Rebecca F.
Yelp
I'm writing this review on behalf of my mother, who dined at Cooper's Hawk this evening and had an allergic reaction due to the server's negligence. To be clear, the food itself was amazing--but that's where the positives end.
Her server, Rich, mentioned to another table that he'd been working there for a few months. That became very obvious. Before ordering a red sangria, my mother specifically asked him if it contained strawberries, as she has a serious strawberry allergy. He assured her it did not. Trusting that information, she ordered the drink.
Halfway through, she noticed pieces of cut fruit in the glass that looked suspiciously like strawberries. She went directly to the bartender to double-check, and the bartender immediately confirmed: yes, the sangria DOES contain strawberries.
She informed the server, and instead of being apologetic or taking responsibility, he simply said he "didn't know"--and then proceeded to avoid the table entirely. He never came back to check on her, never apologized, and never showed even basic concern as she began breaking out in hives from an allergic reaction.
A manager eventually came over. The manager was polite, but offering her a replacement drink while she was actively having an allergic reaction is not an appropriate response. There was no sense of urgency, no meaningful accountability, and no acknowledgment of how serious this situation could have been.
If a customer tells you they have a food allergy--and you aren't sure--you go ask someone who DOES know. There is no excuse. Allergies can be life-threatening. A guest shouldn't have to worry that their server is guessing.
To make matters worse, service after that was extremely slow. It took forever to get the check, boxes, anything--and still, no apology from the server.
This is the bare minimum situation where a write-up is warranted. Someone could have ended up in the hospital or worse, and the response from both the server and the restaurant was shockingly inadequate.
One star, solely because of the way the situation was handled. We are extremely disappointed, and this experience raises serious concerns about the restaurant's training and commitment to guest safety.