Fishbar-- Best Montauk Restaurant?

After this evening, I think not. I read the fabulous advertising and decided to give Fishbar a try-- I walked in, was seated by a seemingly friendly bartender, and so it began. I am actually pretty laid back when it comes to restaurants-- I understand things happen, you have off days, you have busy nights (tonight it was relatively empty) and it actually pains me to write a negative review on a spot in Montauk, but I am always forthright when it comes to my experiences.

I ordered an appetizer, the Thai mussels, and a blood orange margarita. The drink was very tasty-- not too sweet, and filled with interesting flavor. The mussels, while prepared in a very thoughtful and interesting manner, seemed a bit fishy--

perhaps not quite as fresh as they could have been. But then, there was the hair in my food. It was a big turn off for sure. Still, all the while I was trying so hard to like this restaurant-- the decor was simple, yet interesting, and the ads looked so cool-- especially when I saw the chef would be featured on Food Network...I wanted to love it.

I thought, this happens, a simple mistake, I will alert the waiter. The waiter looked at my unfinished dish, took it away, and said nothing. A simple "I am sorry" would have been a great response...a step up could have been a drink on

the house... but he seemed to not care, as if it happens often in the joint, and so I thought how terrible, surely the manager would care about the quality of the food. When I told the manager/bartender, he seemed to not care either-- it pained him to say sorry and he quickly went back to what he was doing. I was shocked, that given their highly-priced menu and seemingly good reputation, that no one cared about a sanitary matter.

I am not a snob-- I eat everywhere, from dives to some of the most fantastic restaurants you could imagine-- but customer service is king and it is something the Fishbar lacked this evening. After my experience, I will not go back, there are too many other great places, from the Dock, to Lenny's, Cyril's, Harvest, Navy Beach, Indian Wells, Star Island, The Lobster Roll and yes, my savior this evening-- Pizza Village, where I am always greeted with a smile and a fabulous pizza.

So, as for Food Network...well, I think the Fishbar's chef needs to spend a bit more time here at home training staff on customer service and keeping their hair nets on.