Celebrities love to buy, open and invest in business ventures to build their wealth. Love that! The most popular venture being restaurants, bars, lounges and the like. I have, on several occasions (how can one not, living in L.A.?), patronized such establishments.
On my last day in DC/MD/VA my BFF, Angel, decided we should meet some former high school classmates for lunch. Her choice of venue: Sideline Sports Bar, owned by Washington Redskin’s Lavar Arrington located in Largo, MD at The Blvd.
What can I say? The calamari was…good. That’s about it. The décor was as expected of a sports bar: big screen TVs, wraparound bar and large booths. I can imagine this venue being a happening spot on Fridays and game nights, especially for groupies (male and female) hoping to spy Lavar and possibly one of his athlete friends. Apparently, Sideline also likes to employ those giving off a groupie-esqe vibe. Our waitress topping that list.
Apparently the number one requirement to work there was to have “model good looks.” She was cute. I’ll give her that. Did she know what she was doing? Different story altogether.
The service was poor, at best. Groupina, our server, looked and acted as if she had partied the night away into the wee hours of the morning. She may have taken off her pumps and hopped right into her Hooterish uniform. She could hardly be bothered with our piddle-y orders. She forgot everything that every person in our party of four requested.
Erin ordered a burger with one specification: grilled onions. She got a burger with the fixings including a single ring of RAW red onion. Angel order a burger as well and asked for a specific type of cheese and bacon to be added. She received a burger identical to Erin’s. She flagged down Groupina, who was sedately resting on a bar stool. Angel informed her of her mistake. No apologies, no nothing just “Oh.”
Groupina then brings Angel a saucer with an ICE COLD piece of cheese and a slice of bacon. Gee, thanks.
I ordered the crab bisque as I’d heard it was excellent. And it was very tasty. It also made me sick, sick, sick once I made it to the airport an hour later. Maybe the cream was bad?
The restaurant was pretty empty so it isn’t as if Groupina was overwhelmed by the crowd. To top off our lovely experience Lavar Arrington made two appearances. Now, I’m used to good service. Managers and owners flock over, especially when the place is damn near empty, to assure that you’ve enjoyed your experience. Not Arrington. Lavar lazily hung out at the hostess stand (maybe flirting with Groupina), walked back and forth to the back office. Not once did he even smile at the two parties dining in his establishment.
Note: if you’re a public figure trying to have a successful business venture, you might want to learn something about the industry to which your business belongs. Restaurants are a part of the HOSPITALITY industry. I.e. you should be as hospitable as possible. And train your staff to do the same. Sometimes the gracious disposition of staff can make up for sub par entrées . That little gem is on the house.
I nearly missed my flight waiting for Groupina to come back and check on us, bring the check, cash us out and bring back the receipts. Harriet Tubman probably navigated the Underground Railroad faster than Groupina waited on our clan.
If you live in the DC/MD/VA area and are looking for a great dining experience, don’t go to Sideline Sports Bar. I was not impressed. But do feel free to head on over there if you want good wings, to watch the game and hang out.
