Place: DQ Grill & Chill
Lunch: Mushroom Grillburger, onion rings, chili, water
It's no longer "Dairy Queen", you know. DQ's current ownership (Warren Buffet) is insisting all franchisees convert to the Grill & Chill concept. This is stupid. "Brazier" was such a cool name.
Anyway, this is my first time in a Grill & Chill. The menu is standard DQ with fancier burger names and toppings. And fancier prices.
I order my food. I'm given a number on a red card which says to put it in the holder at your table. What holder? Oh...must be that circly thingie on top of the metal mini ad stand.
My food is up. I can see it sitting under the warmer light.
Still there.
Still there.
Employees standing around staring at it. Kind of like people around here when the light turns green. They don't know what to do. So they just sit there. The natives are all zombies. Very few of them even have souls.
Still there.
Counter Girl appears, grabs my food, and brings it out.
It's still hot and fresh tasting.
And terrible.
Really bad.
Gross.
The onion rings have an aftertaste like fish.
The burger just sucks.
The chili is hideous.
Guess I'll get a cone to get the taste out of my mouth.
Counter Girl looks confused that I'm back. "One medium cone dipped in chocolate to go, please."
"It'll be over there (pointing) in a minute."
So I stand over there.
Still standing.
Still standing.
Still standing.
Refill my water.
Still standing.
Woman holding plain cone in hand..."You the one with the cone?"
"Yes."
"Chmmclt mmmrrph mlrrrff myt?"
"What?"
"What?"
"I can't hear you."
"The chocolate hasn't melted yet. Can I get you anything else?"
"What do you mean?"
"A Blizzard maybe?"
"Just give me the cone."
"A Blizzard?"
"Please just hand me the plain cone."
She does. "We'll give you a coupon for a small cone."
"That's quite alright."
She never once apologizes.
As I'm opening my car door, the soft serve above the cone rim slides off and plops on the pavement.
Imagine...I paid for this experience!
It's going to be one of those days.
