The welcoming ambiance and sparkling drinks will make you feel right at home!
Let’s start with an honesty pledge. Guys…I will be going back to Standard Service despite whatever I say from this sentence forward. I cannot be held responsible for the opinions I am harboring based on some isolated situations. I mean we all have “little “things that get under our skin and unfortunately Standard Service hit a few of those tonight. So even though some of my scores feel mediocre, I will be making this a regular watering hole.
The night started kind of rough…the hostess lost our reservation, and we didn’t make it in the book, but luckily, they found room for us and it all seemed like it was going to be alright. Of course, after this minor fiasco we needed a drink! I wasn’t in the mood to fool around so I went straight for my old fav…Hendricks Gin and Tonic. Now, if you have never had Hendricks…. get off the sideline…and order one. The Gin is infused with cucumber and has an amazing flavor, especially when mixed the way it was meant to be mixed, with Tonic. But…a big BUT…when you garnish this concoction there is only one way to top it off, and that is with a slice, a cube, a piece or whatever part of the cucumber plant you can muster up to put in the glass. At Standard Service my Hendricks and Tonic came with nothing but a straw (see the photo). I mean, was it water? Hell no, it was a fine $11.00 drink…and for that price you have to splurge on a piece of fruit! (And that goes for every mixed drink…..and to top it off it came with no napkin either… so this place took a hit for the drinks and service) Our server was awesome, but I hope they spend some time training their great staff to serve at a level commensurate with their prices.
With my cocktail, we ordered the chips and queso…amazing! I know this is not a Tex Mex joint, but order it! It is perfect for a starter after a hard day when the drinks are fruitless and the sun is shining (I can’t let it go). I opted for the Chicken Fried Chicken because I had been on a healthy binge all week and needed some fried goodness slathered in gut busting gravy. The chicken was just ok. It was slightly over cooked and beginning to dry to the point of jerky. The gravy was very bland and had no spice as if it had no pepper or salt in it. I would have added some myself, but the tables are not adorned with salt or pepper shakers….not good am I right? When I order a $16 piece of chicken, the salt and pepper should come over by itself. I ate about half of it and opted to take the rest home and spice up the gravy myself.
Finally, we got smart and asked about the drinks on the wall. In a very cool fashion, Standard Service takes suggestions for drinks from fans and puts them on the menu. They then keep a live tally on the wall of how many are sold and donate a buck to the charity chosen by the fan for each drink sold. Great idea, great causes and great drinks! I got the Oasis…a pineapple and sparkling refreshment (with an awesome pineapple garnish). It was perfect against the open-air dining room on a very comfortable summer evening in Texas. She Dines got the Spitfire…and I was jealous! It was awesome as she will tell you!
In all honesty, driving up I was not sure what to expect. Standard Service is connected to a Cross Fit workout facility, and directly behind a Sonic. Walking into the restaurant, I quickly realized they have created a space with fresh smelling herbs, great music, indoor/outdoor seating and all with a cool retro hipster vibe. Another wonderful thing about Standard Service is that they have a few select cocktails that when ordered they donate to various charities. So, we of course had to partake and I started with a glass of rosé and then ordered a Spitfire which was gin, blackberry, lemon, mint and sparkling wine. The little amount of sparkle gave the drink a perfect fizz! Along with our cocktails we had some queso and chips which was out of this world! For my meal, I decided on a margherita flatbread pizza and after seeing a hamburger go by was wishing I had ordered that. The flatbread was good, but lacked something. What really makes this local place a hit is the staff! Initially we had a little snafu with our reservation, but it was worked out. The wait staff and managers are super friendly and knowledgeable. Standard Service is small so I recommend a reservation on Friday and Saturday evenings. Skip the trip to Dallas and stay local in Rockwall. You will not be disappointed!
