NA Exchange

First of all, let me say that my wife and I have really enjoyed NA Exchange since it opened. In addition to being something of regulars for $2 Tuesdays, we have tried many things on the menu and have always been more than happy.
However, we have been busy/out of town for the last month or so and have not been. We decided to go last night for burgers and beer and we were shocked at the difference in both service and portion size. Our table ordered a combined 9 burgers and a few beers. It took well over 35 minutes for the food to come out, and when the burgers were served, the others we brought with us laughed at the size of the burgers. They could not have been more than 2-3 ounces pre-cooked. They were never what I would call large, but at least were always around the size of the bun. Last night, I put both of mine on one bun, and they still did not fill it. We were really disappointed, but due to the time it took to get them we decided to just eat and go for dessert elsewhere since we were all clearly still going to be hungry (also due to the lack of the bread with dipping oil). The fries ordered by the others were cold as well. The chips were the one good mainstay, but those that ordered 2 burgers still got one order of chips.

The service was non-existent for long periods of time. I kept apologizing the others we brought along and talked the place up to.

I really hope this was an off night...I had strong reservations about the quality suffering when Chef Clancy was leaving as we have been fans of his since Bistro NA. I realize it is hard to criticize $2 burgers, but as stated, we have been going since the restaurant's inception and have never had this type of experience.

First of all, let me say that my wife and I have really enjoyed NA Exchange since it opened. In addition to being something of regulars for $2 Tuesdays, we have tried many things on the menu and have always been more than happy.
However, we have been busy/out of town for the last month or so and have not been. We decided to go last night for burgers and beer and we were shocked at the difference in both service and portion size. Our table ordered a combined 9 burgers and a few beers. It took well over 35 minutes for the food to come out, and when the burgers were served, the others we brought with us laughed at the size of the burgers. They could not have been more than 2-3 ounces pre-cooked. They were never what I would call large, but at least were always around the size of the bun. Last night, I put both of mine on one bun, and they still did not fill it. We were really disappointed, but due to the time it took to get them we decided to just eat and go for dessert elsewhere since we were all clearly still going to be hungry (also due to the lack of the bread with dipping oil). The fries ordered by the others were cold as well. The chips were the one good mainstay, but those that ordered 2 burgers still got one order of chips.

The service was non-existent for long periods of time. I kept apologizing the others we brought along and talked the place up to.

I really hope this was an off night...I had strong reservations about the quality suffering when Chef Clancy was leaving as we have been fans of his since Bistro NA. I realize it is hard to criticize $2 burgers, but as stated, we have been going since the restaurant's inception and have never had this type of experience.

Hi Mark! First, let me say that it is regrettable that your most recent visit to NAX was less than stellar. The $2 Tuesday is designed to be a great value (where else can you get a fresh, dressed burger and a Bells for $2?), but I do think you got a bad deal on this night. Sans making excuses, I can say that Tuesday night can be challenging from both a service and food angle (having rocked it out many times, believe me, that grill gets full really quick and there is no difference between 40 small sliders and 40 full size burgers when it comes to execution). Having said that and after talking with Ian, I do think it was perhaps an off night and urge you to stop in and give them another shot. I can also say that my abscence on $2 Tuesday is not a factor as I am sure the actual product has not changed since we opened (maybe your's shrank up on the grill? It happens...) and I have complete confidence in John and Rachel and know that they are rockin it out day in and day out!! Thank you for the input and I'm sure your next visit will exceed your expectations.-Dave

Mark, my apologies for your recent experience at the New Albany Exchange. If service was off and items weren't prepared to you liking I apologize. I wish that we could have resolved this at the time so this wouldn't be put on a public forum as a dissapointent. I was covered up in the kitchen Tuesday night and was not able to be on the floor as much as I would have liked, so for that I am sorry because I promise you that you would have left happy had I known. I always try to touch every table while I am here and I will be the first to admit that I was unable to do that this past tuesday. As for the sliders, we hand patty them to 4 oz. We now prep close to 100 burgers for Tuesday nights so if yours was a bit smaller or cooked up more than others that is an oversight on our end. That promotion was put together to drive traffic and offer our guests a smaller size slider of our Exchange Burger, with the hope that we would gain regular clientele as a new company. As we have grown and gotten busier that promotion has become increasingly more difficult to execute. Just as Dave said, 40 sliders on your grill is no different that 40 Exchange Burgers. So will me make mistakes? Possibly. But please don't judge my restaurant based on a $2 burger promotion. Just as you said you have been here before and enjoyed other items. I just ask that you be fair and share those experience as as well. And I know you have posted about NAX before, but that was about $2 Tuesdays as well. Why not give us a shot on a Friday or Saturday? Enjoy some entrees and drinks and then let us know what you think. As we continue to grow and get busier, we will be reevaluating that promotion. It really is geared toward our regular clientele and giving them an opportunity to come out with their friends and family and have an inexpensive dinner on a Tuesday night and try to enjoy themselves, due to the current economic climate in which we are in, a thank you if you will to those who continue to support the New Albany Exchange. As for the bread, we no longer offer the toasted focaccia as we have added a brushetta to our menu as a starter. Thank you for your support of NAX and please if you ever have any issues in the future feel free to ask for me, as I am always here. Ian

Interesting. Sliders are now quarter pounders.

