Dining Out:

In thinking about our dining experience at the Corner Bistro in Glendale, almost every aspect was out of alignment. It began when we entered at prime dinner hour and there were no customers, a dubious start.

We were told they had only recently started serving dinner, so maybe the word isn’t out yet. We asked if we should order at the counter or table and the hostess/waitress said it didn’t matter. That seemed to set the tone for the evening.

My son ordered the beef burger ($10.95) that came with lettuce and tomato, and was topped with grilled red onions and a garlic aioli dressing. When he realized that he didn’t ask for cheese (and our server didn’t ask) we found out only when the bill arrived that his request cost 50 cents extra. This charge was never mentioned or printed anywhere.

The burger was cooked to medium as he requested, and it was acceptable but not great by any means.

There was a huge mound of nicely cooked French fries on the plate. They were crisp and had a robust potato flavor, but this wasn’t enough to redeem the combo.

The Mediterranean chicken wrap ($7.95) contained blackened chicken, Greek olives, feta cheese and lettuce all rolled in a colorful red tortilla with fries on the side.

The chicken was a bit dry, and while the dressing gave it some punch, it was not enough to wow me.

Maybe it wasn’t a good day for chicken because the meat in my tacos ($7.95) was not impressive and dry. The chicken chunks were a good size but bland. They were generous with the guacamole, and I did enjoy the salsa verde that added some zip, along with diced red onions.

The accompanying side salad of field greens came with tomato, cucumber and carrot, and got some boost from the capers and slivered almonds. The credit I give them for including those last two uncommon ingredients is negated by the Italian salad dressing that had too much vinegar and tasted like it came from a warehouse store.

My wife ordered the caprese panini sandwich ($7.95) that contained tomatoes, cheese and a balsamic dressing. Good idea but poor execution, because the bread was overcooked and the sandwich was lacking in flavor.

Our waitress was pleasant and attentive but didn’t seem to be on the ball. She didn’t bring table settings until we asked for them when the food arrived. She did refill our water glasses, but there was no ice in the pitcher, so it ended up being room temperature instead of chilled.

Ordering dessert to go was another adventure. The other employees on duty had to wait until our server got off the phone so she could explain what was in the refrigerated case. My key-lime tart ($2.95) was creamy and tangy, but the printed sign in the case led me to believe it was not made on the premises.

After we got our desserts, it took an unreasonably long time for the check to come.

Everything seemed average at best. They had sincere intentions but very mediocre results.