Karling's Inn

Unfortunately, this is as good as it gets in west Volusia County. In our two-hour dining experience, however, we felt more like trespassers than patrons or guests. The door was locked when we arrived and then unlocked surreptitiously from the inside some minutes after the advertised opening hour. No representative of the establishment opened the door, announced the opening, or greeted those of who were waiting. The hostess eyed us suspiciously and ran her list three times before confirming our reservation. We were then seated a few feet from the drafty front door and greeted almost instantly by our server, an attractive young lady dressed in some sort of Tyrolian milch maid/Alpine street-walker attire replete with braids. She was friendly, attentive to us and efficient in her work. No white table linen here, but the plastic place mats were attractive and did not advertise local banks or laundromats. The decor is an Alpine eclectic assortment of clocks, paintings and ... more

Unfortunately, this is as good as it gets in west Volusia County. In our two-hour dining experience, however, we felt more like trespassers than patrons or guests. The door was locked when we arrived and then unlocked surreptitiously from the inside some minutes after the advertised opening hour. No representative of the establishment opened the door, announced the opening, or greeted those of who were waiting. The hostess eyed us suspiciously and ran her list three times before confirming our reservation. We were then seated a few feet from the drafty front door and greeted almost instantly by our server, an attractive young lady dressed in some sort of Tyrolian milch maid/Alpine street-walker attire replete with braids. She was friendly, attentive to us and efficient in her work. No white table linen here, but the plastic place mats were attractive and did not advertise local banks or laundromats. The decor is an Alpine eclectic assortment of clocks, paintings and wall hangings. The wine list was more than adequate and moderately priced. We chose a Cellar 8 (Asti) Cabernet Sauvignon for $24.00. Since we were there on Valentine's Day, the menu was limited, but all of the offerings were enticing and our choices were both well prepared and attractively presented. The asparagus soup was wonderful. This was a special menu for the occasion and does not describe the daily menu, but our items were both delicious and certainly a cut above the offerings of any other restaurant in west Volusia County. The dessert, however, another special occasion offering, was advertised as a chocolate mousse and may well have been. It turned out as a hideous pink concoction of sweetness resembling the taste of Jujubees topped with Twinkie fill. Our meal was interrupted three times by the hostess, who first asked us to move our table closer to the table next to us, a second time to move us more to the right, and even a third time to move us even closer to our neighbors. A new table was brought in and jammed against my wife's elbow, which is how we (and our new neighbors) completed the meal. The hostess was apologetic, but the ambience of the meal was seriously disturbed. We went to Karling's Inn for the food, and were not disappointed. However, it is difficult to overlook the declasse attitude and environs. less