Rebecca R.
Yelp
We had our rehearsal dinner in the Barrel Room at Smoke and the overall experience was disappointing and insulting. Despite communicating with Lanni beforehand, we had to ask for every basic need: food to be brought out, drink tickets (which my husband had to tear off, count, and distribute himself), had to turn the projector on, ask for a knife and plates for our cake, ask for containers for leftover food, which we also had to pack ourselves.
To make matters worse, the appetizers were late, so guests stood around for 30 minutes with no food. We waited even longer for drinks since the bartender had to help prepare the food. Lanni said she'd check in during our event, but never showed. This level of disorganization and lack of service was unacceptable - especially given the $300 room fee and mandatory 20% gratuity.
After our honeymoon we attempted to share feedback privately. We were met not with professionalism or accountability, but hostility and baseless accusations. Lanni responded by inventing an entirely fictional version of our event, claiming our guests were belligerently drunk and rude. This was not only untrue but absolutely absurd. Lanni accused us of being "young and drunk," a characterization so inaccurate it would be laughable if it weren't so offensive. Our guests were all over the age of 30, our pastor was in attendance, and not a single person had more than a drink or two (hence the drink tickets). She even accused my husband of being drunk right then - while on the phone with her.
We then spoke with a manager, Will, who admitted our group was fine and confirmed what we suspected: Lanni had double-booked that evening, and the disorganization was due to poor planning on their end. He also agreed that service at Smoke has declined. He had the other owner, Josh (Lanni's husband), call us, who only doubled down on Lanni's false accusations and gaslighting. Josh even told my husband it took everything he had to "remain cordial," simply for voicing disappointment.
This is not an isolated event. It's a pattern. The business model Josh and Lanni have at Smoke and Vetta is simple: cut corners, smear anyone who speaks up, and bury honest reviews in an attempt to protect their reputation. It's unprofessional, unethical, and insulting. We used to be regulars, but Smoke and Vetta have lost our business, as well as every one of our guests. There's no excuse for how we were treated - only a warning: believe the bad reviews.