating, for a few reasons. First, they were deceptive about it, and tried to pawn off something that costs $0.79 at Costco in lieu of the significantly more expensive item I'd ordered, and then gambled on me not knowing the difference while fully intending to charge me the full price. Cava is such nasty stuff that no restaurant actually serves it, and I'm guessing they only had it around because it's the cheapest thing they could find to use in the mimosas. They get an "F -" for this one. That's just shady, and they clearly tried to rip me off. They had several other sparkling wines in stock, and should have substituted one that was equally as good or better than what I'd ordered, rather than trying to pass off cheap rot-gut that isn't even on the menu, while still charging me full price.
Then secondly, when I brought it to their attention (and there's no way you wouldn't notice the difference, trust me, it wasn't just me being picky), they tried to argue with me rather than taking responsibility for it. The guy finally agreed to take it off the bill, and I ordered a different glass of wine which actually turned out ok. But they get another "F -" on this one, for trying to argue about it when they got busted. If you get caught with your pants down, just make it right and move on.
So after getting off to kind of a rocky start, we placed our orders and hoped things would get better from there. I chose the "Steak Benedict" for the not-so-bargain-price of $18.99. Now, it's worth noting that we got there around noon, and by the time the waiter took our orders it was around 1pm. It had already been a full hour just to get to that point.
The food finally showed up at around 1:40pm, 40 minutes after we ordered. For $18.99, what I received was a single small plate containing one Publix english muffin sliced into two halves, with one single strip of thin sliced deli ham (not canadian bacon as stated on the menu) laid on top, and with a single overcooked egg sitting on top of that. Sprinkled around the plate were at most 6 or 7 small cubes of chopped up thin steak that would make shoe-leather look tender. The whole thing was cold and dried-out, and there was no hollandaise as stated on the menu. Strikingly for a $19 breakfast item, my dish came with no sides. No potatoes, no grits, no toast, no bacon. Nothing.
So I asked for some hollandaise, and the server again starts arguing with me telling me "it comes with hollandaise already on it". I said "Exactly. Why don't you show me where it is?". After looking at the plate and seeing no hollandaise, he disappeared for ten minutes and came back with a single ramekin containing 1/4" of cold and congealed sauce at the bottom of it.
Now at this point, I'd had it. My friends' meals were equally as crappy as mine, and nobody wanted to eat the overpriced terrible food. So I asked for the check, paid the $60+ bill (for WHAT??), and I even left the waiter a tip he most certainly didn't deserve. Then we walked a block down the street to Cool Moose and had some real food. While we were sitting just inside the door, the group of 3 from the table that had been seated next to us at Bungalow walked by and the girl recognized me from there, stuck her head in the door and smiled, and said "Oh I see you guys are finally getting some real breakfast, huh? That place sucked, we're going to swing by McDonalds on the way home."
This was a terrible experience, and is 2 hours of my life that I really want back. And the thing is, even if it weren't for the crappy service, I still would have felt ripped off by the horribly low value that you get for the high prices they charge. And the food's awful on top of it. I definitely won't be back, and wouldn't recommend this place at all. It's overpriced, slow, and the food sucks.
Welcome Chris... Thanks for the review. I havent gone yet but did have every intention of going. having real reservations now... :(
Wow, Im definately not going to waste my time trying it. My parents had went a few weeks ago and said the service was horrible and they waited forever for some cold food that was horrible and overpriced.
Yeah, this is a neat forum, it's nice to have something like this here locally. I'm glad I found it, but can't believe I never ran across it earlier!
As to Bungalow, yeah, if you are considering going there you might wanaa give it a couple months to let them work the bugs out. They really don't have their act together at all, and only time will tell if that will change or not.
I checked out the menu when it opened. Seems very overpriced.
Quote from: alta on October 25, 2008, 12:38:03 PM
I checked out the menu when it opened. Seems very overpriced.
Oh it's definitely overpriced.
There are one or two things on the menu that aren't as overpriced as other things, like the omelettes which are only $7.99 or so, but 90% of the menu is just way too expensive for what it is. And you know that without even seeing the food, it's obvious just from reading the menu. It would be like seeing a burger on the menu at TGI Fridays for $37, your eyes immediately land on it as a typo. Most of Bungalow's menu is that way, except sadly it's not a typo.
And when you do get the food, you realize it's just the same frozen Sysco-supplied crapola that you could get at anywhere for 1/2 the price, and it will make you almost angry. The place is a total rip.
Like I said, maybe they will turn it around with time, but that remains to be seen. As it sits right now, I wouldn't recommend the place to anyone. Especially not with the Moose a block down the street.
My wife and I ate there last Sunday as well...
And I don't want to hammer on them too much.
