fort george pub and brewery

fellow diner:

what follows is the entire email correspondence between me and management regarding my experience one week ago -

"from: jeffrey mcmorrow
sent: thursday, march 25, 2021 4:03 pm
to: zack o'connor
cc: erin@fortgeorgebrewery.com
subject: i am satisfied our server did their job correctly.

mr. o’connor,

thank you for your reply. my friendly invitation to lunch was anything but routine to me, and our discussion would touch on many more topics including my love of fine dining and possible investment opportunities. i’ll wager that capital isn’t as readily available as it was before the pandemic, and i am a private lender and mortgagee.

for the record, i asked, “are you cutting me off?” in response to jen requesting a non-itemized amount from me and then asked to review the bill. when she did bring a bill, i specifically asked, “are you cutting me off?” again to be certain that service of every kind was being denied. your alleging that i “didn’t order anything further” is ludicrous in the face of what was basically a constructive ejection. why not call a spade a spade, zack?

your declining my invitation is regrettable, but your conclusion that jen “did (her) job correctly” insinuates that i presented some sort of imminent threat to everyone and everything, including your license, despite no specifics provided by her and you. finally, your comments and conclusion reveal a callous corporate culture at variance with, as i have already suggested, what is implied in the term, “hospitality industry.” may i suggest that you refer this matter to mr. nemlowill or ms. moore since one or both of them might see a benefit in meeting with me. if so, they may contact me directly.

good day, sir.

jeffrey paul mcmorrow, j.d.
307 18thst. ne
long beach, wa
98631-2615
(360) 232-4059 phone
(360)642-1363 fax
lbjeff@outlook.com


from: zack o'connor
sent: thursday, march 25, 2021 3:16 pm
to: jeffrey mcmorrow
subject: re: zackery, let jeffrey paul mcmorrow know you're coming tomorrow

hi jeffrey,

thank you for the invitation, but i will not be joining you tomorrow. we consider cutting people off to be a routine, essential tool used to protect the safety of all our guests, staff, the general public, and our liquor license. i am satisfied our server did their job correctly.

there is nothing to be gained by picking at this one incident, and we are not interested in discussing this further.

sincerely,

zack


on thu, mar 25, 2021 at 9:34 am jeffrey mcmorrow wrote:

zack:

since open table asks me, i ask you.

good day,

jeffrey


from: jeffrey mcmorrow
sent: monday, march 22, 2021 7:23 pm
to: zack o'connor
subject: “what if, instead of asking, 'who isn’t at the table and whose fault is that?' we ask, 'what might we accomplish if more people were at the table?'

zack,

that is the best advice there is for a phr and anyone else who might remember the equally sage advice, "the customer is always right." with goodwill, businesses thrive while many others fail. i saw it apply equally to the practice of law.

i stepped out for a little more than an hour this afternoon and may have missed your call. it was wrong of me to request that you call when a matter such as ours deserves a friendly face-to-face meeting between two irishmen with my picking up the tab. therefore, i took the trouble of making a reservation at your restaurant for you and me for 1 pm this friday. see below. if you would prefer a different time, day or location in astoria, then please respond with that and i'll make the change and see you there.

thank you in advance for providing the opportunity to discuss this matter at length.

jeffrey paul mcmorrow, j.d.
307 18thst. ne
long beach, wa
98631-2615
(360) 232-4059 phone
(360)642-1363 fax
lbjeff@outlook.com


from: jeffrey mcmorrow
sent: monday, march 22, 2021 1:28 pm
to: zack o'connor
subject: oregon law enforcement training experts and olcc enforcement agents advocate this or similar deescalation tactics

zack,

perhaps, but you forget that you are in the "hospitality business" and not running the county jail or quelling the riots on the streets of portland. when i was a server back in 1984, my goal was to provide a pleasing dining experience that would ensure a return visit as well as a handsome gratuity. problem clients were handled by management who ostensibly had superior training to better handle a delicate situation.

i called to speak to you right before this reply, left you a message and believe there is much more to discuss after reading your reply. call me now, please.

