Don't be scared off by the name. The service at The Bad Waitress isn't bad, though it isn't exactly exemplary either. In fact, the servers can only be referred to as waitresses in the most limited sense of the word, since you have to seat yourself and order and pay at the counter. The waitresses bring the food to your table and, on occasion, will offer to refill your drink, but that's the full extent of the service. So the place may as well be called No Waitress all things considered. But what's in a name? No matter what you want to call it, Bad Waitress has some of the best diner food in the Twin Cities.I'm going to praise the Bad Waitress by quickly pointing out one of my biggest restaurant pet peeves: When you walk into a restaurant for the first time and have no idea what to do. Do you seat yourself or wait? So you'll stand there for a bit waiting for help that never comes, the awkwardness growing as the servers walk past you without saying anything or letting you know what the deal is. I hate that and so do you. But the Bad Waitress, thankfully, has a sign letting you know that you seat yourself, where you'll then find detailed instructions on how to order and pay. It's academic and it's hardly worth the dedication of an entire paragraph in this review, but it's a nice thing all the same that's much appreciated.
The menu is diner fair, but kicked up with a retro twist. The burgers are very good, but not good enough to win any best of awards. The breakfast selections are numerous, but all kind of bland in my opinion, though I have heard many people rave about it. But I go for lunch, because the sandwiches are off the hook. Their tuna melt is hands down the best I've ever had anywhere. I don't know what they add to the tuna to make it so good, but it's one of the best things I've ever eaten. No joke. Other standouts are the curried chicken salad and the hot pastrami sandwich. But, really, I've never received any sandwiches here that were less than fantastic.
But here's a nitpick: No french fries. I'm not going to say it's a deal breaker, since I go there quite often and always enjoy it, but I do think it's mistake. I just love french fries with a burger or sandwich, and I know in my heart that theirs would be delicious. What you do get with your order are tortilla chips and an amazing, homemade salsa. The salsa is seriously better than anything you'd get at most Mexican restaurants, with a fresh, robust flavor that will almost make you forgive them for not having french fries. Almost.
The Bad Waitress also offers happy hour and daily specials, none of which are all that amazing or worth mentioning in detail here. Check their website for more information. The decor is kitschy, but without being annoyingly so. Monster movie posters from the 50s adorn the walls and each table is given a different comic book character to let the servers know where to bring your food. The booths and tables are all extremely comfortable, and I guess they have wi-fi since I always see people with laptops. At the end of the day, it's just a bright, laid back diner with great food and no waitresses. Check it out.
5 out of 5
