Sazon Grill

Sazon is closed… sign says Tasca, Latin Bistro will open there soon.

The real deal! Very authentic dishes. Tempt your taste buds with wonderfully tasting South American specialties. Go for it!

This is an accidental review, in the sense that I made the wrong turn on extra-​busy State Bridge Road and ended up staring at the front of Sazon Grill. Oh heck, might as well eat lunch while I’m here. Wife said «OK», so in we go. Greeted immediately by friendly waitress, asked which seating location we preferred, and were seated and drinks brought within 5 minutes. Not very busy at 12:45, but became more so as apparent regulars came in with their families. We both ordered cuban sammichs, rice and beans for me, french fries for wife, split some maduros. Bread course was bread rounds brushed with butter and broiled– so simple yet so good! Whilst we were waiting for our sammichs, the owner came around and asked if we were first time visitors (yes), gave his personal welcome, explained how it came about he offered Peruvian cuisine as well as Cuban, and showed us, with pride, how he and his partner had handmade the tables and installed the rockwork and trim in the interior. We felt practically adopted! The sammichs were huge– take half home huge. Everything else was great, maduros included. Why then, Grampy, just three stars? Compared to Havana and Palomilla, the sammichs lacked something. The swiss cheese was of the packaged variety and should have been more indigenous to Cuban tastes, not European tastes. But there I go a-​wandering. Personal taste for this one item = 3 stars. I look forward to coming back one evening to try the Peruvian items others have gooshed about.

A recent visit for takeout left me a little cold. OK, a lot cold. Frigid even.
When I walked in, the restaurant was not busy aside from a large table of 10. The one waitress was taking their drink orders. I stand at the front by the door waiting for someone to acknowledge my entry. Nothing. I look around and see to gentlemen at the back by the bar. One appears to be the bartender, the other perhaps the owner or manager having a beer. The two were chatting away. After a minute or two with no attention, I decided to walk through the restaurant back to the bar to see if there was another waitress or a manager who would like to take my order. The two gentlemen look at me like I’ve crossed a no-​mans land border or something. I ask about a take-​out order, and they both point to the lone waitress and say she can take your order. OK, I say and I ask if I can sit at the bar while I wait. A srug of the shoulders is their response.
So I sit and watch as the server takes orders at the large table of 10. Another couple comes in and waits at the front door. They finally come around the corner to see about sitting, and the waitress points them to a table. Clearly, she is doing all the work. The owner/​manager/​loaf-​of-​do-​nothing-​bread sitting at the bar sipping his beer never looks to help her out. He never offers me a drink of water or asks to take my order while his waitress is getting slammed. Once she has the orders from the big table, she comes up to me and apologizes for the wait. I tell her no worries, as it’s not her fault she has no support. I order and she runs off to the kitchen to call it in. So, there I sit, waiting for my food to be prepared. No problems, really. I don’t expect them to snap their fingers and have it ready. What bothered me though was how this man who is clearly in charge never attempts to engage my conversation or ask if I would like anything while I wait. Meanwhile, another gentleman walks in and comes straight to the bar. The two are either friends or work together, as their conversation is light hearted, easy, and friendly. The man doesn’t order anything and it’s clear he’s there just to see his friend and have a chat. Nothing wrong with that, on the surface. However a couple other tables have come in and the lone waitress is busting her behind to get them all served.
I guess my point is clear by now. There is a lot of competition in this neighborhood. Just about every other restaurant nearby realizes how important customer service is, and they go out of their way to make you feel welcome, comfortable, and happy to be there. Not Sazon grill on this day. What troubles me the most is it was this manager/​owner/​whatever who really dropped the ball.
Oh yea. The food. It was good — just sandwiches and an order of ceviche. The waitress was very nice and worked very hard. I felt sorry for her. Not only because her boss is a lump on a log, but because the writing is on the wall regarding the success (or not) of her place of employment.
It’s a shame too, as this was originally a very good experience just a couple of months ago.