Willie Brown Spurns Favorite Steakhouse After Girlfriend’s 1-Star Yelp Review | Eater SF

"At Bob’s Steak and Chop House in the Omni Hotel I long considered us regular, satisfied clients who dined there at least once every two weeks; I usually order the tomato‑onion salad and a petite filet with a nice bottle of red wine. On January 20th my girlfriend and I walked in around 7:10 p.m., saw at least ten empty tables, and asked a dark‑haired male host for a table for three (Willie Brown was running late). After being told we’d have to wait until after 8:00, we were kept waiting 15, 25, then 40 minutes despite empty tables; when I asked for an update he told us he would seat us only “when Mayor gets in,” which made us feel like second‑class citizens. When Willie finally arrived the host suddenly grabbed menus and ran to seat us, and I felt so mistreated that I changed my mind, left, vowed never to return, and posted a one‑star Yelp review and social posts to warn my followers (I eat out twice a day and was told many people follow my dining suggestions). I’ve always found the food consistently good and previously been welcomed by a polite Asian hostess who seated us immediately, but this incident convinced me that host/hostess training is crucial. As an aside, Willie has long prized Bob’s for another perk: he noted in 2012 that there’s a big jar of free pickles on each table, which he said is something you don’t get at most other places." - Caleb Pershan