My boyfriend and I made an 8:00 PM reservation specifically for an outdoor table because we were looking forward to having dinner on the patio and watching the sunset. On our way there, the bridge went up to allow a barge through, which delayed us. We immediately tried calling the restaurant three times to let them know we would be running late, but no one answered.
We arrived at 8:14, apologized for being late, and asked if our reservation could still be honored. The hostess said yes, but then told us that the patio was full and that there would be about a 30-minute wait. We were given the option of sitting at the bar or waiting for an indoor table. We asked if we could wait at the bar next door while we waited, but were told no.
At that point, we were willing to wait 30 minutes. However, while waiting, I asked for clarification about the outdoor seating and was told that the patio was actually first come, first served. This was extremely confusing and frustrating. We did not simply request outdoor seating -- we made a reservation specifically for an outdoor table. If the patio is first come, first served, why are customers able to make reservations for outdoor tables?
We were ultimately not seated until 9:20 PM -- an hour and 20 minutes after our reservation time. I had to approach the host three separate times to ask for updates because no one was proactively communicating with us. At no point were we given an accurate expectation of how long we would actually be waiting. If we had been told upfront that our 8:00 PM reservation would result in an 80-minute wait, we absolutely would not have stayed.
When we were finally seated, our waitress, Maddie, was wonderful. She was incredibly kind and attentive, and we really enjoyed having her as our server. The food was also good. Unfortunately, by the time we were seated, we had completely missed the sunset we had specifically planned our evening around.
What was especially disappointing was that no one from management ever acknowledged or apologized for the excessive wait. An 80-minute delay for a reservation is not a minor inconvenience, especially when the reservation was specifically for outdoor seating. Some communication and accountability would have gone a long way.
To make matters worse, there were field mice running around the patio while we were eating, which was another unpleasant part of the experience.
Overall, the food and our waitress were good, but the way our reservation was handled was extremely disappointing. Between not honoring our reserved outdoor table, being given conflicting information about how the patio works, having to repeatedly ask for updates, waiting 80 minutes, and receiving no accountability from management, this is not the level of service I would expect. Unfortunately, the experience has left us with little reason to return. read more