Thursday, June 4, 2020

Restaurant Impossible - T Phillip's Ale House and Grill Update

Tonight on Restaurant: Impossible, Robert Irvine and his crew are in Glendora, California to makeover T Phillip's Ale House and Grill.  T Phillip's Ale House and Grill is owned by Jennifer Kerzie who doesn't stand up for herself and lets everybody walk all over her.  She hasn't paid her mortgage in a year and Robert also finds that the restaurant looks more like a dive bar.  Robert needs to motivate her to step up in hopes of saving her restaurant and house.


As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about T Phillip's Ale House and Grill to get an idea of how the restaurant is doing since Robert Irvine visited, and here is what I found (note - all reviews are post Restaurant: Impossible):





Positive Reviews:
  • "My husband and I just finished up our dinner and it was so good!! We did the family meal French Dips , Fries and cheesecake. The flavor was great. I am not a fan of horseradish usually and I enjoyed the horseradish sauce very much. The beef was tender, the rolls were soft and the onion flavor was outstanding. We look forward to coming in and seeing what the remodel looks like, until then we will order Togo or delivery."
  • "Thank you T Phillips for saving my Easter Dinner! This was my. First Easter w/o large family dinner. You served/delivered a delicious meal with a extra treat of champagne/mimosa . Wow didnt expect such a gormet fare from a pub! You outdid yourselves and allowed me to concentrate on my faith,not obtaining substance at a elevated level,Looking forward to many days of celebrating the end of quarantine with your establishment,stay strong stay open!"
  • "Picked up the Saturday Special tonight- 4 cheese burgers, 4 fry's, 2 cheesecakes. The meal for my family was great and we will continue to support T Phillip's Glendora. I was asked if I wanted a delivery and with cocktails!"
  • "This place has turned around... i like the new look and menu is simple and good. Wifey and i share our food so she ordered shrimp stuffed mushroom i ordered the shrimp cracker pasta... both were good. Our friends ordered burgers and honestly im still thinking I should of ordered that too. The food was not too much and not too little. The new chef came out and greeted us and came back again to make sure everything was good."
  • "First time back in about 6 months. The restaurant has been refurbished and it looks lighter and brighter. Some of the same staff are still here and they are great. New menu is more limited, but that's probably a good thing. We had potato skins and split the beer braised beef sandwich. Both were delicious. Will definitely return. Glad to see a local restaurant revitalized."
  • "The place looks amazing after the remodel and the food is top notch. The menu is small but that is to be expected. I was told the menu will be expanding soon. Our waiter was very friendly and we received our food pretty fast. Outside patio is comfortable and the restaurant inside is very welcoming. Will be coming back for sure."
  • "Fantastic time at T- Phillips on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. The new decor is refreshing, warm, and inviting. We enjoyed 2 new menu items... delicious! So happy to have this place within walking distance."
  • "Visited solo a few days after the makeover with Robert Irvine, loved the food and the new decor, but to be honest, I didn't have a problem with the old set up. If anything I would like to see the new menu expanded a bit, and Jenn the owner confirmed that it's in the works, so I'm happy for that. Still, my chicken sandwich was delicious, service was constant and welcoming. Definitely will return!"
  • "This great gastro pub was just reinvented by the amazing Chef Robert Irvine. Amazing new menu and welcoming decor. Our food was spectacular and the service was outstanding. Get the loaded potato skins. The beer braised beef dip was so good. An amazing on tap beer selection and full bar as well."
Negative Reviews:
  • "Been coming to this place for years. Always loved the atmosphere. Unfortunately the place was remodeled by one of those tv shows and they took out all the cool stuff on the walls including the big Stuffed Buffalo head and the Boar. The problem with this place was never the atmosphere and I'm disappointed they turned it into some cookie cutter Resturaunt. The real issue with this place is the food and the service. They have so many beer taps but half of them are empty. (This didn't change) the food was ok but the food was always ok. and the service is a little better so that's a plus. But I just don't dig the new decore, I'll probably just go to the Monrovia one from now on."
  • "I was excited to see what Restaurant impossible did for this failing restaurant. Unfortunately, all they changed was the interior decor. We waited almost an hour to get our food, they were out of fruit for brunch. The food was ok, but not worth the wait and there was a pounding noise coming from the kitchen that persisted throughout most of our meal and gave me a headache. Although our server was nice, that could not make up for the overall negative experience."
  • "Great beer list which is why I've been a few times. EVERY time the service is slow or slower. Just went in for a quick pint and although there were 5 people working behind the bar and several servers, not a single person greeted, looked, or acknowledged me. I sat at the bar for 5 minutes. Probably my last visit. They have the best beer list on the Glendora strip but someone needs to pour the dang thing for me to drink it!"
*Reviews from Yelp


