I've been to La Popular before and have always enjoyed the food, especially the queso fundido with…read morechorizo. It's a simple appetizer, but absolutely delicious and filling. Unfortunately, this visit left a bad taste in my mouth, and it had nothing to do with the food. We arrived approximately 15 minutes before happy hour ended, which was purely coincidental because I wasn't even aware of their happy hour schedule. Upon entering, I needed to use the restroom, so the person I was dining with was seated by the host. When I returned, I noticed we still hadn't received menus or been approached by a server, despite a waitress standing nearby looking directly at our table. Since no one had acknowledged us, my dining companion decided to walk over to the bar to take advantage of the happy hour specials.
On his way back, he politely asked the waitress about getting menus. Her response was unnecessarily rude and unprofessional. She snapped, "This isn't self-seating! That's why you haven't gotten a menu!" She then proceeded to explain that it was her section.
He calmly informed her that we had, in fact, been seated by the host. Rather than apologizing for her assumption, she went over to the host, said something while looking in our direction, and the host confirmed that he had indeed seated us.
At that point, she disappeared into the kitchen, and another waitress approached our table. This second waitress was absolutely wonderful! She apologized for the confusion, took our drink order, and provided the level of hospitality you would expect when dining out. Unfortunately, the situation didn't end there. The original waitress continued making comments about us to coworkers as they passed by, making an already uncomfortable situation even more unpleasant. It was obvious that she had an issue with us, and rather than handling a simple misunderstanding professionally, she chose to make it everyone else's business. We eventually requested to speak with the general manager. He was understanding and offered us several $10 discount cards for future visits, along with a complimentary dessert, which I politely declined because I'm not much of a dessert person. I appreciated his attempt to make things right, but I want to make one thing very clear: We were not looking for discounts, free food, or special treatment. We simply expected basic respect and decent customer service. In fact, I ended up giving away the discount cards because, after that experience, I had no desire to return. The food was great, the drinks were good, and the waitress who stepped in to take care of us was fantastic. She deserves recognition for her professionalism and for turning an uncomfortable situation into a more pleasant dining experience. However, one employee's attitude can completely overshadow everything a restaurant does right. Customer service is about the CUSTOMER. You're not required to love every interaction, but you are expected to remain professional, respectful, and courteous. If dealing with customers bothers you that much, perhaps a warehouse position would be a better fit.
It's unfortunate because La Popular has genuinely good food, but no amount of delicious queso fundido or complimentary desserts can make up for being treated like an inconvenience simply for walking through the door.