1 Star -- Unacceptable Service and Shocking Treatment at Gateway Grille, Canandaigua, NY…read more
On November 1st, my husband and I stopped at Gateway Grille for breakfast. What should have been a simple meal turned into one of the worst restaurant experiences we've ever had.
Despite only about five occupied tables and several employees working, we waited approximately 15 minutes just to place our order. Once our server took it, we never saw him again attending to our table. We did, however, see him on his phone.
Our food was brought out by a runner. My husband's potatoes, which we specifically requested well done, were practically raw. The onions I requested on mine were thrown on raw as well. We needed napkins, jelly, coffee refills, and eventually boxes and our check. Not once did our server return to check on us.
After waiting far too long, I approached the register, where our server was on his phone. I calmly requested our check and boxes and pointed out that had he checked on us, he would have known our food wasn't prepared correctly and that we needed several things.
His response? He told me I was a "grown woman," accused me of being rude and sarcastic, and said he wasn't going to listen to me!
I was stunned. I wasn't yelling or swearing. I was simply expressing a legitimate complaint.
When my husband heard how I was being spoken to, he defended me. Rather than de-escalating the situation, the server began approaching my husband in what appeared to be a confrontational manner.
Then a woman I believe was the manager actually told us to "get the f* out" and never come back!** My husband responded that he'd gladly leave, but we still needed to pay our bill!
The manager also claimed they were short-staffed. I understand staffing challenges, but with approximately five tables and several employees present, if you cannot manage that volume, there are bigger problems. And being short-staffed certainly doesn't excuse employees being on their phones, neglecting customers, or treating them with such disrespect.
I even emailed the owner afterward, hoping they would review the security footage and address what happened privately. No response.
Poor service and improperly prepared food are one thing. Being insulted, confronted, and sworn at for politely bringing those issues to someone's attention is another.
We weren't looking for a free meal or special treatment. We expected decent service and basic respect.
Absolutely unacceptable. A restaurant's true character shows not when everything goes right, but in how it handles a customer complaint. Gateway Grille failed miserably.