Eating at The Factory, Trinidad, is akin to going to a B-movie that you know you will never watch again. Thinking back on the experience it was a good time although there were many flaws in their execution. The industrial feel of the Factory is well curated to create their modern sports bar feel, however at first glance it seem unceremoniously empty for such a welcoming space.

The menu is similar to a pick-your-own adventure dining experience, where you write your name on a sheet, then tick your options and specifications. However, it should be noted that you still have to pick your drinks and dessert using ‘conventional’ methods.

The food and drinks were quite speedy. Although, in hind sight that may have been a bit more alarming that previously thought. The steak was chewy and anything other than medium (which was specified for my ‘adventure’) however on this plate, the true offense was the bagged vegetables offered as ‘Seasonal Vegetables’. Apparently the seasonality refers to the ripe bounty found at Pricemart. Although, to the chefs credit they were tossed in a lemon sauce which did help to perk up the previously frozen side dish. On the other hand this wasn’t even the worst plate on the table. That honor goes to the ‘burger’. The ingredients of the burger was made of were never identified. The hope is that it is some sort of discount beef which has been though so much processing and bulking additives that it hardly resembles its true self, but is in fact beef.

Much like a B-movie, once we accepted that a good experience was out the window, the real fun could begin. Sometimes in life it is important to lean into undesired events. It may not be a good experience but there may be something gained from experiencing it thoroughly. This was one of those events. Instead of running for the door, hoping they would throw the bill at us on the way out, the decision was made to order dessert and two more mains to see if it was just a one-off mishap.

Apparently it wasn’t. As a replacement, a hot dog and a veggie burger were ordered. While this may seem like another throwaway order, the truth is that there was some speculation as to if the first burger may have been a veggie burger just accidentally misplaced. This second order was actually a jovial game of ‘Who Done It’. The surprise was that the first burger was not a veggie burger, furthermore the veggie burger was incredibly good in comparison to its predecessor. Imagine the shock of preferring the knock off as opposed to the original.

In conclusion, if you have to eat bad food. It is important to eat it with someone who is prepared to have an adventure with you. For better or for worse, its always a good experience if you are with someone who can laugh with you about the irony of it all. We did not know what we were getting into when we picked this adventure. Like most adventures we didn’t end up where we thought we would when we set out.

Only eat at ‘The Factory’ if you want to test your bond with loved ones, there is enough mystery meat in your fridge to disappoint you at home..