Unfortunately, this was a really disappointing experience, especially since we came here to…read morecelebrate my birthday.
We originally planned for a party of 16, although we ultimately ended up with 13 people. Before coming, I emailed the restaurant about accommodating our large group. I was told they don't take reservations, which was confusing and frustrating because their website stated that they take reservations for parties of 10-25, and their phone voicemail also said the same thing. My wife ultimately called and confirmed the arrangements for our group by phone. We also specifically let them know that one person in our party uses a wheelchair so they could prepare for that ahead of time.
When we arrived, we found out that the section/time intended for our group had been given to another party because that group apparently told the restaurant they were us. We were essentially told there wasn't anything they could do at that point other than move us to the top of the list, so we had to wait for another area to become available.
That was particularly frustrating considering how much effort we had already put into communicating with the restaurant beforehand and the conflicting information we had received about reservations in the first place.
Once we were finally seated, the situation became even more frustrating. The table they gave us could not properly accommodate my uncle's wheelchair. Because of the way the table and seating were arranged, he had to sit sideways just to try to eat his food. This was particularly disappointing because we had specifically told them ahead of time that we had a wheelchair user in our party.
Because he was forced to sit sideways, we asked if they could give us a bowl so we could put his food in something that would be easier for him to eat from. Initially, we were told yes. But when the food came out, we were then told that their food comes in little paper boats and that they could just give us extra boats instead. A bowl or another more practical option was never provided.
Unfortunately, the seating arrangement made eating so difficult for my uncle that he wasn't even able to finish his meal. He ended up having to take essentially his entire meal home.
That was easily the most disappointing part of the experience. We gave advance notice about the wheelchair specifically so the restaurant would have an opportunity to accommodate him, yet he ended up sitting sideways, struggling to eat, and ultimately taking his dinner home.
The food itself was also disappointing for several people in our party. The brisket we received was extremely dry. I ordered the Texas cheesesteak and was surprised that I had to pay extra for the queso to go on it. The cornbread pudding wasn't very good either, and several other people in our group were disappointed with their food as well.
There were definitely some positives. The french fries were REALLY good, the wedge salad was great, and the green beans were also really good. The atmosphere and outdoor environment are awesome and were a big reason we chose Grand Ole BBQ for my birthday in the first place.
Unfortunately, those positives weren't enough to make up for the overall experience. Between the conflicting information about reservations, having our section/time given to another group, and most importantly, the lack of wheelchair accommodation after we had specifically notified the restaurant ahead of time, the night was extremely disappointing.
We really wanted to love this place and were looking forward to celebrating my birthday here. Unfortunately, after this experience, I can't say we'd choose it again for a large gathering or feel comfortable recommending it to someone who needs wheelchair-accessible seating.
