Thanks for stopping by! I must admit I was surprised to see your comment pop up as I wrote this review over three years ago on August 2, 2007.

I haven't been back to Rustler's — not because of my experience there back in '07, but simply because the opportunity has just never come up.

I waited tables (a LONG time ago) and know how hard it is. In re-reading this review, I may have been a bit harsh. But as I mentioned in one of the comments, I place a LOT of value on service — maybe too much, but that's just the way I am.

I'm certainly willing to give it another shot should the opportunity present itself. And I have to give you kudos for replying here publicly, albeit just a wee bit after the experience. But hey, better late than never!

Best,
Jay

It appears that you are also in business for yourself and know that recovery is everything when mistakes are made. Although Rustler's Rooste overlooks the Arizona Grand we are family owned and operated and take your comments very seriously. Rustler's Rooste is the lively hood for 120 people, some that have been with us for 30 or more years. Our employee retention rate is over the top and we all take everything everyone says to heart.

It is unfortunate that your experience with us was less than satisfactory and we would certainly hope for another chance to make things right. As an "old Arizona Family" we know the cowboy thing may not please everyone, however, we are the real deal and can tell you a story about every about every nook and cranny in this ole' place.

Please give me, Tom our director, Dan or Cathy a call if you are interested in giving us the opportunity to recover from your not so perfect experience.

Candice Nagel
602-431-6407

You should head over to maps.google.com and post a review for this place. If anything, it will make you feel better. <a>Trust me.

At least our general impressions were consistent! As to your comment about the stars, I rarely include service in my star rating. I will, from time to time consider it if I feel that it was endemically poor (to everyone, every time) or it is extraordinarily good (to everyone, every time).

Since I am not a professional food critic, I don’t visit restaurants several times before offering my readers their opinions, so in this case, I couldn’t tell if it was an aberration or not. I mentioned it, however, for diners to take notice. You did. Maybe they will.

Stars are annoying critters and moving targets; sometimes I feel like abandoning them altogether! A restaurant, a diner’s mood, the service, the selections….I tend to stick with my first gut instinct, and, in this case, I gave them a better than average rating for the things they do well, and the reason people, imo, go.

Wanna see a 2.5 star review? Buca di Beppo is one of them….Of course, I know plenty of people that love the place.

I do check out your blog now and then. Thanks for all the good information!

Best regards,
Judy Hedding
About.com Guide to Phoenix, AZ
http://phoenix.about.com

http://www.About.com
About.com is part of The New York Times Company

Even though 2.5 stars is "average" I wouldn't go to a place, of my own volition, that's under 3.5 stars. Only a couple of times have I been to a place where I was angry to be there–read my review of 5 & Diner Phoenix. That rarely happens, though, since I try not to go somewhere that doesn't already have some sort of decent reputation.Life's too short to eat bad food. I can (and do) make that at home.

Because we are all unique humans, I enjoy receiving the mini-reviews that my visitors send in, often totally opposed to my own. That's fine with me (as long as they don't call me names). It gives my readers more information with which to make decisions for themselves! You'll get a kick of the visitor reviews for Buca di Beppo.

5 stars? No doubt–Kai at Wildhorse Pass. Bring a bucket of money.

As for the world of real estate, I'll contact you directly on that. No sense cutting mega million dollar deals in a blog.

Best,
Judy

Rustler's is no doubt wildly successful. It was packed to the walls by 6:15 on a Thursday night. It *is* a neat dining experience. Unfortunatley for me, that experience was basically ruined by a lousy server. And the problem may have been just that — one lousy server. Two personal visits in 17 years hardly qualifies me as an expert on Rustler's general service level — but I just call 'em like I see 'em at the time.

Funny you should mention Buca di Beppo… we took my Dad there too as it's one of our favorites. Just goes to show…..

Thanks so much for reading here! (You should read more often ). I *really* enjoy the about.com Phoenix guide (though that banner thing at the top is annoying — not your fault of course!). Need any real estate writers? (kidding, sort of…)

Got any 5 star recommendations?

JT