Last Chance To See 600 sq mi: Hidden
Missed Connections: Gefilte Fish...and "Chain Connections"
H-Town Rock
Rock Talk, Vol. IX
Our daily commute to work takes us right past The Daily Grind. This morning we noticed an empty parking lot and a lack of interior lighting so we turned around to investigate.
It appears as if the Washington Avenue staple has gone out of business. A peek through a window facing the parking lot yielded a dining area devoid of tables. The cash register was no longer on the corner of the bar yet a ceiling fan twirled overhead. An industrial looking extension cord hung from the rafters perhaps indicating an intention to use power tools. But, no signs or bulletins indicated a remodel in progress nor a closing of the business.
Yet other indications exist that the business has folded. A quick phone call from the parking lot was met with the "doo doo doo...no longer in service" message. Additionally, a quick check of Houston Architecture Info Forum seems to indicate the same fate.
If the business is caput, we are left to wonder why. Did owner Jack Gregory receive an offer that he couldn't refuse for his location in the heart of Washington Avenue? Or, had business dropped off too much in the wake of poor service and worse attitudes reported by customers on their blogs and scathing online reviews?
We long for the early days in our relationship with TDG. Getting dripped on by the AC. Allison (we think) pouring our coffee. And, DJ Dave Wrangler serving our breakfast. Those were the days. To quote one reviewer, "Man. WTF happened to this place?"
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Photo by Flickr user chuckwheat.
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I'm the one who wrote the blog post you linked above.
I've never felt the need to share a bad experience at a restaurant in a public forum but my last time there shook my up pretty good. I've had bad service before, no big deal, you get over it but when I was swore at for no reason I felt the need to share my experience.
The Daily Grind had become a place that I always liked and would want to frequent for their breakfast sandwiches and coffee but for some reason or another a lot time passed before I could get back there. So much changed when I returned. The place was 'broken.'
I love their food and knowing they were always busy I didn't mind waiting extra time for my food. The atmosphere and coffee along with good friends always made it a great place. Then something changed, or things.
Whoever that woman was that swore to us and called us Pieces of @#$% was having a bad day and has some serious issues to deal with. I hope she gets some help because the person I saw that day was crazy. It's sad
I've always been a huge fan of The Daily Grind. My work arrangement allows flexibility in location. Thus, I was in there as much as three times a week despite the not-so-great-coffee. Mmmm...cheese grits.
Recently a couple of my friends had mentioned long waits, cold food and general weirdness stemming from visits to TDG. I was blown away by your account. From what I gathered, things really dropped off following Ike.
It appeared as if Jack had partnered with some Ike-displaced Kemah/League City restaurateurs - Kristin & her husband. I'm not sure if she was the woman who flew off the handle. She seemed nice enough when I was in there.
In any case, cussing out customers, cold food & bad service is no way to build business.
I have to disagree, Bargas, my friend. The Daily Grind was the suck long before Ike. Every time I went, the food would easily take 30 to 45 minutes to come out of the kitchen -- no matter how busy or empty the restaurant was -- and the service always ranged from indifferent to subtly rude. Won't miss it at all.
My girlfriend and I were going to eat there last week and were told they were moving next to Rudyards
I live a couple blocks from DG, and driving past there over the past six weeks was like a cruel game of roulette: are they open or not? Some days, the sign would be fully lit and there were signs of life within, and others it would be 9am and obviously closed.
Sad that one of the original spots that made Washington desirable again has folded. Viva Catalina Coffee in the meantime!
This is just the standard life cycle in the trendy areas.