Everyone Deserves a Second Chance and Sometimes a Third

Published 4/25/2011

Everyone Deserves a Second Chance and Sometimes a Third

The Retired Cooks Diary

By Suzette Pennington Munson

I hope everyone had a great Easter, I guess I had too much fun because I got caught up in the “stuff of life” and forgot to write my column. I don’t know if anyone missed it but here it is better late than never!!

A few weeks ago my cousin Deb and I were in Bowie and decided to try out the new restaurant we had heard about. Sweet Boy’s in downtown Bowie.

On our first visit I was not impressed, more like depressed. The restaurant was nicely decorated, had all the amenities but was just not clicking on all switches. The service staff was not getting orders correct, the food what not really up to the standards that the décor demanded, and the last problem was that their computer was hooked into an internet service for credit and debit cards that was not working and was causing havoc…..Do I give it a second look?

I did, three evenings later my husband Doug and I decided to try Sweet Boy’s again. There were several things that had improved. The order was right. The service had improved but the computer system was still a headache for service folks and customers.

Do we give it a third try??? Why not, Sweet Boy’s was having the problems that so many businesses have early in their opening stages.

I could not try it again, just because I have set a standard of trying a restaurant a minimum of three times before I write them off as a bummer and don’t bother to go back.

So, we had tried weekday lunch, Friday evening and so for a change we decided on Saturday afternoon lunch. Best choice we have made in a while. We picked the Soup of the Day which for Saturday was Gumbo. Honestly it was the best Gumbo that I have ever eaten in a restaurant this side of the Louisiana State line and that is saying a lot. My granddaughter decided on Chicken Strips and Mac and Cheese. The chicken was real, fresh chicken breast, cut into planks and hand breaded!!! Put that in your pipe and smoke it Mc D’s. I have to say I was totally impressed. Since we had such a light lunch we decided to try desert. Coconut Cream Pie, homemade with meringue thick and sweet.

Yes, I do think folks need a second and third look, and honestly be critical, our money today is hard earned and we should spend it where it is appreciated. I have to admit that Sweet Boy’s has moved up on my list of “Do Over” places to visit. Yes we will go back and try again and I recommend that everyone go try them out.

The folks that own Sweet Boy’s are the former owners of the Jim Bowie Restaurant in Bowie. I think they have a winner and given time it will be a great place to complement Downtown Bowie.