Alejandro F.
Yelp
I really wanted to like this place and the food was good. However, there was something that happened that simply did not let me have peace in giving them 5 stars (please take a look at my other reviews, I dole 5 stars as the default, and I am an easy to please customer, so it is nearly impossible for me to give anything lower than 5 or 4, unless the circumstances merit it).
I came here on Valentine's Day and upon entering, the bartender/server was taking care of some customers. I wasn't greeted but that is normal, since the poor lady was juggling a lot of stuff. After around 5 minutes of waiting, I see that there is a small table available by the window and decided to sit there, so that I could let her know that I wanted to eat.
She then grabs a phone call, and, phone in hand, rushes to the area where I am sitting, goes over me without greeting me or even acknowledging me, and starts talking on the phone to someone about how there is still one table available.
After she was done with the call, I asked her if I could please have a table, and she gave me a pen and paper and told me to write down my name and number and let me know that they would call me when a table was available.
Mind you, she did tell me that wait time was around 45 minutes, and she told me this at 8pm, (they close at 9pm).
My friend was 15 minutes late but as soon as she arrived, I told her and she went in and got the same spiel from the lady.
I saw the couple that she was talking on the phone with (their call came in around 3 or 4 minutes after I had entered the restaurant, so I was technically first in line) get to the restaurant around 10 minutes after my friend and I had arrived and talked to her a couple of times, and sit in the very same table that was avalilable, and that I was sitting on, waiting for the lady to acknowledge me so that she could please take my order and my friend's order.
My friend and I were waiting outside in the cold for around 45 minutes, when another lady from the business next door came out, and in the most polite, friendly and approachable way asked us what we were waiting for. I told her "Ichijiku" and she said that they operate on a first-come-first-served basis, and not on a waiting list. I told her that I had already been waiting outside for 45 minutes, even though I had arrived on time, and when there was a table available and she immediately went inside to talk to the other lady.
At around 9:10pm, after the restaurant had already closed and the table was finally vacant, they let us in, took our order and served us. Up until this point, the lady had been super rude and condescending with me, but maybe talking to the 2nd lady that came to check up on us and sharing with her the situation, caused her to go inside and have a chat with her.
I ended up spending over 100 dollars, and leaving a 20% tip but despite that, I do not plan on coming back. My dignity and being treated with respect and kindness (same way that I always try to treat others) is worth more than the best sushi in the world (granted, they have pretty good sushi, but I don't know if I'd call it "the best in the world". Still pretty fantastic, tho).
Anyays, after over 4 years on Yelp, here is my measly 3rd review in which I am forced to leave one star.