Laura G.
Google
My family and I have been coming to Tailgaters almost every week for the past five years — sometimes dining in, sometimes ordering takeout, but always supporting this local spot. We live nearby, we love the sports atmosphere, and we’ve always appreciated the servers who work hard and treat us kindly. Unfortunately, under who we believe is a new manager, Dustin, we’ve noticed a major decline in customer care — especially toward regulars like us.
A couple of weeks ago, we were brushed off when we asked to have one of the many TVs changed to the Dodger game. There are over 40 screens in this place, yet we were told we had to wait until another college football game ended — a game that was already showing on at least ten other TVs — before he could change one. We let it go, figuring maybe it was a busy night. But we’ve made that same request many times over the years and have never had an issue. It was always met with a friendly, “Sure, no problem.” Unfortunately, not with Dustin.
But last night was different — and it truly left us questioning whether we want to continue giving our business here. It was Game 1 of the World Series (Dodgers vs. Blue Jays), something we’d been looking forward to all week. We showed up 40 minutes before first pitch to get our usual corner booth — the same booth we’ve sat in countless times because it fits our family of five and lets us enjoy the game comfortably.
When we arrived, the booth was empty, but Dustin told us we couldn’t sit there because “a group of people from out of town” was supposedly coming to watch a local high school football game. We were told the entire front section was “reserved.” In all our years coming here, we’ve never once been told reservations were even possible — and it didn’t seem true when we then saw other guests seated in that same section without reservations.
We were first sat in a corner table where we couldn’t see any TVs. Then we were offered a table in the bar area, which is not suitable for our small children. (We’ve explained this before — our kids need booths for safety.) We were eventually given a smaller booth, which was fine, but the large booth we were originally told was “reserved” sat empty for well over an hour before four adults — who clearly just walked in — were seated there. They stayed maybe 45 minutes to an hour and left before we did. It’s hard not to feel like our loyalty meant nothing compared to a few random visitors.
After five years of consistent business, it honestly felt like we didn’t belong there anymore. We were made to feel uninvited, unimportant, and unwelcome — all so that out-of-towners could have “preferred” seating. That’s not how you treat your regulars, especially those who come every week, tip well, and support your restaurant year-round.
To be clear, our server was fantastic as usual — polite, attentive, and friendly. The problem is with management. It’s disheartening to know that a place that my family and I have gone to for years can make loyal customers feel so dismissed.
We left feeling disappointed, frustrated, and honestly unsure if we’ll return. I don’t want to keep giving my money to a business that values one-time guests over locals who have supported them for years. I truly hope ownership reads this and reconsiders how their regulars are being treated under the new management, because this experience was enough to make us think twice about ever coming back.
