Justin Torres
Google
I was incredibly disappointed with my experience at Wonderbar. I arrived with my family (we are 5 altogether) and we were told that there would be a 45 minute wait for a table, which wasn’t a problem. We put our name on the list and proceeded to get a drink from the bar while we waited. While we were waiting to order at the bar, a manager came up to us and told us that we were not allowed to order from the bar while we waited for our table to be ready. Not only that, but she told us that we were crowding the bar and that we needed to wait elsewhere, as in outside the restaurant. Throughout this time, we were quiet and polite, not creating any kind of disturbance that would warrant a refusal of service. After a long and difficult week, all we wanted was a refreshing cocktail while waiting for our table, and we explained this to the manager. She did not listen and held firm that we could not order cocktails while waiting for our table.
I politely asked the manager if I could stay at the bar and order on behalf of my family while they waited in the waiting area, so as to not crowd the bar, but she again told me no, that nobody was allowed to stand at the bar and that I had to wait until I was seated at a table to order a beverage (keep in mind we had a 45 minute wait).
Completely turned off, my family of 5 decided to go elsewhere and not return. We have dined in many restaurants in small towns and large cities alike, all at peak dining times, and NEVER have we been told that we could not have a drink from the bar while waiting for our table. We will not be returning, and if anyone is considering dining at Wonderbar and there is a wait for a table, know that you will be turned away from the bar and asked to wait possibly up to an hour until your table is ready, without any water or beverage.