Picone

Went for the first time today.
You step up to a counter to order.
No smiling faces from any employees.
They ask for a tip once you order and pay for your order.
There is no service.
I sit at a table on a overly hot room.
I get a Styrofoam cup with water and a number handed to me and I choose my own table.
I have to go back to the counter to get napkins, utensils and straws.
The wait for our food was long.
Once delivered, your on your own.
They never came back to ask how our food was.
They don't check to see if you need more water.
What was the tip for? You expect me to come back for what? The food was good but not great.
Not awesome.
But I can't get over that you ask me for a tip and I get no service At all.

Maybe I'm a little biased as this is currently my favorite place to eat.
I absolutely love the vibe of the place, it's byob, very casual I've never once felt uncomfortable when walking into picone, which is rare.
I get very uncomfortable in resturants.
Now to the best part, THE FOOD, I dabble in my husbands plate and have tried a few thing outside of my normal chicken parm with Sunday sauce, never once tried something I didn't like.
Yuca fries, heard of them..
yea I hadn't either, never knew I needed them in my life, but here we are.
The crispy fried potatoes are out of this world, only complaint there is GIVE US THE SAUCEEE.
Lol all in all, if you were curious about the place, stay gone I want to keep it for myself.
Just kidding, I encourage everyone to go and see for yourself THEY WILL NOT DISAPPOINT YOU.

The positive reviews are spot on.
Great, chef-driven, seasonal / rotating menu.
Food tends to be rich with larger portions - family-style is a good choice.
Most healthy weight eaters will likely need a to-go box - I am (ahem) larger and still needed a to go box.
The former dive-bar aesthetic just fits with the entire experience - totally authentic and it makes the food the star. I prefer they raise their prices and don't ask for tips - you order at the counter and they bring you the food...
15-20% higher on the ticket price (for the staff) would still be very good value given the quality and quantity of the food.
It is just the strange optics of tipping for the type of service at that price point...
Just increase the prices and put up a gratuity not necessary sign.
People will respect you for paying your staff adequately.
So, the gratuity is why I marked the service down.
The young lady behind the counter was genuinely pleasant for the short time we engaged. Finally, yes, the dishes were heavy on sodium.
Didn't ruin the taste, however - it just had a noticable impact on the palate and I will be extra thirsty this afternoon.
Probably could have asked for less salt on the smash burger (lives up to the hype) - probably not on the other dishes as they might be prepped in advance.
But, people have different levels of tolerance for sodium - I am light on the salt in cooking and only add salt to prepared food after I taste it.