thank you,

jeffrey paul mcmorrow, j.d.
307 18thst. ne
long beach, wa
98631-2615
(360) 232-4059 phone
360)642-1363 fax
lbjeff@outlook.com


from: zack o'connor
sent: monday, march 22, 2021 1:09 pm
to: jeffrey mcmorrow
subject: re: we appreciate your patronage, but we hope you understand that the oregon liquor control commission allows us no latitude on this.

jeffrey,
by your own account you were not ejected from the premises, you were cut off from alcohol service, at which point your check was dropped and you didn't order anything further. oregon law enforcement training experts and olcc enforcement agents advocate this or similar deescalation tactics to servers when they are put in the challenging and sometimes dangerous situation of having to stop alcohol service to a visibly intoxicated person. moreover, we're not required to upsell food or n/a beverage when stopping alcohol service. upselling menu items is never something we will prioritize over the safety of our patrons and our staff, which is the primary concern whenever stopping alcohol service is involved.
sincerely,

--
zackery o'connor, phr
senior vice president
pub. 503-325-pint
1483 duane street
astoria oregon 97103

“what if, instead of asking, 'who isn’t at the table and whose fault is that?' we ask, 'what might we accomplish if more people were at the table?' you start to see the potential. a broader talent pool with new perspectives; new chances to collaborate in the kettle, in the taproom, and in the community; new markets and increased revenues; deeper and more authentic community engagement; alignment of business practices and professional ethics; visibility for overlooked colleagues in the industry; a general broadening of our assumptions about craft beer, the people who make it, the people who enjoy drinking it, and the list goes on and on.”
-dr. j. nikol jackson-beckham


on mon, mar 22, 2021 at 11:05 am jeffrey mcmorrow wrote:
mr. o’connor,

i’m grateful to receive a reply but am disappointed that it belabored the point i was not disputing. specifically, your reply doesn’t explain her cutting me off from service of food and non-alcoholic beverages. please include in your next reply why she handed me a bill without offering me other menu choices. i’m also in dispute with open table about the 100 points i should have earned from this unhappy visit and appreciate your being helpful to me in resolving it. the correspondence from its facebook page appears below.

thank you for your anticipated cooperation,

jeffrey paul mcmorrow, j.d.
307 18thst. ne
long beach, wa
98631-2615
(360) 232-4059 phone
(360)642-1363 fax
lbjeff@outlook.com


from: zack o'connor
sent: monday, march 22, 2021 10:51 am
to: jeffrey mcmorrow
subject: fwd: my dine-in experience today at fort george brewery

hi jeffrey,

thank you for reaching out. i've reviewed our incident log, as well as spoken with our employee who stopped alcohol service. the regulating state agency that oversees the legal sale and service of alcohol in any licenced, on-premise eating and drinking establishment in oregon is pretty straightforward on both the obligations and the liability for not only the establishment itself but for the server as well. if a patron displays one or several visible signs of intoxication, we must make agoodfaith effort to stop alcohol service and/or pull their beverage. we follow the letter of these requirements consistently, we require our staff to do the same, and we support them when they make this difficult call to stop service to a patron upon observation of one or several of these signs.

we appreciate your patronage, but we hope you understand that the oregon liquor control commission allows us no latitude on this.

sincerely,

zackery o'connor, phr
senior vice president
pub. 503-325-pint
1483 duane street
astoria oregon 97103

from: jeffrey mcmorrow
sent: friday, march 19, 2021 11:10 pm
to: beer@fortgeorgebrewery.com ; fortgeorgesquare@gmail.com
subject: my dine-in experience today at fort george brewery

sir or madam,

i am a huge fan of ft. george brewery for several reasons. the beer is very good, but the beer isn’t why i set foot onto the premises. i can buy at walmart or from a store on the long beach peninsula for much less. there are many brewpubs in the lower columbia-pacific region serving fine beer, but not even the best restaurants serving just pizza come close to equaling ft. george’s quality pizza crust. your caesar salad is also superior, and your coffee and carrot cake are the perfect “icing on the cake.” i order all of these in that order, and that is why i attempted making a reservation for 3:15 today after my medical appointment so i could eat and wait for my bus leaving at 5:20.

i stood at the bar and ordered a pint of the meadow, but that server didn’t take my pizza order for some reason.

i waited, and then asked the male bartender for a pepperoni pizza. as he took the order, another female walked up to do the same; good.

