Spectator’s
2479 SOM Center Rd.
Willoughby, Ohio 44094
440-944-3880

Spectator’s is located near the corner of Rt. 91 and Rt. 6, sharing a small plaza with Zeppes Pizza. Although the word on Spectator’s was very good, for me it was a tale of two trips, neither one being very good. With two visits under my belt (and a lot more) I didn’t walk away impressed.

Both of my trips over to Spectator’s were during lunch and I was surprised to find the restaurant fairly empty until almost One O’clock each time. During my first trip, the group I was with was seated at the only table that wasn’t cleaned off from previous customers. Our waitress, being a steward of cleanliness, wiped down our table with what appeared to be the most disgusting rag she could find.

SIDE NOTE: Where do they get the rags they use in restaurants to clean the tables? Has anyone ever considering using a clean towel for this task? I can only imagine there is some underground rag recycling program in existence where local mechanics, unable to dirty a rag any further, toss their used rags into a special rag containment unit that is collected each week by the rag recycling company to be distributed to deserving restaurants across Northeastern Ohio.

Ok, back to business. So the waitress finishes cleaning off the table and she leaves it soaking wet with disgusting “rag-bucket” water. Then what does she do? She has the gonads to put our uncovered silverware onto the table, managing to lay most of it in the various puddles she has created on the table. Oh yeah, order something you can eat with your hands Mark.

The menu is quite basic with your typical bar food offerings like chicken wings, burgers, wraps, sandwiches and of course delicious deep-fried appetizers. Through the normal fluff I spotted a diamond though. The chicken B.L.T. This, ladies and gentlemen, is a big chicken breast that is breaded and deep fried. If that wasn’t enough cholesterol, they then top it with cheese, lettuce, tomato, bacon and mayonnaise. I’m honored to live in a country where someone has the intestinal fortitude to put that on a menu.

I actually ordered the chicken B.L.T. both times I went to Spectator’s which means I left with shit on my shirt both times. That sandwich is a complete mess. Its a lot like Communism. Looks like a really good idea on paper, but a disaster in practice.

The first problem with the chicken B.L.T. was its size. I know, I know, but size does matter. The chicken stuck outside of the bun by at least two inches on each side which would normally be a good thing. However, because it was so damn big it was impossible to pick up and eat. And considering the issue I mentioned earlier about the silverware, I really wanted to pick it up!

What turned out to be the worst part of the chicken B.L.T., by far, was the fact that when you took a bite of it, all of the breading fell off the chicken breast. One nice bite and you’re left with a pile of wet breading and a slimy chicken breast sandwich. Obviously no one has learned the art of breading chicken at Spectator’s. After my first visit I thought this may have been a fluke which is why I returned and ordered the exact same thing. Alas, it was not a fluke, but a really crummy chicken sandwich.

Speaking of crummy, that reminds me of the service at Spectator’s. It was simply pathetic. As I mentioned earlier, the place was virtually empty, yet every waitress moved in slow motion. They could have had a one-legged midget get my check to the table more quickly.

Spectator’s seems like a decent place, but ever aspect of the restaurant fell short of even passable. They do have a couple of burgers I’m interested in trying and I might come back again for a Browns game or something like that, but definitely not if I want to enjoy a nice meal.

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