Other News and Links:

  • The Restaurant Impossible makeover for T Phillip's Ale House and Grill happened in late February 2020.
  • Here is the T Phillip's Ale House and Grill website and Facebook page.
  • Here is owner Jennifer's Facebook page, where she says about the upcoming episode, "Tune in tomorrow night. Food network Restaurant Impossible 9pm EST. Thank you Chef Robert Irvine, I will forever be grateful to you and your entire crew. THANK YOU!!!! #restaurantimpossible #foodnetwork #chefirvine #savedmylife".
  • In the middle of March (just weeks after the makeover), T Phillip's Ale House and Grill had to close to the public due to government regulations on social distancing.  They have remained open for takeout and delivery orders and offered family style meals.
    • On their Facebook page, the restaurant isn't very happy with having to stay closed to the public due to government regulations. (Link)  Jennifer also posted a long post on her Facebook about the shutdown. (Link)
  • According to Loopnet.com, the T Phillip's Ale House and Grill is available for lease. The description states, "Suite 102 Available - Currently T Phillips Restaurant this Space has Hi loft 14 ft ceilings exposed beams painted black "400 Amp 3 Phase Power Supply, Floor Drains, Grease Interceptor etc. Ready to go for our next Restaurant Tenant. Newest Building in the Glendora Village. At the Heart of the Community the Glendora Village boasts Luxury Shopping, Restaurants and Personal Services All within walking distance of our latest building"
    • It says the listing was posted February 3rd, 2020 (before the Restaurant Impossible visit) and was last updated 5/19/2020, so it still seems valid. Interior pictures are from before the makeover.
  • On May 28th, the restaurant posted on Facebook, "Limited Menu today and tomorrow, then we will be closed for about a week working on our kitchen. Hope to see everyone SOON! We open at 3pm."
    • So, they are currently closed, but seems like they plan to reopen. 
  • Here are the Yelp reviews for T Phillip's Ale House in Glendora from Yelp, Tripadvisor, and Google.  They have about a 3-star average on Yelp, but it seems like the newer reviews are definitely better.
    • Owner Jennifer takes the time to respond to reviews.
  • There is also another T Phillip's Ale House location in Monrovia, CA. (Link)


Conclusion:

The Restaurant Impossible makeover for T Phillip's Ale House and Grill happened in late February and the restaurant had to stop allowing customers inside in mid-March due to social distancing regulations. The restaurant had mostly positive reviews for the few weeks people were allowed to dine-in after the makeover with people liking the food and decor.  T Phillip's Ale House and Grill also stayed open to offer takeout while people weren't allowed to dine-in, and the reviews for the takeout food are also positive.  It seems the restaurant's location is available for lease and it was also available before Robert Irvine came.  On May 28th, the restaurant posted they were closing for about a week to work on their kitchen.  The timing seems a bit odd as they are about to make their debut on national television and will be closed at the same time. I will monitor if they reopen and will update this post when they do.


*Visit Our Restaurant Impossible Update Page to see all Restaurant: Impossible updates, and which restaurants are open, closed, or have been sold. Also Like Us on Facebook and Follow Us on Twitter

No comments:

Post a Comment