Mark D.
Yelp
Let me start by saying if it was possible to leave this place 0 star, I 100% would. I came here on a Monday morning for a private breakfast that I booked for 50 people upstairs at the Landmark Diner. The manager Sandy assured me multiple times that everything will be taken care, and not to worry, we would love to have your group, AKA rob us blind.
My first mistake was not having this in writing, I actually wish we had a contract in place so I can actually prove to Sandy that she lied to me over the phone. You can only imagine my shock when I showed up with my family of 50 people, only to find out that what we agreed to on the phone was not what we were going to get in the diner. The only ounce of truth Sandy mention was that we would be on the 2nd floor of the diner. The only reason it was a "private area" was because no one was in this dump at 10:00am on a Monday morning.
The reservation was supposed to be that Landmark Diner would charge me $20 per person plus 20% gratuity and tax for a buffet of eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, pancakes and waffle. Sounds like a great price right? Well when we arrived at 10am and there is no breakfast buffet in sight. I asked the waiter when and where the buffet will be set up, and he looked at me confused saying let me speak to the manager. In comes Sandy and she said there is no buffet, according to her "we never agreed on a buffet" I looked at her and said are you serious right now? So what are you charging me $20++ for? She said for one of the three choices: she wanted all the guests to choose between: an order of pancakes, or waffles, or 2 eggs any style with breakfast meat and toast. I said to her, with all due respect, in which world are pancakes $26 when you factor in gratuity and tax? Pancakes at the Beverly Hills Hotel in California aren't even that much. She said well those are our prices here.
I was screwed, there was no way I could pick up and make 50 of my guests get up and go somewhere else for breakfast. Sandy did not seem to care, her attitude just kept getting worse and worse as I tried to reason with her. I tried to explain to her that what she did is wrong and she kept saying if you don't like it, you can leave. Trust me if I could have left I would have saved myself the embarrassment, inconveniencing my family and not given this place a penny of my hard earned money. Call it a misunderstanding but if I knew this was going to be the price I would have never came here.
I thought that was going to be the last of the problem, that we would finally just get our breakfast, but of course to further kick me while I am down, Sandy decided to only give us 1 waiter for 50 people. The poor guy was running like a chicken with his head cut off. Sandy not caring for her staff, basically threw him to a pack of wolves, while she just went back downstairs and hung out by the entrance. If she was even remotely close to being a good manager, she would either send another waiter or two to help him, or she would help him herself.
Now its around 10:45am, I had four people leave because it was taking way too long to be served. No one has had their order taken, this poor waiter was asking people what they wanted, then he would have to run to the kitchen and put it in. Finally, I found Sandy again and I said how could you just send 1 waiter up for 50 people, she said a second waiter will be right up.
It was not until 11:25am until food started coming out, all everyone wanted to do is just wanted to get the hell out of there. Sandy of course was no where to be seen upstairs to make sure everything was ok. I went down to the hostess stand wanting to pay just so I can get out of this nightmare.
At this point, I am mentally drained, she ends up charging me for 60 people when it actuality we were only 50, I barely ate, but I was in no mood to go back in forth with her. Maybe the Landmark Diner can use the extra $250 they made off of me to clean their upstairs area because it was absolutely flithy. Or here is a better idea, take the $250 and send Sandy to a class on hospitality and customer service. She could a tune up in how to treat people.
I hope other people see this review and think twice about hosting a larger gathering a the Landmark Diner.