Dogs Breath Tavern - Dayton

I dropped by around 6:30 on a Sunday evening. The pool tournament had just wrapped up, leaving the atmosphere quite calm—exactly what I wanted for catching up with friends. The service was quick and friendly. I was pleasantly surprised by the Reuben Rolls; who would’ve thought to encase the deliciousness of a Reuben in an egg roll wrapper and deep fry it? Such a clever idea! The chicken quesadilla was packed with a plethora of great ingredients and turned out to be an excellent choice as well. I opted for a regular beer and didn’t explore many of the new options, but next time I visit, I plan to dive into the craft beer selection.

Karaoke night... I thought I’d give it a try. It was pretty quiet, but I decided to stick around. I took a seat at a table and looked over the menu, as I was in the mood for a burger. After four singers performed, I still hadn’t received any service. No one came to take my drink order... nothing at all. The place was really slow, and the bartenders were just chatting among themselves. Is this a self-service establishment or full service? Honestly, I couldn't tell. I tried to be patient, but after 20 minutes, I finally decided to leave. I headed a quarter mile down the road to McGillicutty's, where the atmosphere was lively, and I was served right away. It felt great. I’m left wondering why I should ever return to Dog's Breath. Don’t promise that it will be better next time; I’ve been there a few times hoping it was just a fluke, but my experience has been consistently disappointing. I’m done.

Our most recent visit, however, was quite unpleasant and stood out in comparison to all the other places I've visited, including fast-food chains. This experience has left us hesitant to return. The service from the waitress/bartender was incredibly disappointing, and it’s an impression we won’t forget for a long time. We'll be headed to McGillicutty's instead.

The food was enjoyable, but the bar service left much to be desired. Each time, we waited around five minutes for a beer refill, which felt excessive. We were there for trivia night, and it seemed that adding another bartender could have helped speed things up. The venue is spacious and has a lot of potential. As for the crowd, it was certainly entertaining—though perhaps a bit too much so, as we ended up sitting next to a rather unstable individual who was making inappropriate comments and eventually starting to make threats. That was when we decided it was time to leave, especially after waiting 20 minutes just to settle our bar tab.

We attended a performance by the Dayton Jazz Orchestra, and the band was excellent. I really appreciate that Dog's Breath provides them with a venue. However, the service was incredibly disappointing. The waitress seemed unprepared, and the kitchen was completely overwhelmed. It took a staggering TWO HOURS for us to receive our fries and an order of rolls. When the food finally arrived, it was bland and the rolls were burnt to a crisp. We'll definitely return for the band and the beer, but we'll make sure to eat before we arrive.