Claire W.
Yelp
We've been to Coastal Flats several times for lunch and have generally had good experiences, but this most recent visit was disappointing enough that it will likely be our last for a while.
I had already eaten a late breakfast, but my friend needed lunch, so we ordered the Babycake Sliders for the table and a bowl of soup. When the food runner arrived, he placed a plate on the table and said something we couldn't hear. The items didn't look like what I expected sliders to be, but my friend put one on her plate and I took a bite of mine.
A few moments later, our server came over with another plate and said, "Babycake sliders." It became clear that the first plate we had been given was incorrect. She placed the correct sliders on the table, then immediately removed the other food--including the items we had already taken from the plate and started eating--and said that if we wanted to keep them, we would be charged. She said she would check with the manager but didn't think we could keep the incorrect food without paying. She never came back with the taken food after supposedly checking with the manager and never returned to check on our meal or offer drink refills, and I ran out of ice tea.
We later flagged her down, and she stated that it was restaurant policy that all mistaken food is thrown away. She was adamant that it was Coastal Flats policy. We were surprised and upset, particularly by the idea that food, already on our table and being eaten, would be just thrown in a garbage can. Food waste!
When we asked to speak with a manager, he told us that the server had been incorrect about the policy and that she knows now. We appreciated the manager's honesty, but by that point the experience had already left a bad impression after having food taken off our table and being told a story.
Despite tipping well, the combination of the removal of food, being told a story, and the lack of follow-up service left us disappointed. Because of this experience, Coastal Flats in Tysons Corner will no longer be our top go-to lunch spot.