Wood-Ridge
Gus' Last Word

Gus' Last Word

191 Valley Boulevard, Wood-Ridge, United States Of America

Magpie • Burgers • Salads • Fast Food


"I really want to love this place because it is so close to my home and I really like the aesthetic. I 've been here a dozen times and far more often than not, there 's a problem, sometimes major.To start, my wife and I take walks around town on nice days and have decided on a few occasions to stop in for a beer and or snack. We decided we wanted to sit outside, so we tried to grab a drink at the bar (to walk out with) and weren 't allowed to. They required us to be seated by a waiter. Ok... Fine. Well we stood there waiting for five minutes and then were told to go sit where we like and the waiter will be right out. Nearly 15 minutes later, I had to go inside to get someone 's attention. Finally, he brings out menus and placemats, silverware etc. we say we are just here for a drink and order two beers. As we sit and talk, we realize it 's been another 15 minutes. I again had to go inside to ask where our drinks were. They were sitting on the bar (there was one other couple sitting at the bar). I grab them myself and walk back. We hurriedly finish, since this has already taken too long and get ready to leave and go home to cook dinner. Well, we need to get the check. Waiter comes out and I signal that we want the check. We have to wait another 10 minutes to get it, my card is ready and I notice he charged us for three beers when we only got two. He now has to change the check. We follow him inside and stand there waiting while him and the bartender talk about it. Finally we get the right check and pay at the bar. WHY COULDN 'T WE DO THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE!? Time to have one casual beer outside on a nice evening: one hour and twenty minutes. If we could order at the bar and go sit outside, time would never have been an issue.Another time, given it was busy and we were there for Trivia, we had a table of 5 in the bar area and everything kept coming out wrong. Wrong drinks, wrong food, eventually entirely wrong check. The table next to us was an older couple and they were very vocal about how bad the service was. It was distracting. I believe they eventually just left without paying and the waitress disappeared for a while. We were done and had to leave and the manager needed to correct our check and split our bill accordingly. It took a while and some of our party had already left and we had to settle everything over venmo between each other. Not a great experience.SEVERAL TIMES we have been turned away because it was too busy even though we could see the bar area was absolutely not crowded through the window. Four of us showed up last night and we saw at least 6 open seats at the bar and nobody standing around. Since we had walked here from my home after having a little holiday get together, I didn 't want to end the night for everyone (it was only coming up on 11pm). We decided to Uber to Blarney Station, which welcomed us. It was crowded, but lively and fun. After a time there we went to Park Tavern and again had another good experience in a crowded bar.I bring up the above because I want Gus 's to get better. I want them to manage the bar, dining area, and quick walk-ins properly. Attention to detail is important in a place that offers an attractive atmosphere and charges a premium for drinks, especially with so many competing establishments nearby.I have had some decent experiences at Gus 's, sure, but I feel there is always a good chance that I will not, so it 's hard for me to recommend it to anyone.I would normally encourage people to stop in and see the Miracle on Valley , because it is super nice. Unfortunately, I can 't be sure that you will leave with a smile. It 's a shame."