But, we didn't have a very good experience either. We can stick to the Metro and be much happier and eat for much cheaper.
The atmosphere was nice, but the first thing that happened... we walked in and there were multiple empty seats, but the girl sat us by the door.... not just by the door, I thought I was going to have to move my chair to let someone in.... and as last Sunday was a little bit cooler than normal, every time the door opened I was getting a chill. Of course we asked to move, but it was kind of handled weird and I don't like to have to ask that.... they should have asked us if it was ok to sit us there....
Things didn't get better from there....
Overpriced - bad service, lousy food not a good formula for long term success
As a carnivore I had a hard time finding anything on the menu. The marinated steak tips weren't bad, but 12 dollars for an app? Meh.
My vegan & veggie only friends seemed to have enjoyed it though. Plus the veggie pizza was pretty tasty, so maybe this place is geared towards that crowd. They probably should expand their menu a little bit to cater to a wider variety ......the location is great though, about halfway through my friend's birthday party I was able to sneak out and walk down park ave to European St for some bold city brew and beer cheese soup!
The atmosphere is very cozy, similar to Row but with way more art decking the halls. The service I had was great, very helpful so no complaints there. I say give them a few months to get everything up to speed and try it again.
Quote from: David on October 25, 2008, 02:57:39 PM
As a carnivore I had a hard time finding anything on the menu. The marinated steak tips weren't bad, but 12 dollars for an app? Meh.
My vegan & veggie only friends seemed to have enjoyed it though. Plus the veggie pizza was pretty tasty, so maybe this place is geared towards that crowd. They probably should expand their menu a little bit to cater to a wider variety ......the location is great though, about halfway through my friend's birthday party I was able to sneak out and walk down park ave to European St for some bold city brew and beer cheese soup!
The atmosphere is very cozy, similar to Row but with way more art decking the halls. The service I had was great, very helpful so no complaints there. I say give them a few months to get everything up to speed and try it again.
I'll give them a few months to lower the prices.
Quote from: David on October 25, 2008, 02:57:39 PM
As a carnivore I had a hard time finding anything on the menu. The marinated steak tips weren't bad, but 12 dollars for an app? Meh.
My vegan & veggie only friends seemed to have enjoyed it though. Plus the veggie pizza was pretty tasty, so maybe this place is geared towards that crowd. They probably should expand their menu a little bit to cater to a wider variety ......the location is great though, about halfway through my friend's birthday party I was able to sneak out and walk down park ave to European St for some bold city brew and beer cheese soup!
The atmosphere is very cozy, similar to Row but with way more art decking the halls. The service I had was great, very helpful so no complaints there. I say give them a few months to get everything up to speed and try it again.
Your vegan friends probably liked it because, in this city of somewhere around a million people, you can count the number of restaurants that cater to them on one hand and still have a couple fingers to spare. When it comes to being vegan in Jacksonville, I think it's pretty much a case of "anything's better than nothing".
And I relate with the part of your post about it being in walking distance to other restaurants, since that's about the only good thing I could think to say about it. At least we didn't have to try to find another parking spot when we finally walked out after wasting two hours waiting for bad food and crappy service, since the Moose is right down the block.
I also relate with the other poster, who was seated at a terrible table even though the place was wide open. I had forgotten about this part of our 'experience' until the other poster mentioned the same thing, but now his post reminded me of it. I was there that same Sunday, and he's right, it wasn't busy. Yet for whatever reason they walked us past a slew of empty tables and sat us in a tiny back room next to a very loud table of 6 or 8 women who had just got out of church, and were having a mimosa-fueled debate over why Proposition 2 is important and how the liberal court system needs to be shut down.
Then as if that wasn't annoying enough, they managed to squeeze another group of 3 people into the table on the other side of us (this was the group we later saw at the Moose). Now, this room is maybe (and I mean MAYBE) 8' X 8 or 8' X 10'. And that's probably being generous. Meanwhile, the whole front two rooms that we had to walk through to get back there had almost every table open.
Just like the other guy, I hate complaining about the table in restaurants, so I kept my mouth shut. I had an ex who would pull that silly routine, where every time we went out to eat we would wind up moving tables at least once, and every time we checked into a hotel we'd move rooms because there was always something 'wrong' with the first one. I hated that, and now I don't say anything even when I probably should.
In any event, Bungalow really did seem to go out of their way to seat people at the worst tables in the place, even when it's wide open. Made no sense.
Your point about vegans and vegetarians is totally valid.
I went to eat with a group of 20 about 3 weeks ago. The service was good. The food is prolly a little overpriced for what you get, but they deem themselves an artsy, chef-owned restauatnt....so that's kinda what i expect at the "food = art" places. the food was good, just not enough of it.
we had went there for brunch and had an omelet and some tofu,veggie dish and it was pretty good, but did dinner there as well and my wife really loved it but i was on the fence the food and presentation didn't match the price we were paying but i would go back for brunch but then again i have simple tastes when it comes to breakfast.
