Simba's Restaurant

Last night was my first night in beautiful and sunny Palm Springs. After driving through downtown and finding every restaurant packed, my party and I decided on Simba's Restaurant.

When we pulled in, the parking lot was completely empty despite the blinking 'open' sign. This should have been our first clue to turn around. We were greeted at the door by a friendly waitress who sat us at a table in the eerily empty dining room. There was one other couple having dinner besides my party of five.

The restaurant used to be a buffet for Southern soul food, but is now a made to order Southern food establishment. However, Simba's hasn't been remodeled for the change, meaning that the buffet counters are still set up, making the environment awkward and unappealing. Throughout the course of my visit, there was a man sitting behind me on a couch drinking coffee and wandering through the restaurant. The owner and waitress knew the man and allowed him to peruse around as if there weren't customers around. This made the restaurant feel very unprofessional, along with the disconnected TV and empty garbage bags on the couches.

The menu was limited and very expensive. I decided on a BBQ pork sandwich with potato salad for ten dollars. I cannot sum up my disappointment when I received my dinner. I had expected a slow cooked, pulled pork sandwich on a hamburger bun with coleslaw, in traditional Southern fashion. Instead, I was served three small slices of grilled pork on a hoagie bun with lettuce and tomato. I highly dislike tomatoes. The BBQ sauce was served in a bowl on the side, but was too runny to be put onto the sandwich. My side order of potato salad was warm, not the desirable temperature of a perishable dish. What was served to me has no place in the world of Southern food.

As I choked down my dinner, the waitress went and sat on the couch next to the man behind me. Our table was not checked on during the meal, I had no refill on my water glass, even though I ran out before dinner.

I will never eat at Simba's again, the meal and environment are not worth the price tag. Higher wait times are worth sitting through for a better meal. I hope I will find a restaurant over the next few days that will redeem Palm Spring's local eateries.