Ranoosh Long Branch
Submitted by: Joe H on Jul 28th 2005
I used to go to Ranoosh from time to time a few years ago; the food was always good and the service was always efficient yet very friendly.

I hadn't had a chance to go there since it went kosher, but I heard a few weeks ago (July 05) that it had started opening at lunch time. I went for lunch with a friend. The place is looking shabby, untidy and run down now. We walked in and nobody was at the desk. We waited. After a couple of minutes he two men who we passed sitting outside the front strolled in; they were the waiters. The place was empty yet some of the tables hadn't been cleared.

We stayed for lunch nonetheless. The food was still good (great baba ganouj), but the dessert menu had lost all the mediterranean specialties which used to be so good with strong black coffee (such as baklava) to be replaced with banal junk such as tollhouse pie! Still, as I said, the main food was great, so we tried it again a couple of weeks later.

This time one of the waiters proved to be clearly incompetent and downright rude. While we were ordering, the waiter's cell phone went off twice; each time he broke off to answer what was clearly a social call! We clearly ordered mint tea, but were brought black tea. When I asked again for mint tea I was told that there wasn't any although we weren't told that when we first ordered it. The waiters disappeared for long periods and service was generally slow. I asked three times for the music - which was so loud that we couldn't converse comfortably - to be turned down (we were the only diners in that particular room). The first time it was turned down momentarily. The second time, the waiter acknowledged me but did nothing. The third time the waiter refused, telling us that the diners outside wouldn't be able to hear the music. My friend and I sat waiting for the check, not even bothering to try to talk over the music.

As I said, the food was still good, despite the pared-down menu, but the attitude of the staff is appalling; the first time I've ever been to a restaurant and not tipped.

Reply #1 submitted by: Elan Kornblum, Publisher on Jul 29th 2005
Sorry to hear that. I guess that waiter wasn't serving Mr. Teaman, he left a post on May 31st with a favorable review. I'll let the owners know though.