We went to Coal Vines in Southlake on Saturday night with some friends and found a great new place to get pizza and wine! It is a great concept – a wine bar that boasts gourmet pizza and a fun atmosphere. Wine Bars in general tend to have a little bit of a pretentious atmosphere about them and usually don’t serve much more than cheese, fruit and bruchetta and sometimes salads. Pizza places like to serve beer -- if you are lucky you can get a glass of cheap table wine. Coal Vines gives the best of both worlds. And the pizza was fabulous! We split the White Pizza Special which was ricotta, mozzarella, garlic and tomato slices on what was arguably the best crust I have ever eaten. It was thin, crispy on the bottom, with about a ¼ inch of chewy soft texture under all the toppings. The wine selection was equally good, with a variety of prices. The only negative about the experience was the wait -- the hostess told us it would be 30 minutes and after 45 minutes and seeing about 4 tables that were empty we went up and had to ask to be seated. They have patio seating and this is a great place for a casual date or to go with a group. The prices were good - $15 for a large pizza which we split between 4 people.
Guest Post by RJS
3 comments:
In today's world of a crashing economy, we all work hard for our money and want value for our spend. Too bad Coal Vines does not have servers who work hard for their money or care about the value of customers. At a guest check average of $60 for two, we expected, at least, one table follow-up, a thank you, condiments, refills, or even a "I'm gonna ignore you because I can . . ."
What a very disappointing experience (on a slow night even). While the food could have saved the experience, the absolute disregard for basic customer service and lack of mgmt. awareness was so extreme that for the first time in years, I did not tip the waiter. I predict that this Southlake newbie will "bite the dust" within a year as customers will not return to spend their hard earned money at an establishment that treats their customers so carelessly. Poor value for your hard-earned money! Go to the neighboring Central Market and buy a gourmet pizza and wine for half the cost and definitely a lot less frustration.
Lori -- sorry you didn't like it. That post was written almost a year ago and in the restaurant business, especially in new areas, that can be a long time. Any one can have a bad night, if it's a pattern you can be assured they will be gone before long.
I love Central Market but their pizza, at least the ones I have had, are god-awful.
Thanks for the comment, and if we steered you wrong, I apologize.
Coal Vines in Southlake is one of my favorite places to eat! Lori, I would suggest you try it again because you must have gone on a very off night. You must of had a new server. I have been to Coal Vines on many occasions since it has opened and I have had times that were better than others, but I have never had an experience like the one you described. My husband and I even spent our last anniversary there. I have a feeling they will not "bite the dust" as you said. On a different note, comparing Coal Vines Pizza to Central Market Pizza is like comparing a steak from the grocery store to a steak from Bob's Steakhouse. It's not even on the same playing field.
Post a Comment