I have not been back since we took my mom there on the Saturday night before Mother's Day two years ago. Only one other table was occupied when we arrived. Our waiter was simply horrible. He...

I have not been back since we took my mom there on the Saturday night before Mother's Day two years ago. Only one other table was occupied when we arrived. Our waiter was simply horrible. He reminded me of the "My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance" guy they had on TV several years ago. He was a jerk from the get go. It took a while for him to actually take our order. Then it took close to an hour to get our food. And like I said, there was only one other table occupied! When we finally received our food, mine was terrible. I had ordered orange chicken that came with shrimp. The chicken was a plain, unseasoned, boneless chicken breast with pieces of cold orange on it. The shrimp was cold shrimp with no flavoring on it whatsoever. While we "dined" a male customer was seated at the booth next to us. He had ordered lobster. Since it took so long to receive his order, he had to ask for it to go. I felt sorry for him. Lobster is not meant to be reheated.

When we were done with our "dinners", my mom and I waited for our free desserts that the waiter had said we would receive since we were celebrating Mother's Day. But instead, our waiter was sitting on the back of a booth talking to friends of his that decided to visit him while he was working. After I stared a hole in him, he finally came over to our table again and asked if we needed anything. I said we'd like to have our free dessert and he acted as if we didn't deserve them since we weren't happy with him thus far. Then when he brought them out, they were two pieces of Jello cheesecake with a gross lime sauce on them. I ate the "cheesecake" part after scraping off the green sauce and then I was ready to get our bill. This took waiting, again, several minutes, and my patience was running out. When the waiter finally returned he didn't say as much as a "thank you" or anything to us. He pretty much knew he wasn't getting much from us by way of tip and just didn't care about making us happy anymore. I will never go back and I have told several people about my experience.

It was not by any means fine dining.

Wanting to try a foreign cuisine I haven't had before, I went to Tam O'Shanter at someone's suggestion. They told me it was Scottish. Never having Scottish cuisine, I became excited like a child...

Wanting to try a foreign cuisine I haven't had before, I went to Tam O'Shanter at someone's suggestion. They told me it was Scottish. Never having Scottish cuisine, I became excited like a child going to Disneyland.

The building itself, located on the East side, is unique with its own charm. Tam O'Shanter's Liquor store is also across the street. It too had a certain charm about it adding to the charm of the restaurant.

Upon walking in you notice the semi-old-world feel with wall-to-wall wood and brick. Having arrived for early lunch, we were the only ones there. Manny, the non-Scottish owner, seated us and was very hospitable. I couldn't help but think I was dining in a restaurant in New York were the restaurant owners add a personal touch by playing host and engaging the customers in conversation; I like Manny.

Our waitress presented the menu along with the lunch specials. The lunch special consisted of nothing more than traditional sandwiches with fries or salad. Forget sandwiches, I was there for a taste of Scotland. I immediately dismissed the specials and opened up the menu and soon became disappointed. The menu did not consist of mostly Scottish fare but a mix of Irish and steakhouse menu items. Now, that is not to take away from the quality of food but I expected more.

I ordered something I’ve never had, Bangers and Mash, a traditional IRISH dish at $20. Others in my party had the Grilled Corn Beef ($20) and the Pan Seared Lamb Chops ($40).

While waiting for our meal we were served bread with colored butter. It was not flavored as I would have expected from a colored butter. Apparently, bread is only served with the meal in the evening time. I guess we were the exception. However, we were served bread after someone in our group ordered the stuffed pastries at a whopping $14.95 for 4 small pieces. She was a little disappointed.

During this wait for the meal, I took some time to explore the restaurant on the way to the men’s room. It is much larger than it appears. In the back is Club Tam, a bar where they have nightlife on Friday’s and Saturday’s. From what the menu says, it appears it is geared towards an older crowd – no problem.

After a somewhat long patient wait, we were served. I received mine. It looked to be nothing special but what can you expect of a traditional Irish dish? While the lamb chops did appear to be presented well, I would not pay $40 for lamb chops. The Grilled Corn Beef was in HEAVY portion with a side of mash and one-quarter cut cabbage. While I did not try the corn beef, the person that had said it was the best they’ve had outside of Washington D.C.

My Bangers and Mash was good. The 2 medium sized sausages were lightly seasoned. I started to taste the seasoning towards the end and enjoyed it. The mashed potatoes were okay and were topped with regular beef gravy. Again, I would say this dish does not warrant such a heavy price tag of $20 for mashed potatoes and sausage. It wasn’t until I left that I realized I was not given the leeks that come with the entrée – too late.

Manny came over to the table at the end of the meal and played good host as he had done with other tables that were seated after us. He definitely gave it a personal feel. I got the sense Manny spends a lot of time at the restaurant and puts his heart into it.

While I would again visit, it would only be once more for dinner to check out the night feel. This place would be good for a first date. It has ambience along with charm and a friendly host. Do you have to absolutely try this restaurant? No. But, if you want something different, this might be the place for you. You should expect to fork out over a hundred dollars on date. It’s not a restaurant for lunch and this probably hurts business. It being out of the way doesn’t help either. I would love to see this concept elsewhere in town with an affordable menu and a focus on Scottish fare as the name Tam O'Shanter implies. I had trouble reviewing the site because of this.

I don't know what restaurant the other reviewers went to, but the Tam O' Shanter that we ate at was not the same one my wife and I ate at. We decided to go at the last minute and were worried we...

I don't know what restaurant the other reviewers went to, but the Tam O' Shanter that we ate at was not the same one my wife and I ate at. We decided to go at the last minute and were worried we might have a long wait. We were surprised when we arrived on a Friday night at 7:00 pm and there was one couple in the whole restaurant. Usually not a very good sign, we later discovered why. Don't bother, the food is incredibly mediocre for the price and the service was terrible.

Tam O bake.com paper

When it's time to propose...
When it's time to be together...
When it's time celebrate...
When it's time to give or gift...
When it's time to...

Tam O bake.com paper

When it's time to propose...
When it's time to be together...
When it's time celebrate...
When it's time to give or gift...
When it's time to close a multi million dollar deal...
When it's time to enjoy culture and history...to sense it and live it...
When it's time for the best...
When the time has come to impress, to make elegance your primary goal...
When it's time for food prepared to delight not only the palate, but the eye as well...
It's time for Tam O'Shanter Restaurant... A Taste of Heaven on Earth...
Delight in the presentation of your Steak and Lobster...Savor it...let it become an indelible, fond memory so that you will tell others and return more often...linger...to hear the vibes of Club Tam calling you, seducing you to stay the night, to dance, to party, to have a "Tam Good Time"...The worth of the evening is equal to the importance of your date or appointment. Tonight, make it Tam O'Shanter Restaurant and Club Tam.

Larry Thomas