Michael T.
Yelp
I have been using Open Table since 2012. Over this period, I have written 66 reviews. The majority of which have been highly favorable and complimentary. Professionally, I have been an executive-level leader of luxury hotels and high-end restaurants. I know my stuff. Thus, this Lobster Bar Sea Grille review is based on facts and my professional observations.
Pre-arrival and greeting: To start, I was contacted by the restaurant two hours before my reservation to confirm that I had booked a patio table. I explained I would not have done that knowingly as I booked the restaurant in part by the photography of the interior space, which appeared to be in the style and level I was looking for. I would have booked a place along the water to have dinner outdoors. The Lobster Bar employee (Kat) told me she would change me to sit indoors. When my guest and I (a party of six) arrived, Kat greeted me and said they had a table on the patio, which I corrected by saying that she had confirmed us indoors just two hours prior. After a wait of ten-plus minutes, another host announced loudly that one of my guests was dressed inappropriately and that we could sit on the patio if we wished. Everyone at my party was stunned as we dressed appropriately for this restaurant. Rather than argue in front of my guests, they graciously agreed it would be ok to dine there. We soon discovered that was a terrible compromise. (Tip: If you need to tell me something is wrong, pull the guest host aside and discuss it privately.)
The Patio: In stark contrast to the high-end ambiance of the dining room, the patio was a disappointment. It was furnished with basic lawn furniture without decor, background music, or ceiling fans. Dining there felt more like being in a parking lot than a high-end restaurant. Adding to the discomfort, the patio was also the location of the servers' bussing station. All the dirty glassware and plates were paraded past our table, and the servers openly discussed their service and table challenges no more than three feet from us.
Dinner service: our server was warm and charming but drilled in the art of upselling to the point of the absurd. Further, there was no acknowledgment of being placed in the "time out" area, as some empathetic gesture from the management would have helped ease our growing frustration. We enjoyed a seafood tower and a tuna appetizer. It was, at best, average in its presentation and seafood food quality. While the menu is well constructed and described, the pricing is deceptive, particularly regarding the fish selections (Tip: you will be charged more than what is listed). In addition, the menu points out that the server will filet and present whole fish selections on the table side. If you have dined at Estiatorio Milos in Las Vegas, you know how this is correctly done. But after a 45-minute wait for our entrée, this service expectation was far off the mark. Food runners rushed and dropped their plates without any offer of service, food description, or check on our satisfaction.
Moreover, one of my guests who ordered Dover Sole (market price) had to wait another five minutes before his plater was served, without any table-side presentation, as is the customary practice with Dover Sole. He was left to debone this serving himself. Finally, the side servings we were upsold (see previous point) never arrived, but by then, it was on par with the entire evening.
In summary, my party spent close to $1000 to dine in a parking lot and endured a comedic three-hour presentation on how not to operate a restaurant.