half & half

peon on duty on behind bar. when they charge as much per ounce as half and half does for drinks they better be good and it should come with right attitude from the staff. missing is friendliness, anticipation, suggestions and if you really run a good bar conversation when asked for. this bar has none of that. nobody wants to pay to get sh**t on. avoid.
as to food the bang for buck quotient is out of balance. either it needs to get better or better priced. oh and my dish of chili relleno's came with two free helpings of toothpicks hidden inside that i almost broke my tooth on. i mention it to another staff member who didn't apologize, said he mention to kitchen and i never heard a peep about it again. apparently, half and half means take your toothpick i mean pick: food or abuse.

terrible dont go. slow service. too small. you wait and wait. sure the food is good but not great or fantastic. at night the place gets even worse. terrible menu and unfriendly staff. dont order something off the menu like a drink or else the person making drinks gets mad. unreal. they need to get there stuff straight or else this fad will end soon.

i was very impressed during my first visit. i went around noon on a saturday and the wait was about 20 min. the food was delicious. i had the blt omelette (interesting and delicious) and my girlfriend had one of the brunch specials, which was a lemony french toast dish (she loved it). the bloody mary was to die for and the mimosa was very refreshing. all the ingredients were very fresh and well put together. the service was quick and friendly. we will certainly be back!

my only negative points...
1). the mimosa seemed a bit pricey at $8. the bloody mary was also $8, but it seemed a little more worthy of the cost.

2). we were seated at one of the small two seater tables. neither of us got coffee or juice, yet the glassware for those items were not removed from the table. so, the already small area was a bit over-crowded with unnecessary items.

again, minor issues and we'll certainly be back!

great!. a hip place with creative and bold dishes and drinks. perhaps the best thing about half & half is above all else it delivers on taste and freshness.

poor service with a side of rude manager. my wife ordered chocolate chip pancakes that were severed burnt one one side (the underside, or course). when we told the server of the issue she took away the pancakes and said that she would adjust the check. she returned to the table 20 minutes later having taken $3 off of the check and didn't even offer to bring out fresh pancakes (the pancakes were $12) . this was insulting as my wife took literally 2 bites from the pancakes and then immediately sent them back as they were obviously burnt. i then requested to speak to the manager who reluctantly took the pancakes off of the check after claiming that our server said that she checked on the table after serving the food (which she didn't) and that no one said anything about the pancakes being burnt at that time. i understand that mistakes happen; however, when the manager handles such issues with arrogance and disrespect it is unacceptable. i will never return and would advise people to find another brunch place as the food and the service were both very poor quality.

this place was delicious and fun. it was a bit expensive, though. the wait was really really awful, as well. i'd suggest using the no wait app for this place.

this was our third visit to half & half. the first visit, we ordered stuffed french toast for me, and hubby had blueberry pancakes. they were great, and we enjoyed enough to return. the second time, hubby ordered blueberry pancakes again. i ordered shrimp and grits with an over medium egg. hubby's was great again. my shrimp and grits were delicious but the egg was raw. so, we gave them a try again today. i ordered brioche french toast and hubby ordered baked oatmeal with a side of bacon. he said the oatmeal wasn't as good as his pancakes breakfasts have been. he states it was tasteless. my french toast was two large slabs of white bread, lightly, and i emphasize lightly, dipped in egg mixture and fried. the egg mix was faintly present on the outsides of the bread and the insides were dry and white. not french toast. it was egg dipped white bread with syrup poured on. when i asked the waitress if this was the way the french toast was supposed to be, she told me yes, that it was always served that way. i asked her to clarify, because we were interested in bringing guests back this weekend and they enjoy french toast. but i didn't think they enjoy egg dipped thick wide bread. she said yes, they don't actually put egg mixture all through the bread. i said thank you for clarifying for me. i ate part of one piece. sent the rest to the garbage. when she brought our check, she had taken 50% of the cost of my french toast off the ticket. so disappointed in the food and service today.

note to half & half

starting my day with a great breakfast makes me feel like i own the world. everything feels right and
in its place and that nothing could go wrong. you know?
along the cramped stretch of maryland in clayton squeezed in with almonds, the posh nosh and
the now closed (sadness) companion is a tiny little eatery that is moving big flavors out of their
kitchen.

walking into half & half at 7am i sat down and surveyed. the décor is sort of everything at once.
nowhere for the eye to rest. mason jar light fixtures, distressed wood paneling mixed with that of
metal. benches. chairs. stools. bar. i thought for a minute if this obvious effect was ironic or used to
“shout” at the conservative, glossy and chic clientele that “this was a fashionable interior”.
as if unawares they would never know on their own or even care

baked oatmeal with roasted banana and walnuts: from the moment the hot and domed serving
cup omitting “mapley”, “bruleey” steam was placed in front of me i knew i had something. the
oatmeal at half and half is baked. for what i can see this allows the oat grains to fully expand in
size and potential. very creamy. a thin sheen of maple syrup coats the top and above this is fine
and high key delicious chunks of roasted banana. which if i ever eat another banana again…it’s
going to be roasted. the result is fruit that caressingly sweetens the oatmeal in the most perfect
way. atop this is whole walnuts. and i mean lots of them. i started to think that this oatmeal was
much more expensive than what i’ll be paying (a steal at $7). on the side? a teeny pitcher with
about 2t. of the most divine sweet cream. this is cream that is not sweetened. just fresh new and
fresh “sweet” cream that only recently left udder. not whipped. just thick…with a few bubbles.