following my first pint, my server asked if i wanted another, so i ordered a number one take 3. it’s quite hoppy for a pale ale. i used the rest room around this time and was surprised that the restrooms were unisexual on this visit. i returned and mentioned this to my server and my surprise that others had to wait outside when there were several toilets per room unused that way. she clarified that fr. george was maintaining social distancing even in the restrooms. it seemed logical to me, and that was the extent of our conversation.

the pepperoni pizza was delicious and so very much better than the last time i visited and had to eat outside in the cold rain. i practically inhaled the thing. when my glass was empty, my server asked if i wanted another, so i ordered a pint of smiling eyes. i visited the restroom to wash up. i returned and took my time savoring this quality stout.

when i finished it, my server came, removed the glass and requested $37.50. i asked, “are you cutting me off?” she said, “yes.” taken aback, i asked to see the bill since no copy was provided. she printed the one attached. i asked, “and you’re cutting me off” she again said, “yes.” i didn’t argue with her, paid the bill and departed.

perhaps you can explain why i was ejected from your restaurant today in this manner. if your server would no longer serve me alcohol, then she should have stated that in so many words. since i ordered a pizza, it was quite probable that i might order something else. why did your server insist on cutting me off from ordering anything else? are your servers not trained to upsell to the greatest extent possible to make money for ft. george? instead, i was sent packing out into the rain where i had to find shelter until my bus arrived and departed.

i really don’t understand the meaning of this treatment from an establishment i rave about and share with others. three beers is nothing when one my size consumes an entire small pizza with them, and i’m not aware of anything i did to warrant ejection without the option of ordering other food items. if you can provide the specific reason, then please share it with me in your reply.

thank you,

jeffrey paul mcmorrow, j.d.
307 18thst. ne
long beach, wa
98631-2615
(360) 232-4059 phone
(360)642-1363 fax
lbjeff@outlook.com"

since the management at fort george brewery and public house shrugged off my complaint about the way i was treated that afternoon, i complained to the better business bureau, the oregon state attorney general, the oregon liquor licensing commission and the small business administration. i was a repeat customer, but may i strongly recommend that, instead of being treated like dirt at this establishment, that you take your business to one who will appreciate it!

food is great, ambience was awesome. reallygoodburgers!!! we enjoyed our meal and bev's. we came for the beer man! and who can say no togoodcraft beer!

very excited -- astoria's growing reputation as a craft brewing center is well deserved. had a beer (the scotch ale) and that was agoodstart. friendly and hard working wait staff made for agoodvibe.

then the food came.

tried the 'sausage sampler' and was quite disappointed. drying out one sausage might be excused, but all three? the wife's oyster po' boy was under saused as well. we both got fries that were so heavily salted/seasoned it made me think they were trying to sell more beer.

so, seriously mixed. i'd say give them another chance for lunch, but there are increasingly so manygoodchoices in astoria, so why?

we stopped by astoria for our last night along the oregon coast!! heard that this place hadgoodbeer!! they have great beer!! we tried their cavatica and their working girl porter!! sogoodfull of flavor!! and their food...for a brewery we were very impressed!! we tried our their salsa verde burrito and their spicy sausage!! amazing food and for the price is a steal!!! i would highly recommend this brewery!!! it's a must for astoria!!

went there a couple years ago and had a marinated steak burrito that was excelent. next time i was back in astoria i was all primed for another and wandered up to fort george only to be told it was no longer on the menu. at the bartenders suggestion i tried the pork verde burrito....it was ok...but damn i wanted the steak. on the bright side i was in walking distance to my hotel so trying to drown my sorrow withgoodbeer was not a problem.

fort george's frankly ok beer is drastically let down by it's awful food. we ordered the sausage sampler (in which only one of the sausages wasgood(& we weren't given any info, so i can't tell which it was) the mustard was too strong to eat), i had the chili verde burrito which was just barely edible. the pork was dry, bland and encased in so much plain white rice, that it was a feat to taste it at all, the red salsa was so hot i couldn't taste any of the beers i had with my meal (i got a flight of 8 stout tasters). why a "green chili burrito" would have the world's hottest red salsa slathered all over it is beyond me, but then they added some chipotle mayo on top. bizarre. my wife and sister in law split the falafel sandwich which was fine the second time they brought it out (they brought the first one out with the appetizer and my burrito, which was annoying, as we had requested that they order the entrees after they brought the app, but that was too much to ask, i guess). the falafel were obviously bought in frozen, but they were at least tasty and the fries were ok. the beers were ok, but not amazing.

