Philip E.
Yelp
I had refrained from posting my review, giving the restaurant every opportunity to reach out to me, and given we ate there shortly after restaurants began to open for dining in....but, there is no excuse for having unknowledgeable servers, especially when it comes to Food Allergies! So, here I go!
Back in August we were entertaining friends from Texas. After a day of playing on the beach and sightseeing, we decided to try High Tides on the Potomac for Dinner. Our party was large, 8 people be exact. We started off with drinks and a few appetizers. My wife and 2 children have Gluten Allergies and figured a Seafood Restaurant should be safe. We also assumed the staff would be knowledgeable. Well, that was not the case.
When my family ordered their meals, we consistently reminded our server that the meals must be Gluten Free! She even had commented that she will check on a few of the items, as she was not sure. Mind you, a gluten allergic reaction comes from within, and you can't see it happening. No Benadryl or Epi pen is going to combat or reverse this type of Allergy.
As we began to eat our meals, the Shrimp tasted very "fishy" as to say it was not fresh and honestly was not consumable. As we neared the end of our meals, the Bar Tender noticed we were a bit frustrated. She came over and asked what the issues were. We explained and she then told us the Stuffed Shrimp was NOT Gluten Free..after our waitress has assured us it was. My wife had already consumed it, and she has a severe Gluten Allergy. In addition, the service was horrible. We had to ask several times for drink refills, appetizers came out with the main meals, and our waitress (which we were her only table) was less than attentive at any time.
The Bartender continued to tell us that the waitress was the Granddaughter of the owner, and she really doesn't want to be here, but "grandma makes her work here". As if that was making the situation better? The Bartender even adjusted the bill for the items my wife ate.
We paid the bill and left. Later that night, 3 people from our party were very sick with what I thought might be food poisoning. My wife was violently ill (for anyone who has ever experienced and exposure to Gluten for someone who is allergic) and this continues for several hours. I attempted to contact the restaurant (Phone and email), including disputing the charges. To date, no one has bothered to reach out..even after they disputed my dispute, still no phone call.
Please heed the reviews for this place..and add disregard for the well being of their patrons as one of their attributes. I am hoping after reading the review, I might actually get someone to call me back.
