Shamica S.
Yelp
I visit Pappadeaux on Research almost every Friday, but after my experience tonight, I may need to find a new go-to spot.
When I arrived, it wasn't busy yet, so I was seated immediately. However, I noticed right away that we didn't receive eating utensils upon being seated, which was unusual. That should have been my first sign that the night wasn't going to go smoothly.
Service was incredibly slow from the start. It took a long time for the waiter to even come over and ask about drinks. Because of the delay, we went ahead and ordered our food and appetizers at the same time. My son ordered a Coke, blackened trout with fruit, and I ordered mozzarella bites, a frozen Perfect Patron, and water. The Coke came but no water. When I asked the waitress for my water, she acknowledged it but made sure to let me know it would be a while before my margarita arrived.
By the time my drink finally arrived--right before my food--my son's fruit was still missing. I also realized that I still didn't have any eating utensils. I had to ask the person who brought the food to bring me some, which should have been handled long before my meal arrived.
As I was about to take a sip of my drink, I noticed something floating in it. When I looked closer, I realized it appeared to have legs. Disgusted, I waited for the waiter, who took a while to return, and when I showed her, she casually said it looked like something from the lemon. I had to point out that yes it's something on the lemon it was a bug. She still did not apologize and just said she would get the manager.
Meanwhile, my son had finished all of his food, and he's only 11. If you've been to Pappadeaux, you know the portions aren't small--so that tells you how long it took for the manager to come over. When she finally did, she also didn't apologize, just asked if I wanted another margarita. At this point, my son's fruit still had not arrived.
When the fruit and my replacement drink finally came, the drink was on the rocks instead of frozen. At this point, I was over it. I asked for the check and mentioned that the drink was incorrect. Instead of apologizing, the waitress just said, "I didn't put in the order for your drink, but I can get you another one." Given how long it had taken just to get this one, I declined.
Then came the worst part--when the waitress brought back the check, my card was missing. I was furious. It took her a good 20 minutes to find it, and when she finally returned it, she still didn't apologize.
Nothing was taken off my meal, and after everything that happened--not even an apology. They truly didn't care. Despite all of this, I still gave her a tip. Honestly, I shouldn't have given her anything.
Overall, this was an extremely disappointing experience. I come here nearly every Friday and have never been treated like this. The service was slow, the staff was dismissive, and the lack of basic courtesy and accountability was frustrating. After tonight, I may have to rethink my Friday tradition.