Laurin G.
Yelp
Thoroughly Disappointed - Chart House Dana Point
We have been coming to the Chart House for a couple of years, and while the food and location are still incredible, the service has completely fallen apart. Our last two visits were beyond frustrating, and frankly, unacceptable for a restaurant of this caliber and price point.
During our recent dinner on Thursday, August 28, we were seated at a dirty table -- old check still sitting there, no clean plates, no silverware. Our server (a sweet, attentive young man who told us he'd only been serving for a month after starting as a busser) was clearly overwhelmed. He was doing his best but had absolutely no support. We waited endlessly for basics like plates and silverware, even having to ask a food runner and eventually for my husband to physically get up and go to the bar to grab them himself. That should never happen at any restaurant, let alone here.
When our entrée arrived -- a $60+ steak -- it was cold, flavorless, and disappointing. We sent it back, and instead of acknowledging the mistake, the manager came over 10 minutes later and literally dropped another steak on the table without a single apology, explanation, or attempt to make things right. It felt like they were just brushing us off and hoping we'd accept it. Completely unprofessional and insulting.
Still, we decided to give the Chart House another shot for takeout on Sunday, September 1. We ordered two swordfish entrées and two lava cakes, told 30 minutes. When we arrived, the host was rude, dismissive, and told us to "go check with the kitchen" ourselves. At the kitchen counter, no one greeted us. Staff walked right by as if we didn't exist. When someone finally checked, they told us "10 more minutes." Ten minutes came and went -- still nothing.
When we asked the girl helping with the takeout who the head manager was, she shrugged and said, "I don't know, I just work in the kitchen." Then, when it came time to pay, my husband tried to use a gift card, and she said she didn't know how to process it. We waited several more minutes while she went to get someone else to figure it out. To make matters worse, when we finally got our food, there were no utensils or napkins in the bag. Even if we weren't planning on using them, that's basic restaurant takeout 101 -- you always include them. The fact that this was overlooked just summed up the lack of care and standards across the board.
And here's the part that makes it even more disappointing: last month, in July, we went to Water Grill in Costa Mesa and had exceptional service. The staff there were overly attentive in the best way -- making sure we had everything we needed, tables wiped immediately after every dish, silverware replaced without us having to ask, drinks always refreshed. Our server was excited to be there, knowledgeable, and genuinely made us feel like royalty. At a restaurant of that caliber, service must be flawless, and Water Grill delivered. We were so impressed we even asked for the manager to personally thank her and the team, because we know great service starts with leadership.
That's the difference. The service issues at Chart House are not about the servers -- they're set up to fail. This is management's fault. There's no leadership, no accountability, and no standard being upheld.
For the amount of money people spend here, service should be exceptional every single time. Instead, it's careless, dismissive, and disrespectful to paying customers. My advice: don't waste your money here until management gets completely overhauled. This restaurant has the food and the view, but without real leadership, it's just an overpriced disappointment.
