Hailey's Pub - Middleton

The service was extremely slow, and the food was just okay. When it was time to pay my bill of $16.82, the waitress returned only $3.00 to me. I said, "Um, I think you owe me more." She replied, "Oh, I just rounded it off to $17.00!" I was taken aback and told her, "You don’t have the right to do that. If anything, you could have rounded it down to $16.00 instead of keeping my change. That’s not fair!" She eventually gave me the correct change and apologized, but her service was certainly lacking. As a result, I didn’t leave her a tip—maybe next time she will remember to give customers the exact change they deserve. Now I understand why the restaurant was empty; terrible service!

As a big fan of comfort food, I was excited to see that they offered turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, and cranberry sauce. However, when my dinner arrived, it wasn’t what I expected at all. It looked like a haphazardly assembled plate of food, and I was disappointed that it was called a turkey dinner! I took a bite of the turkey, which was just okay, but the mashed potatoes were too salty and didn’t seem fresh to me. The stuffing was soggy and overcooked, with chunks of hard, burnt bread mixed in. I was really unhappy with my meal and ended up just filling up on bread and butter along with my garden salad. I would like to return and try one of the burgers, and it was nice to have KENO available to enjoy while we were there. Our server, Patricia, was very nice and courteous, and I loved her accent! I do hope the restaurant improves their menu, as the mashed potatoes and stuffing really need some work.

We decided to give it another chance, visiting periodically to check for improvements and to support a local business. Unfortunately, our efforts turned out to be futile. The food was edible, but definitely not something I would recommend. I genuinely wish it had worked out better since it's close to home and I’ve been hoping to enjoy some time at a neighborhood bar. In all honesty, I’d rate it 2 stars on Yelp, which is a “meh” for me—I’ve had better experiences elsewhere. You might want to give Main Street Grille a try, as you could enjoy it. However, I think I will pass on returning.

Dale was an excellent bartender, providing friendly service in a lively atmosphere with reasonably good food. We plan to return and might even make this our regular spot. It feels like a local gem rather than a chain, which is refreshing. While some previous reviews mentioned poor service, perhaps the recent name change has brought about improvements. I tried the $9.99 chicken parm sandwich with fries, which came with a beer, while my girlfriend ordered the buffalo chicken Caesar salad. She also asked for a gin gimlet, and to our delight, the bartender knew exactly how to make it and prepared a great one. This is a rarity around here, as most places seem to struggle with it.

The lighting was excessively bright, and the seating had an unattractive pink color. The restaurant could really benefit from some music and softer lighting. The staff was friendly, but the food was just average. There's a lot of potential here, and I hope it improves. Given its location, I would love to visit more frequently.