Rumor has it that this place isnt gonna be around for much longer.
Quote from: jacksonvilleconfidential on November 14, 2008, 02:15:09 PM
Rumor has it that this place isnt gonna be around for much longer.
No surprise. I was pretty disappointed by it when I visited.
The overall concensus is it the price doesn't match the food. (which is why i stuck to the cheap-skate 12 dollar apps)
Maybe if they could tweak a few things that would help business. I do like the atmosphere a lot.
Quote from: David on November 14, 2008, 02:41:49 PM
The overall concensus is it the price doesn't match the food. (which is why i stuck to the cheap-skate 12 dollar apps)
Maybe if they could tweak a few things that would help business. I do like the atmosphere a lot.
Too bad we went when it first opened and it was really good, although a little spendy
Quote from: jacksonvilleconfidential on November 14, 2008, 02:15:09 PM
Rumor has it that this place isnt gonna be around for much longer.
That doesn't surprise me at all...the food sucked, the service was awful, and the prices were just plain insane. I won't miss the $19 eggs benedict with no side items, the $14 appetizers, or the wine list where most glasses are priced above what you'd pay retail for the entire bottle. Not to mention the food quality was total rubbish.
The Bungalow on Park CLOSED today.
http://www.jacksonvilleconfidential.com/2008/12/bungalow-on-park-closed.html
I have to feel bad for the employees in a situation like this, as they're now without a job so close to Christmas. That is sad, and I hope they are ok, especially with the bounced paychecks.
But other than that, it's "Good Riddance" as far as I'm concerned. This place sucked donkey balls. The service was bad, the food was even worse, and the prices were of the "this has got to be a joke" variety. R.I.P.
No big shock.
Well, word has it that the owner's father has now come in and bailed him out, and that the place is back open again.
It did look like it was open over the weekend
When I road by there last night during Luminaries the owner was out there and told some people that came up that they were not serving customers. He then told them they were just riding out the rest of the year and starting fresh with the New Year.
Ask Pom's what unrealistic pricing will do to your business.
For my wife and me, the issue wasn't pricing. It was the fact that a full hour after we ordered we still had not received our food. I'll need to see some glowing reviews of this place next year before we even consider giving it another shot.
Agreed, Traveller. I went there with a group of 6 about a 2 months ago, opting for it as it was new over E Street. The service was awful. I had considered stiffing the waiter--and I'm someone who usually tips 30% if I have found nothing to gripe about.
I don't mind paying for good food, but this was truly just average stuff I could have made in my kitchen, and have it be HOT and even semi-inspired.
Loved the atmosphere. Anyone with restaurant management experience wanna take it over? Please??
Well, I really hope they take note of everything that's be written about them on the web, because everybody hates the place for the exact same reasons. There's not even any difference of opinion, everyone noticed the exact same problems, and had the exact same complaints: that the service sucks, the place is way overpriced, and the food is mediocre quality.
So, honestly this is a unique opportunity for them. Having been a business owner back before the era of today's omnipresent blogosphere, I can say that having this kind of feedback would prove extremely valuable. You normally aren't blessed with a list of everything that you're doing wrong.
The reviews and anticipation were very good at the beginning of this thread. Page one is all positive... Its not like no one gave it a chance...
This just in (via email from the owner) - Bungalow has "re-opened"
http://www.jacksonvilleconfidential.com/2009/01/bungalow-on-park-open-but-closed-on.html
Quote from: jacksonvilleconfidential on January 26, 2009, 01:25:56 PM
This just in (via email from the owner) - Bungalow has "re-opened"
http://www.jacksonvilleconfidential.com/2009/01/bungalow-on-park-open-but-closed-on.html
Nice, but as a suggestion...I think a train would have been more appropriate than a car...LOL
Any new reviews on the Bungalow on Park?
It looks like they've revamped their menu:
http://www.thebungalowonpark.com/menu.html
I'm attending a birthday dinner there in the middle of next week so i'm looking forward to my 3rd visit. The menu looks more carnivore & wallet friendly since the re-opening.
anyone been here lately?
I think they have redeemed themselves.
Full review here - turned out WAY longer than I expected - sorry
http://reviewjax.blogspot.com/ (http://reviewjax.blogspot.com/)
I wouldn't make it a regular spot just yet, but last time I was there I paid 13 dollars for 4 strips of bland steak strips. Small portions too as it was an app, but last night I had the cajun meatloaf (16) which wasn't bad. Fairly tasty actually. Plus I ordered it with mash potatoes and tater tots which caused numerous napoleon dynamite references to come up. (give me some tots!, gah)
Their lunch menu looks more up my alley so I'm I'll try it out sometime next week. I just hope they can pull in more business for diner. Because if it weren't for our party of 15+, there might've been a total of 6 people in the joint.