Just how big is the Exchnage Burger?

My wife and I were at NAX a couple months ago, and it was good. Although it was a light crowd that night, something happened and our beer cheese appetizer got lost for a while, but Ian came out, apologized personally, and took it off our bill. My steak sandwich was great, and my wife enjoyed her meal too.

NAX is a bit far from home for us to become regulars, but I'd have no hesitation going back.

First let me say that I have been to NAX at least a dozen times since they opened under their new format. Obviously I like it! I have been there mostly for lunch but also for dinner a few times. I have not tried the sliders. I love hamburgers but I tend to like them larger and am not tempted by the slider which is described on the menu as I recall as being a smaller version of the burger normally offered.

While I do not doubt that the poster received service that was below typical standards and that the burgers they received did not meet what they regarded as typical based on their own experience at the NAX, I do question the the method the poster chose to address the issue.

I've never been to any restaurant on a regular basis that didn't have bad day occasionally. While I understand that the experience that night did not corroborate the poster's recommendation to fellow guests and that can be embarrassing, the poster's account did not indicate that this was communicated to the staff and therefor no opportunity to salvage the situation was afforded.

I watched this post with interest to see if there would be anyone else jumping on the bandwagon to echo the poster's comments and also to see the response from NAX. To date I saw no one else choosing to pile on. Conversely, both the chef mentioned in the blog (who consults there only at this time) and the owner both expressed their dismay at the poster's experience.

The sad thing is that I have no doubt that the owner was completely dismayed at the poster's experience and I strongly suspect that had the poster asked for a few words with the owner that evening, he may have left with a very different experience overall and would not have felt the need to air his discontent.

We have been to NAX, mostly lunch, and have never been disappointed. That said, I have no reason to doubt the veracity of the OP and can on some level relate to the embarrassment factor. You know, you blab on and on about about a place and then when you finally convince them to go with you, the place swings and misses. That said, I'd give them another try, especially in light of previous good experiences there.

I think my post may have come off as someone looking to trash a restaurant, but that was not my intent. As mentioned we really like NAX and have been often. I probably didn't communicate the actual thought of "have things changed" clearly enough.

I have raved/recommended NAX to MANY MANY friends and family. Since the entire dining experience was so far below all (probably 10-12 times) of our past experiences, we chose to just take our lumps and go forward. If it were just that the burgers were smaller, I have easily chalked that up to cost, or any number of other things, and not even given it another thought. However, complaining about everything (service, portion, etc) on $2 burger night would probably not have made us look like more than a group looking to get something for nothing (and I am quite the opposite).

Ian: I will say, that the fried green tomatoes, gorgonzola steak, fish sandwich on rye, salmon, and the exchange burger are all some of the best dishes in the entire area. It was just really disconcerting to have such a drop. If the initial experience of $2 burgers was this level, I would not have been disappointed; We just simply would not have been in, or sent all of our friends, the following 6 or 7 Tuesdays. All said, we will still be back.

This whole thing points out something that all consumers need to remember: if the only reason you go on the Internet is to post a negative review of a product, service, or business, you're out of balance and you need to think twice about airing your complaints. If you have a bad experience at a place that you normally enjoy or that you've heard lots of good reviews of, assume it's an off night and wait until you have a second bad experience before you post something negative. If there's an issue that you think needs to be brought to the management's attention, do it in person while you're there at the restaurant rather than complaining in a public forum.

The perils of Internet consumer reviews were really brought home to me when I was shopping for a new couch. I found overwhelmingly negative reviews of places like Ashley and Haverty's, but when I talked to people in person who had bought furniture from them, they were mostly satisfied. I realized that, by and large, the only reason people go on the Internet to post a review of a furniture store is if they've had a bad experience. The food crowd at LHB isn't nearly that bad, but the same dynamic can be at play here, and we need to be careful about it.

- If you post more positive reviews than negative ones, don't worry about it and go ahead.
- If you only ever start threads to talk about a negative experience, think carefully before you do.
- If you registered on this forum for the purpose of posting a complaint about a particular restaurant, just don't.