not all it is cracked up to.. the beer was prettygoodbut a little spendy for a pitcher.

the waitress implied i had had enough to drink. i can only assume was because when she came to our table, i was leaning over towards my wife to whisper something in her ear. not sure what that has to do with the price of tea in china. someone is automatically wasted if they are trying to say something to someone in private. whatever!

will not be back.

this place has great potential. unfortunately, it falls pretty flat. prices are a little high, food is mediocre (that's being generous) and the service is baaaad.
a group of us went here on a saturday afternoon--seven of us, 30-somethings all, well dressed, polite. we waited for about 30 minutes for a table. no huge deal. they offered us a place upstairs, but they only offer a minimal menu in that dining room. also, i saw a few of the servers from up there. they looked very...unclean.... that was strange, but it's astoria, after all...
we all squeezed into a booth finally, after being told it was that or another 30 minute wait. they wouldn't allow us to put an extra chair at the end. but the booth was large, so while it was cozy, it wasn't too bad.
our server came over and was immediately unfriendly. she wasn't terriblygoodat hiding what she was thinking, and she was definitely put out by such a large party. we tried to make jokes and loosen her up,goodnaturedly, but politely. she wasn't having it. everyone ordered beers, my partner and i ordered the beer samplers. she again seemed put out with this and told us it was "gonna take a while to put that together".
everyone else got their beers and we ordered food. eventually our beer tasters arrived. the server perked up then and explained each beer (15 total) in good, useful detail. that was appreciated. the beers really ranged. some were amazing, some were really bad. i think i liked 4 or 5 enough to order again, the rest were flops for me. for me to like less than 1/3 of the beer offerings is unusual...
when our food arrived, our server was very annoyed that a large appetizer plate was in the way, but we still weren't finished with it. she made some sharp comments about us moving it out of the way.
i had a chicken and blue cheese sandwich with chips and salsa. the sandwich was really good, a huge portion and pretty great overall. the chips were nothing special. the salsa was really thick and would have been amazing, but it was prohibitively spicy. and i really like spicy foods!
my partner ordered a cheeseburger. it was not good. not awful, but not good. she had the coleslaw with it and that was beyond disappointing. i'm not picky about coleslaw, but this was really funky tasting and everyone who had it with their meal thought it was gross. a couple people had fish and chips. they were disappointed as well.
we all just kept waiting for the place to improve. somehow. it never did.
i will say-- i was a server for years. i am very forgiving of a server's bad day. this went beyond that. i am also not a picky eater and it's pretty hard to disappoint me. but i was disappointed.

food wasgooddespite the crazy hippie names/ingredients. husband didn't find a beer he enjoyed tho.

great beer,goodfood. went there a few years ago and very excited to go back again in a couple of weeks. they have some of my favorite beers- just wish that they would get a truck packed up and deliver to bars in seattle...maybe one day soon.

food was good, prices were reasonable, server was very helpful, and i got one of my favorite t-shirts there as well. not much more that i could ask for, and i hope it will be just asgoodthis time around.

great beer, great food. this place has agoodview of the river and even better food.

we ate there tonight if our friends and two kids. the portions were large (we had the fish taco). the food wasgoodbut nothing to rave about. i would go back and try another item on the menu. the prices are around 10 to 15 per plate.

great dining experience. awesome service, great classic brew pub ambiance, andgoodbeer. the albacore fish and chips were agoodtake on an old stand-by.

great beer and cool bathrooms. if you like the food at mcmenamins you will like it here. 1/3 pound "all natural country beef" burgers, fresh cut fries, house made soup and so on... prettygood(a bit better than mcmenamins) but not why you go. they do have some very taste beer and a nice patio (making them one of the very few places to sit outside in astoria). oh yeah one of the most forgotten aspects of agoodbar... the bathrooms... are great.

albacore fish & chips were quite good. the wild sockeye sandwich was not quite as flavorful as we hoped. their house stout is roasted and yummy. oh yeah, the chowder isgoodas well.