Terrible Service at Rock Bottom Brewery in Warrenville, IL or somewhere around there. I don't go back because there are other options. If I want to drive, I go to Goose Island. If I don't, I go to Payton's Roundhouse.
Goose's beer is always amazing. Payton's is always alright, though I think they use local water and it really seems to show. Then again, given that we've grown up drinking local water, I wonder if we all have a preference for beer brewed with local water. I don't know.
Anyway, what keeps me coming back? Primary Numero Uno Reason to come back is great service and friendly staff. Seriously, if I've been there 10 times and you still don't know my name, or at least recognize me as a good patron, then there's a problem.
Next, as a regular, I can handle occasional slip-ups when it comes to service. I encourage the bartenders to get to the new faces first, so they can make a good impression. However, there are two expectations that come with this. The first expectation is that service will be top notch for ME, regardless of how busy you are, if I am with guests. Secondly, I expect to get comped a bit from time to time, or get a couple of samples. Yes, as a beer connoisseur, I do expect you to be excited enough about your product that you actually want me to sample it, even if you know I'm going to wind up buying something else. I once had someone give me a funny look when I asked for a sample, then an even funnier, hesitant look, when I asked for a sample of a different beer. The story was, it was my first time there and I really wanted to get a beer I liked. Trust me, nobody is coming to your brew pub to get drunk off of free samples. Give them freely. In fact, offer them up to anyone who orders anything besides one of your beers.
Third, a good selection of hard liquor is nice. If you are serving beer connoisseurs, you can expect an occasional Whisky connoisseur or wine connoisseur to walk through the door. Though I don't require it, I do like it when I see 20 or 30 bottles of whisky on the shelf. On the other hand, in some states, the brewpub license doesn't allow this. That's cool, I understand.
Fourth, GOOD FOOD. It can be $50 steaks, or $5 french fries, but it's got to be good. Lots of flavors and spices and options. No bland boring food. I think a brewpub could do just fine selling garlic bread (with a pre-prepared spread on top and some pre-grated cheese); gourmet grilled cheese (8 different cheeses to choose from) (do you have any idea how easy grilled cheese is to make?), local/fresh sausages (pick them up from a deli, even have them made to your specification if you want), home made spicy fries or pub chips, a ho-made soup of the day (make it before you open the doors, it can sit on a pot all night), and fresh-baked bread (delivered daily) with a few dipping sauces (garlic, oil and lemon, maybe a tomato-based one). I'm talking about a simple menu, but food crafted with great care and attention to detail. I guess you'd need to offer a salad too.
And regardless of your prices, there MUST be something to nibble on for less than $10. I really hate when the appetizers start at $12 or $14. That's a big turn off. I mean, I understand you want to serve fancy food, but there should be a way to get something in my belly for less. Goose Island makes their own pub chips. They charge $2 for a basket and they absolutely rock!!! They are salty/spicy/sweet, I couldn't fill up on them, but dang are they nice to nibble on!
If you only have expensive food, I will go there twice a year to eat, and the rest of the time, if I go, I will eat somewhere else before hand. The thing is, I used to live in Chicago. I can go down a few blocks and get world class pizza, tacos, gyros, etc for less than $10. If you're charging $25-$50 for a meal, it'd better be at least twice as good as those pizzas, gyros, tacos, etc... So you're better off offering some low-cost options, then at least I'll buy some food from you. I'm not cheap though... I will buy that $30 steak once or twice a year. I just can't afford it all the time...
Fifth, Cute girls. You must have cute girls.