Dalia G.
Yelp
I had a birthday dinner reservation at Kimberly and was genuinely excited to try it. Unfortunately, this turned out to be one of the most disappointing dining experiences I've had recently, especially for the price point and what was supposed to be a special night.
We arrived right on time for our reservation but were told our table wasn't ready. Fine, delays happen. The entrance was packed and chaotic, so we stepped outside and waited about 10 minutes to be seated. Once we sat down, no one acknowledged us. Eventually our server came over and we placed a drink order. The drinks were mediocre at best and took over 20 minutes to arrive. The bartender looked completely overwhelmed, which set the tone for the rest of the night. I felt really bad for her.
We ordered a salad and a few appetizers first, followed by our mains. After we had clearly finished the salad and had been sitting for a while with empty plates, our server returned and asked, "We about done with this salad so we can get the rest of your food fired up?" It came off as awkward and unnecessary. Most restaurants course meals out smoothly to avoid these kinds of gaps and we made sure that we put in our entire order after appetizers were delivered. The pacing here felt disjointed and poorly managed.
Shortly after, it became clear something was seriously wrong with the temperature inside. It was unbearably hot. We mentioned the heat to our server and got a flippant response: "You're telling me! Our AC is out." No one mentioned this when we arrived. No apologies, no attempt to move us, no manager check-in, nothing. Other diners were visibly uncomfortable and fanning themselves with menus. It felt like we were stuck in a packed, overheated waiting room, not an upscale restaurant.
By the time our food arrived, the atmosphere was so miserable we couldn't enjoy it. We took a few bites and asked for everything to be boxed. Some food just doesn't reheat well, and unfortunately that was the case here. I was very bummed out about this because everything was actually really tasty.
They did comp a few drinks, which was appreciated, but considering we spent nearly $400, that felt like the bare minimum. I left feeling disappointed, physically uncomfortable, and honestly a bit stunned by how poorly things were handled.
I understand that restaurants go through growing pains, especially new ones, but basic communication, hospitality, and comfort should not be optional. At no point did anyone let us know the AC was out, and that kind of disregard for guests is unacceptable. I wanted to love this place, but this experience made it really hard to imagine coming back.