avocado toast: the description on the menu was simple. just the ingredients. on a white saucer
placed before me was just one piece of toast. made/baked and toasted in-house. crushed upon it,
bright green and grassy avocado. dotting its green landscape—feta. doing what it does best.
lending salt and brine. and then at the end freshly cracked black pepper. before i selected my first
bite, i took the wedge of lime and squenched it atop. this toast and the oatmeal was some of
the best i’ve had in my life. i’m already thinking about when i can return.

earl grey tea: by the pot. less than $3. high quality honey accompanies. major points for
personalized pot.

half and half also has the rep of breathtaking eggs benedict. depending upon the time of the year
or what’s in season…your benny could have salmon, or some perfectly cooked mignon or even crab
cakes. note: try to get there right as they open. the stories and lengths of their lines are
legend.

as legend as their food.

sincerely,

tmwastl

very warm and friendly environment, great food, lots to choose from. great selection of tea and coffee, too. i love the high community table and got to sit there today. the service was fast even though the place was packed. i tried the "cali" omelette and it was delicious. my friends ordered "hash veggie" and "ham and spinach eggs benedict" and they were very happy with their choices as well. wonderful experience overall!

this is probably blasphemous, but i’m just not a big brunch eater. breakfast food for me is fuel for the day, something i can shove into my mouth quickly, wash down with caffeine, then move on. the idea of meeting you for brunch at 10am on a saturday or sunday has very little appeal to me. i can eat eggs at my table, in my pajamas, and just text you. then i can go get a sandwich and eat a proper time.

my better half and i tried half & half for breakfast for the first time last weekend and really enjoyed it.  it's a cozy little spot with tables and a high top "community table" in the middle where we sat.  our server was wonderful.  jo had the oatmeal with fruit, which was baked and she said was pretty good (i'm not an oatmeal person).  i had the blt omelet--something new for me and their "lettuce" was a siracha slaw, which was delicious.  this was one of the best omelets i've had.  the roasted potatoes were great and the mimosas were really good too.  it's a little pricey, but the quality is really high.  great spot!

wouldn't know if it was worth the wait.. i went today, arriving around 11:25am and was told there would be a 40min or less wait for a 2 top. 20min into the wait i went to ask why the two 2 tops at the bar had not been filled and was told that because the bar was so busy dealing with drink orders, they were not being sat. i suppose this is sensible, but the reason there was such a long line for drink orders was that the hostess was not taking phone numbers to call when tables were ready so everyone who wanted a table had to wait somewhere in or by the restaurant, meaning more people were lining up for drinks and making the bartenders too busy to attend tables.

well, i ordered my bloody mary and it was another 15min before it was made (i supposed i tipped too soon and then there was no incentive for prompt service). apparently there was a problem finding pint glasses. now, i have my bloody mary and am 35min into my alleged 40min wait. 40 minutes comes and goes and i ask the hostess what the wait is looking like now (as other reviewers said about their visits, there were tables without customers that were either waiting to be cleared or were cleared), and i was told "maybe" another 10min, so i got a travel cup, took my bloody mary and left.

the menu looked great and i would have loved to try it-- i have heard that the food is delicious, and the bloody mary was quite good-- but, with service like that, i have no desire to give them my business. i am not sure if the problem is with the management or the staff, but having worked in restaurants before, taking people's phone numbers and having another bus boy, or waiters clearing their own tables, would have lessened the wait and the burden on the bar, making it so that the bar could actually be sat and not overwhelmed with people ordering drinks because they could not leave for fear of losing their future table.

i have always been a fan of this place. their almond milk chai tea lattes are out of this world good! however, i noticed that recently they have raised their prices. my husband got blueberry pancakes and they were 9.50. in my opinion just a tad expensive for non expensive ingredients. perhaps good coast has risen but i am a little hesitant to return as often as i have in the past.

ah, half & half .  beloved by so many.  hailed as a brunch to end all brunches.  offering a late morning repast beyond compare.  to all this i say, sure.  it’s pretty good.  is it wait-an-hour-and-a-half good  perhaps for a first time visit, yes.  why not.  for every succeeding visit.  no.  no thank you. ... however, i do love love love the cornbread and chorizo with two eggs–officially my go-to half & half meal. or, pro-tip, if i’m not dining in, i’ll call ahead for a tasty ham biscuit (complete with preserves) to go. then, ham biscuit and i walk to nearby shaw park.

get the citrus and sugar donuts! melt in your mouth!


-----16 jul, 2011-----

worth trying. went here recently and it was very busy, but that's a good sign. service was a bit slow, but food was great! loved the french toast was mascarpone and the chicken sandwich was delicious with fresh avocado.