[Robin Garr]

by and large, the only reason people go on the Internet to post a review of a furniture store is if they've had a bad experience. The food crowd at LHB isn't nearly that bad, but the same dynamic can be at play here, and we need to be careful about it.

As the publican of this low saloon on the InfoBahn, I'll agree in part and disagree in part.

Yes, it's good to register your complaint with the manager on the premises first, hoping to get a resolution; or, if tempers are too hot at that point, by phone the next day or as soon as you cool down.

But no, we're not going to pass a rule forbidding negative reviews here. This forum is here to bring food and drink enthusiasts together, both consumers and people in the business, for frank and open talk.

It is NOT LIKE most consumer forums, and in particular the nationally based, corporate restaurant-talk sites, because we require real-name registration from a working Email. By forbidding anonymous reviews and requiring people to sign their remarks; and encouraging restaurateurs to reply and present their case, we go a long way toward bringing order and fairness to the process.

So, yeah, sure, we encourage you to try to settle your beef with a restaurant personally and directly, and then you can report on your happiness.

But we're honestly not here to shill for the industry or protect the industry, even though we have many friends and forum participants in the industry. I'm not going to tell people not to post, and I hope our regular community can tell the difference between a serious negative report and a scummy "fly-by."

What Robin said, plus I went back through a couple of pages of Mark's posts (yes, it is a slow day) and he is generally a pretty agreeable fella and has previously even posted favorably on NAX.in the past..he gets a "get out off jail free" card from me on this one. .

'Winger

I've never understood why restaurant owners or managers take offense if a customer (i.e. someone that PAID to eat in your place) has an issue with service/food/whatever and states that in a public forum. I'm sure it ruffles your feathers and hurts your feelings a bit, but would you REALLY rather be blind to it?? PLUS how many owners/managers are on here SPECIFICALLY to read the reviews of your places?
I'm sorry, but I believe good and bad should be posted. I know there are a few "forum darlings" around here, but I would rather read an honest review (even a bad one) than nothing but sunshine and lolliepops. I think Robin does a great job of keeping this place fair and honest. I appreciate and rely on that. I don't live in Louisville but I do travel there three or four times a month to eat.

I've never understood why restaurant owners or managers take offense if a customer (i.e. someone that PAID to eat in your place) has an issue with service/food/whatever and states that in a public forum. I'm sure it ruffles your feathers and hurts your feelings a bit, but would you REALLY rather be blind to it?? PLUS how many owners/managers are on here SPECIFICALLY to read the reviews of your places?

I think Tony P is a good example of how owners/managers should respond. He responds to most reviews of his places (positive and negative), and when someone has a negative experience, he apologizes for the issue, does not get defensive, and usually says that he'll address the issue with management/servers/bartenders/whoever.

This discussion hits home with me. I have always used Yelp, Urban Spoon, Chow Hound and Trip Advisor to research a restaurant. When I moved to Louisville It did not take me long to find Louisville Hotbytes with their active restaurant forums. It is the only place, for me, to get fair reviews of local restaurants, in a sea of fly-by shootings on the internet/restaurant sites.

Now I am on the restaurant side of these reviews and it certainly has surprised me how unfair some reviewers have been describing their experience at our restaurant. For example we had one guy write a negative review of his disappointment with a take-out pizza purchased at Coals. Using the same review, word for word, but with a different name, he posted, for the first time, on Metromix, Yelp, Urban Spoon, Trip Advisor and Google that he was not happy his takeout pizza was charred. Can you imagine the amount of time it takes to sign up and post for the first time on these sites? It would have taken him less time to tell someone at Coals that his pizza was not to his liking. I even sent a private message explaining that a charred pizza is expected but we would be happy to make him another pizza with less char. Never heard a word from him...

I've never understood why restaurant owners or managers take offense if a customer (i.e. someone that PAID to eat in your place) has an issue with service/food/whatever and states that in a public forum. I'm sure it ruffles your feathers and hurts your feelings a bit, but would you REALLY rather be blind to it?? PLUS how many owners/managers are on here SPECIFICALLY to read the reviews of your places?

I think the issue is that in most cases the issue would be revolved in the restaurant at the time it happened if the customer had discussed the issue with the manager. What the business owners don't like is being blindsided in a public forum was an issue that they knew nothing about. If the problem had been pointed out to them at the time it occurred and hadn't been resolved satisfactorily it's one thing but if they don't know about it they can't resolve the problem. The amount of damage done in a public forum is normally disproportional to the degree of the problem. I've found that most restaurants are more than willing to work with you to resolve any problems that occur.