Rascal House, Miami Beach

[markk]

Are there any eG members in Miami who have current experience with Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House (at 172 St. and Collins Ave.)?

I was just there twice this past weekend, and it was just all-around horrible; the foods (such as the Flanken, the Brisket, and especially the Pastrami) were inedibly bad. And they managed to make it quite clear that they really don't care any more - don't care what they're serving, don't care how you feel about it. On the second night, it seemed that every table in the place was complaining and having problems with the food. The servers were explaining to the complaining tables that it was out of their hands, things like that. (I had planned a few more meals there and cut it short, needless to say.)

But I was there as recently as this past July, and the food was as wonderful as it has always been, and at that time they had already been bought (for some time, actually) by the Jerry's Famous Deli group, and had done a refurbishing of the place - but the food clearly wasn't affected.

Are there any Miami members who have any recent experience or who can shed any light on this?

[ecruz1026]

I agree about the food. I was there about a month ago and the food was horrid (how can a ruben get screwed up?). It was late at night, but there was only one other group in the restaurant. I can't quite put my finger on why, but the place felt odd.

I know they had been bought out by Jerry's which I was ambivalent about. I grew up in L.A. and had been going to Jerry's for a while. It was the same formula as Rascal House; however, the restaurants were newer and a lot cleaner. They've opened a branch in South Beach and I'm not sure how it's doing. I believe the tourists are the ones keeping it open. I hope they don't let RH go the way of Wolfies.

[Chantilly Bob]

I agree about the food.  I was there about a month ago and the food was horrid (how can a ruben get screwed up?).  It was late at night, but there was only one other group in the restaurant.  I can't quite put my finger on why, but the place felt odd.

I know they had been bought out by Jerry's which I was ambivalent about.  I grew up in L.A. and had been going to Jerry's for a while.  It was the same formula as Rascal House; however, the restaurants were newer and a lot cleaner.  They've opened a branch in South Beach and I'm not sure how it's doing.  I believe the tourists are the ones keeping it open.  I hope they don't let RH go the way of Wolfies.

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Well, I can report that something is amiss at the Rascal House in Boca too.

I stopped in the morning after Thanksgiving for some whitefish salad. The place was almost deserted at 8 AM. The takeout section was unmanned but finally a woman came up to "help" me. I could barely understand her, and she had to go back to the main kitchen to get what I wanted. She came back and said "no whitefish."

Uh, if you have no whitefish in the morning, don't bother opening your doors.

I drove over to Flakowitz, where they had no trouble fulfilling our cravings.

[markk]

I know they had been bought out by Jerry's...They've opened a branch in South Beach and I'm not sure how it's doing.

This past July (when Rascal house was still great) I was in South Beach at lunchtime, so I ate at the Jerry's there. (I had read some horrible reports about it somewhere else on line and couldn't believe they were true, so we went.) It was worse than horrible - pastrami and tongue just so terrible it was hard to believe. But at that time, Rascal House was still fine. Now it seems that they're interchangeable with the lousy food.

[richw]

Yep, the food quality there continues to go down over time. And the prices continue to rise. Also, their old "schtick" with the short-tempered waitstaff has really turned into downright rude and no longer entertaining.

[markk]

Also, their old "schtick" with the short-tempered waitstaff has really turned into downright rude and no longer entertaining.

That's for darn sure. Each of the two nights I was just there recently I witnessed customers in seriously unpleasant confrontations with their waitresses - scenes that really were downright rude and downright ugly, having nothing to do with the "schtick" of yesteryear - waitresses giving customers the most unbelievable hard time and then telling them off, and customers really not liking it.

[Gifted Gourmet]

And as the wait staff grows increasingly surly and the customer base grows weaker still, is the management so unaware of the status quo and the gossip about the service and/or food?

Or is the markup on the things they sell so high that it is more and more of the customer be damned?

Isn't there ample competition in that area for the same chazerai Jewish-style deli? Pumpernicks?

It is, a shondeh (shame) to be sure

[markk]

And as the wait staff grows increasingly surly and the customer base grows weaker still, is the management so unaware of the status quo and the gossip about the service and/or food? 

Or is the markup on the things they sell so high that it is more and more of the customer be damned? 

Isn't there ample competition in that area for the same chazerai Jewish-style deli? Pumpernicks?

It is, a shondeh (shame) to be sure 

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Pumpermicks is gone - perhaps for a long time, now, and there really are no other similar places around. But please bear in mind that we're talking about food just so horrible that they don't need to hear it from anybody - there's obviously been a 100% about-face in their purchasing and cooking, and they would know all about it themselves.

I can't possibly tell the story of the all-gristle, inedible Flanken, and the several different portions they brought me trying to get me an edible dinner, with no success. What were once luscious boiled short ribs was now some horribly tough pieces of marginally boiled all-gristle chuck just waiting for somebody to tempt fate. So the next night I ordered a pastrami sandwich. The pastrami was light, pale pink, shaved paper thin, and it was shiny from a brine-like glaze, and to demonstrate what it was to my dining companion, I picked a slice off the sandwich and held it between the fingertips of both my hands and pulled - the meat was elastic, and stretched without breaking several inches, before retracting (and falling hopelessly into my sandwich). The guy at the next table who had watched the whole thing said to me, "You know, that's GOT to be Turkey pastrami!"

And so it went. Over two nights we sampled a lot of foods, plus take-out for the hotel, with no better luck, and then called it quits.

The answer may be that there are a ton of people who like the decor and the hours and who come for the turkey club sandwiches and not the Jewish foods, and that they will stay in business serving those, or the answer may be that like me (and the other people posting here), a lot of people who want the tradional Jewish foods and are not getting acceptable versions of them will simply stop coming. Being America, either scenario is possible, I think. But management (this would now be Jerry's Famous Deli, of course) has to know exactly what it has done. I don't think I'd ever go back, but on the other hand, on future trips I might be very curious to drive by and see if the place is even still there.

[Gifted Gourmet]

It is very sad to watch the slow decline and ultimate demise of a once-successful operation ... I have witnessed the same thing on occasion here in Atlanta ...

thanks for the detailed description of your meals there ... luckily, when you are back in New Jersey, there are many better-than-acceptable options!