After hearing from numerous locals that I just had to eat at Drayton Street’s Treylor Park Hitch, I finally made the trip, albeit I didn’t have the same excellent experience that others seem to have. I called ahead to see if my three friends and I should place a reservation, but the hostess reassured us walking in would be fine. Ten minutes later when we did just that, we were told it would be a twenty-minute wait.
Looking around, I saw that there were numerous tables unoccupied. Having served in the restaurant business in high school, I understood that sometimes the hostess waits to seat sections so a server isn’t overwhelmed. But then why did they discourage us from making a reservation, which would have cut down on the time we had to wait in-person?
Shrugging off this service infraction, we took the opportunity to order a happy hour drink at the bar. When the bartender finally acknowledged us, my guy friend from out of town, Tom, leaned over to ask what she recommended for newcomers.
She simply responded, “Everything’s good here,” without even a glance up or a smile. I can’t say she earned the twenty percent tip we still left out of habit.
As I slurped the last of my Moscow Mule, the hostess finally led us to a high-top. That was when I saw the menu. Normally, I would look the menu up before going to a restaurant, but having heard so many promising reviews I felt that was unnecessary. For carnivores, the menu drips in tantalizing options; for vegetarians, only disappointment.
Feeling that the restaurant’s meat specialization would inherently result in delicious mac and cheese, I ordered that. But somehow, the restaurant was out of this staple so I opted for the Crawfish Roll.
The two crawfish-filled New England buns were damp with tarragon aioli. Having waited for so long, I did eat it all, but will I go back? No. I had more impressive lobster rolls from a food truck and at a much cheaper rate than my $15 Hitch version.
What did my other friends think of the place? The one that ordered the Grilled Apple Pie Sandwich with Chicken couldn’t stop raving about the scrumptious combination of cinnamon roasted apples, crispy prosciutto and gooey cheddar cheese. The other two felt more like me. The food was just okay, the service unsatisfactory.
If I were to rate my overall experience, I would give Hitch two stars out of five. Save your money and go somewhere cheaper that actually delivers.
Kelsey is a Writing graduate student from outside Philadelphia and a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. She works in tandem with the Assignment Editor to pitch engaging story ideas and co-manages with the Editor in Chief. In her free time, Kelsey enjoys reading nonfiction and traveling.
