We walked in from the lake side and step in line. We get told we have to talk to the host. There…read morewas no signage saying as much and inexplicably there's no host at the patio lake side where all the guests walk in but, ok sure....
I walk to the front with my SO. The patio is empty but every table has very clearly been dirty and left for an indiscernible amount of time. The inside also has tables scattered all over that need to be clear but have been sitting for who knows how long. There's maybe 6-8 people TOPS between the 2 tables inside and a couple people at the register,in the whole place. I go to the front, the woman asks if we need a table, I said yes and we would like to sit on the patio. She tells me it's going to be 15-20min. I let her know there's nobody currently on the patio and tables are open. She tells me that not for a wait, that's how long it will take TO CLEAR A TABLE--15-20min to clear and reset a single booth on the patio. Keep in mind, places like Guapos down the way, that are packed to the brim, have 25min wait if you
Specifically want patio seating but that's because it's literally full and the inside has a 10-15min wait because it too, is literally full but here we are, in a place that was probably busy 40+ minutes ago, now with just over a half dozen humans in the building, tell me it's gonna take 15+ minutes to walk over with a bus tub, throw everything in, wipe a table and wipe the seats...on a party of 2. I had even offered to clear my own table (hell, I'd have cleared one for the other couple, too) and was told "it's necessary to wait 15-20min"
I glance over at the waiting area and there's a single 2 top who I assume was also just told the same thing and they look to be debating on just leaving. We start debating on leaving. I watch the host go back to standing at the podium, no guests in line, she's not getting anyone to clear anything and again, that's abundantly clear that nobody has been clearing tables for at least 30+ minutes, she's not personally going to start helping clear which is standard in restaurants when there's no rush at the door. We decide this is a sh*t show and leave. This is also right up there with 2x I've ordered for pickup, waited the 30-60min, come to pick it up and not a single aspect of the order was done....why?....im told "we ran out of chicken"--no call to see about changing the order or cancelling, nothing.
We enjoy nandos food. That isn't the issue at all. The service has gone WAY downhill over the past few years.
As someone in the industry,currently in a 1Star fine dining venue in DC, and someone attempting to be a patron, it's disgusting to have a sea of tables left sitting for what is very clearly long periods of time. It's ridiculous that it would take anyone 15+ minutes to clear people's trash and wipe/reset a single table--that wouldn't be acceptable if it was slammed to the gills, so for the place to be empty as it was, it's either incompetence, laziness, lack of leadership leader or any/all of the 3.
Extremely unimpressed and further reinforcing why I had avoided nandos since the 2 prior times, my orders were left for me to discover....a chicken place....had no chicken and let me come in at my pickup time to discover I have no food. Last night was my "give another shot" moment. I have literally overseen A "charity diner" comepltely run by kids 12-15 and with 30minutes training and the fact they've been out to eat with their parents, managed to run the diner for ~80 cover without a hiccup at the host stand or the entire FOH and BOH. So why grown people in nandos struggle with this, is perplexing.
I think places get way too comfortable resting on their name recognition and in trade, throw anything resembling service out the window. I expect that from monopolistic mega-corporations and banks not a restaurant.
The economy is bad, times are weird, people are choosing how to spend their finite time and dollars--if you can't clear the most basic bar that anyone from French Laundry to Waffle House or the random roadside diner all clear, you are failing and need to do better.
![Yard House - Mac + Cheese]² - With white truffle, bacon, chicken, crimini, shiitake & oyster mushrooms, parmesan and panko cheddar crust.](https://s3-media0.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/b0tl-BSM-Bx4FvL7cO8EAA/ls.jpg)
