Robert A.
Yelp
We made a reservation for 7 people to celebrate our daughter's college graduation. I'm not sure where to begin so we will start with the beginning because it was all downhill once we arrived. It was a rainy windy night and they put us on the patio but the weather flaps were opened so we requested them to be closed. The wind made it a little chilly and asked that they turn on the middle of the table fire pit but is was broken. This was a huge table. so you could only talk to the people next to you, not across from you. Why they chose this seating I do not know since there were plenty of other tables suited for large parties and conducive to socialization. Still, the weather flaps have not been lowered. The server came ot take some drink orders while we looked over the menu. He returned after 30min with drinks and asked if we had any questions and we ordered appetizers. We were deciding on dinner choices and talking, noticed that 45min had gone by, can't find the server anywhere. I had to go to the bar and ask someone to find him so we could get a second round of drinks and order dinners. Meals were selected and second round of drinks arrived 20min after that. Keep in mind, there is ONE other table of a party of 12-12 and 2 tables with couples in the whole restaurant, it was empty which should have been a clue since it was graduation night and no one was eating dinner at this place in downtown, connected to a hotel and several hotels around it, all full with guests that came in for college graduations. Another 30min of talking and server has gone missing again (we were his only table). I talked to the manager to find out the story and to request for a 3rd time that the weather flaps be lowered due to the weather. The manager who was chatting with some staff at the food prep line was the most unprofessional person I've come across in the restaurant industry. He was wearing a button down shirt, untucked and looked like he just woke up from a nap in the ally behind the kitchen. Clothes were all wrinkled, tie barely around his neck and every response was a defensive one. He went on to defend that they were busy and he would make sure the server checked on us more frequently. After a few minutes the server came over to the table, walked around it and looked at everyone's place setting and walked out, did not ask if we needed anything. Finally the dinners came out, we are about 2 hours into the evening now. The meals were warm at best, mostly cold. The burgers a few people chose were hockey pucks and uneatable (my daughter, the guest of honor was one, took one bite and couldn't eat it). Two of our guests ordered pasta and chicken plates, which did not come out with all the other meals so we waited, then I went to find the manager again. I was at the prep line and visibly upset at this point and asked if he would like to take the conversation to his office, the reply was right there was good. So be it. I started listing everything that has gone wrong since we arrived, in front of the kitchen and wait staff and he continued to defend their position which I then pointed out that the place was empty and I wasn't looking for excuses just a resolution for a celebration dinner that has been a nightmare. He said he would check on the other 2 meals so I stood with him at the line and watched while his kitchen staff made the meals, so they were never ordered or plated. Weather flaps were still up and I was told he had to find someone from maintenance to unroll them. 2.5 hours at this point and I asked him to take into account everything, including the service, into account and what he could do to help me out because that was NOT a $600 dinner tab of food and service, I actually laughed. While he was considering the options, I asked for the graduation cake be brought out so we could have dessert and get on with our evening. I was told right away. The server came back with a knife to cut the cake, no forks or plates...... AND NO CAKE. I asked the manger after 20min where the cake was and he said "we are trying to locate it". Seriously, I can't make this up. After 35 minutes the cake arrives and we cut and plated it ourselves. During dessert, the manager pulled me aside so we could review the bill. He said he would comp the two burgers and not charge us the $80 fee to bring your own cake (which they didn't even serve to the guests). I told him to go back and think on it again, the cake fee never should have been part of the bill because we called to make the reservation and were told there was no additional charge to brig our own cake and they would plate and serve it. I told him don't even count that as some kind of savings since it was never supposed to be there in the first place. The manager returned with a revised bill, it was still ridiculous but I cut my losses and accepted that at least the appetizers were decent. I have never left a tip that low before and was close to leaving n