J C.
Yelp
08.06.24
I typically go to the Miller's Ale House in Kissimmee, and love it there. Never an issue. No fryer smell. Lighting on point. Enthusiastic staff.
Today I was on I-Drive and was expecting a similar experience at that Millers, being a chain and all.
Nope.
Walked in @ 2:30 pm. Nobody to greet me and only two booths filled. One person at the bar. Mind you, the bar sits a minimum of 30 people. It's a huge bar.
First thing I noticed were the lights up full blast. Come on people, this isn't a cafeteria. Lose the rap music and turn the lights down. Create a warm, inviting atmosphere. Why blast those lights like you're screaming out LAST CALL - GET OUT!
Sat by butt at the empty, huge, blinding lights bar.
After 5 minutes, the German bar lady came over, no smile. I ordered a Bud Light because they didn't have sours (you're known for a variety of beers). Another chain. Another flat Bud Light. I took a few drinks, to be fair, thinking maybe it was me. She never suggested that I try something similar to a sour.
Bottom line? I knew she didn't give a rat's behind that I was there. There isn't an enthusiastic bone in her body.
The flat beer sat there for the entire 40 minutes I was there. Not once did my anti social German bartender friend ask me if it was okay. Maybe notice and offer an exchange?
This isn't the first time she appeared extremely distracted.
After 15 minutes of me and some other dude on the other side of the bar just sitting there, I flagged her down to order.
TWO PEOPLE AT THE BAR. Her head was not in the game. I can't imagine how long I would have had to wait if the bar was even 25% full.
She didn't care.
Ordered the Cobb salad with the "heat and serve" pre-made chicken and shrimp. Three little strips of chicken and maybe 5 baby shrimp. Salty but I ate it. It cost enough - I wasn't wasting it. It was presented well. But whoever made the salad missed several pieces of old, brown, water saturated lettuce. Yuk.
Very loud staff. Especially when the seating and bar areas are empty. The one gent cooking in the open window kitchen was 25 yards away - probably longer. He was yelling (not taking) to his bros back there. This would be the guy that stuffed 14 feet of dreads in a black bed sheet on his head.
An older female server, no less than 15 times, kept yelling "I can hear you" - clearly directed at the Rasta dude in the kitchen and the crew.
So much for a nice, relaxing lunch on a Tuesday afternoon.
My German server never asked me how my food was. Not even when she took the nasty lettuce away (which I had piled up next to my plate). Hello!!! Read the room.
I picked up my bill in front of her, grabbed my credit card. She looks at me and goes for a walk. I wait for her to finish her stroll to cash me out. Wtf. You saw me grabbing my card. 100% clueless.
She's miscast. People skills are not her strength. Still, I gave her a 22% tip. Just for showing up.
You restaurants need to step up your game, big time. I mean, on I-Drive (Orlando) alone there must be 200 restaurants. Why should I select you over the others? The consistency of your Kissimmee location brought me there.
By the way, there are people like me here now, as you wait in misery for "season" to kick in.
Don't forget about "our" dining experiences - the people that keep the blood pumping all year round. There wasn't one staff member in that restaurant that cared I was there.
Pretty sad.
I'll go back to Miller's Ale House in Kissimmee. I won't try this one again. No way.
Btw, the Millers in Winter Garden - same issues with the lights. No ventilation system either. I waked in, used the restroom, felt the thick greasy air...and instead of hitting the bar, I left. I was there a total of 4 minutes and smelled like a fryer.
Millers, what are you doing to me? Consistency. Consistency. Consistency. That's how you win our business. Please don't make me give up on you completely.
Three different Millers, three different experiences. That's not consistency.
I'm one bad experience away from bailing on chains 100%. So freaking frustrating.
/ / / / /
Update: typical corporate "cut and paste" Ai reply. Yeah, I'll go to your website and complain, so I can receive another cut and paste email saying they'll use my feedback as a learning tool.
Just do better. Get a bunch of staffers that care. Like the Kissimmee store.
Stop going through the motions in the summer and kissing butt during season.
Be consistent there too.