Dominique A.
Google
I want to share an experience my daughter had at John E’s on January 15, 2026. This is about how the situation was handled and specifically about her interaction with manager Nate Duncan, not the restaurant overall, as we’ve eaten there many times without issue.
I was not present during this visit. My daughter called me after the interaction but while she was still in the restaurant waiting for her bill, upset and confused by how the situation was handled, which is why I am writing this review.
While eating crawfish at John E’s, my daughter discovered a large bug in her food. She immediately notified the waitress. The waitress brought the plate to the manager, who took it to the back and did not return for about 20 minutes.
When he returned, he said, “So you found a bug in your crawfish,” followed by “great,” and then began explaining their cleaning process, including that they sometimes find small turtles during cleaning. When my daughter calmly asked what that had to do with the bug in her food, his tone became condescending.
He then said, “What do you want me to do, comp you and your friends’ meals? I can’t do that. Your bill is $50 and you ate half, so I’ll take half off.” My daughter explained that it was not her fault she ate part of the meal before discovering the bug and that customers should not be expected to inspect their food for insects before eating. The manager was dismissive, rude, and walked away without resolving the issue professionally. He NEVER once apologized.
Finding a foreign insect in food is a food safety concern and should be handled with care, accountability, and respect, especially when addressing young customers.
What made this situation even more uncomfortable is that after I left a factual review on their Facebook, it was deleted within minutes. The manager, Nate Duncan, then returned to my daughter’s table and said, “I saw your review. I liked it,” which confused her, as she was unaware a review had been posted.
This review is not about a mistake, things happen. It is about how a situation was handled and how a young customer was spoken to. The lack of professionalism and accountability at John E’s has made us seriously reconsider returning.