Imagine my pathetic experience when I had to create a new ID for this review. Much has been said about the "amazing" food here. I think, to start off with, it’s one of the most overhyped places in Mumbai. First, you are made to wait excruciatingly for almost 20 minutes, in the time which you were given some onions with chat masala(?). What is this, a country bar? Even starving Somalians have better experiences. Apparently, the owner thinks Japanese style batch manufacturing is the only way to serve customers. They wait until the whole hotel is filled up with customers, until they start preparing. And then, in instalments, comes your food. First the bhaji, well, I was shocked when I saw the amount of butter on top. I almost puked when I took a spoon of the same. Good way to increase your cold drink sales, no? And then, the paavs. Swimming in butter, handed out, no thrown on the tables, like jailors to starving prisoners. The pav bhaji, frankly, is not all that amazing. I’ve had much, much better pav bhaji at other places, and there’s no dearth of them in Mumbai.
And the icing on the cake, simply, the service. To call the work the waiters do here, service, is dishonour and insult to millions of hard working waiters in hotels across the country. Apparently, they have only 2 waiters, or 3 in the evenings. These cretins are so stuck up, you would think they’ve worked in the Burj Al Arab or something. I waited for 15 minutes, before I was served water, which was plonked on the table, with a grunt and some inaudible words. And the guy who sits at the cash counter, I don’t know if he’s the owner, or just the manager, but EVERYONE who has been here, and seen customers argue with him about the pathetic service or anything else, is all too well versed with his behaviour. In fact, at Sardar, if you complain about something, other customers will stare at you, as if you have committed a cardinal sin.
All in all, a wonderful place in the good ol’ days of the 60s and 70s, which has completely gone to the dogs. And people still frequent the place, because it’s the cheapest in the area, especially for office goers. This place is doomed to join the ranks of other famous restaurants which have closed down, which will be remembered for having amazing food, but alienated customers because of their pathetic service.