P.S. The Captain Crunch chicken should try harder.
Quote from: stephElf on February 26, 2009, 10:23:10 AM
I think they have redeemed themselves.
Full review here - turned out WAY longer than I expected - sorry
http://reviewjax.blogspot.com/ (http://reviewjax.blogspot.com/)
That's a neat blog you've got there. I will enjoy reading your stuff as you post more things to it.
As to bungalow, meh. I still don't know if I will ever go back to that place. When I tried it out, the experience was downright "twilight-zone".
Reading your review, it sounds like they might have increased their portion sizes in response to everybody's complaints about having to basically eat your food with tweezers. So that's definitely a step in the right direction.
But your writing makes it pretty clear that the things I originally didn't like about the place, like the mediocre food quality, the stingy portions on side items, food coming out cold, etc., are all still going on. I may give the place another shot, but I need to see people getting "wowed" by it first. Your review reads more like "I really WANT to like this place, but it has some issues..."
I feel you on the twilight zone vibe. I think having more than a handful of people in the restaurant at one time could remedy that. What you said about wanting to like it is pretty dead on, it's probably because it's not a chain and my lil friend elf and I like to see local establishments succeed.
The only minus from my last visit is they didn't have the veggie pizza on the menu and I liked it a lot, which says a lot since 90% of my diet is cow, poultry and bread. They are changing up their menu seasonally though, so that gives them the flexibility to try different entrees and see what works.
Thanks Chris!
""I really WANT to like this place, but it has some issues..."
and that's about accurate ;D
I still want to try sitting out back there on a nice day for brunch or happy hour.
This is probably my alcoholic tendencies speaking here but I really think the place could benefit greatly from having at least a small bar. Maybe out back in the patio area if there isn't room for one inside.
Very true about the bar suggestion. One thing I found amusing was they offered PBR on the beer menu.
Nothing like a 22 dollar entree and some PBR, woo! But that just shows they're thinking about the locals. I'm not complaning about it at all, but I try to relish the exquisite full-bodied flavor enhancing bubbly of PBR at one of the Riverside dives usually.
PBR - now thats rich!
Certainly not somewhere I'll be spending my money....over priced and overcooked food....yuck!
Quote from: stephendare on March 28, 2009, 11:21:05 AM
Well, Shawn from an unamed service establishment just came back kvetching about eggs that couldnt be cut with a knife and toast so dry that it could soak up all the flooding in fargo.
He's still pissed talking about it.
Apparently they complained and not only did they not get the MRP minimum service treatment (money back and nominal apology) but they simply stared at his egg bubblegum and charged them anyways.
No manager was sent over, no nothing.
Big shocker there. Same thing happened to me when I went. Crappy food, crappy service, and they really don't seem to care. I can't understand why the place is still open, honestly. Everyone...and I mean EVERYONE...I've ever heard has been there hated the place.
As to the MRP "service", I guess at least Shawn didn't get assaulted and kicked out of the restaurant, so I guess that's a step in the right direction...hehehe
I've only eaten at "Bungalow on Barf" one time and my experience was the same. Food was horribly overcooked, service was way sub par. Waiter spent more time flirting with a girl than waiting. Jax confidential's reviewers weren't far off the mark. :-\
"Bungalow on Barf"...hehe...that's a good one! ;D
Next time you see the Bungle on Park sign in the road way, park, politely turn the dead soldier over and walk over to E-street for items you know and trust.
Bungalow had a packed patio today at lunch. It seems that some people like it!
I hope they got the hint.. I wanted to try to like it..
Quote from: David on April 09, 2009, 04:47:57 PM
Bungalow had a packed patio today at lunch. It seems that some people like it!
Must be LOLA's...
The Jacksonville LOLAs will convince themselves that dog-food is great, and will flock across the bridge from Ortega in droves if you throw in a little pretentious atmosphere and charge high prices.
2 people there tonight versus 20 at E-street, at 9:30. I give Bungle 6 more months....then its the way of 1171....
E-street's had a heck of a good bar crowd going lately. The few times I've been there late recently, it's really been hopping.
If the trend keeps up, they're going to become a real bar/night spot.
........... IS closed.
http://www.jacksonvilleconfidential.com/2009/05/bunglaow-on-park-officially-closed.html
And nothing of value was lost....
I ate at this place with a group from work the day after it first opened, a year ago. What a total freak show.
The only thing that surprised me when I heard this train-wreck closed was that it lasted as long as it did.