The town of Cloudcroft is very beautiful. After a few days of relaxing on vacation, my family decided they wanted to eat out. We called ahead to let Big Daddy's Diner know that 15 of us were coming and the restaurant did not have any questions for us.
We arrived at the restaurant (Big Daddy's Diner) and I was expecting to be greeted or seeing a sign about please wait to be seated. I walked around for a moment and found the cashier and asked about seating. I was informed that we could sit in the back room. I informed those in my party around me that we would be sitting in the back and proceeded to the backroom.
We all sat down at two sets of tables. We decided that we would like the tables together and pushed the tables together. I thought this was odd, as they were expecting as a prepared a place. The waitress arrived and asked if it was okay if we could share menus as they were short. We agreed this would not be a big deal. We ordered mostly waters and some sweet tea. We requested silverware as there where not any napkins or eating utensils on the table. The waitress brought the waters, and we agreed to pass them out for her. We passed out the waters to everyone in the table while the waitress went to get the eating utensils. The waitress placed the stack of napkins with all the silverware on top and we agreed to pass them out. My brother even folded the napkins around the silverware to give us the experience we are used to. We ordered our food and some appetizers.
The (4) four appetizers arrived in (2) two baskets, because they were short on baskets. The waitress asked if this was okay. We were tied of being shorted on the service department. I later found out that my allergies where causing my headache that I had. Getting tired of the lack of service, we decided to complain. I felt bad for the waitress, because it seemed management was not supporting her. She had other tables as ours. She brought us (2) two more baskets and we separated our own appetizers of potato chips. The chips where horrible and we inquired about seasonings. We were told that nothing was added to the chips to season them, because of allergies. I did not see a notice about this on the menu. We were offered to use the salt and pepper on the table, and we wanted she would bring us seasonings. I was astonished, could management really be this bad. Well, we were warned by the locals not to eat here and this is turning into a disaster.
The food arrives or arrives over a period of 30 minutes. I am thinking the kitchen must be slammed, but the restaurant was not full; then again (15) fifteen of us did order food. Not more than 2 minutes after the potato chips were shorted into (4) four baskets the food begins to arrive. The chicken was bloody, the chicken fried steak was tough and overdone, the ribs were cut up and short on ribs, and the ribs and fries where cold. We complained very loudly as the quality of the food was horrible. I am thinking, Just wow management lets this continue to happen and let this quality of food leave the kitchen. I request the chicken fried steak to be redone and the rest of the food is requested to be removed from the bill. The nachos and hamburgers are done correctly and those items are eaten. Some of the food was eaten and pay for, because the teenagers where hungry and didn't care. A second server is now assisting us and trying to correct things. There is not much she can do either when the kitchen cannot cook the food. The manager comes by to see what she can do. My response is I would like my food. I am the only one without food for the first round. She says she will look into that. She never returns and after a few minutes I get up to go inquire about my food as I done waiting and I can clearly see she didn't follow up with me. What a disaster the poor waitresses, management and the kitchen have failed them. The chicken fried steak returns and my food shows up. I notice the color and shape of the chicken tenders. I had lowered my expectations hoping for a good time. I don't know any restaurants that cannot cook chicken tenders. The experience gets worse; I didn't think that could happen. I really didn't even want to try the chicken tenders, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. I am not sure why, it was mostly likely due to my headache. The server look distressed and nothing seems to be going right. The chicken tenders are a dark brown almost black and go crunch, crunch, and crunch. I am thinking, wow these are burnt or over cooked. I check the tender which has the chicken meat slimmer than my pinky and see that there is no black on the tender, it is only over cooked.
(see my other review)
In summary, if you are looking for a place to gamble the quality of your food; Big Daddy's Diner is the place! read more