I am extremely disappointed with the service and hospitality our group received at this restaurant…read more
This past weekend, we reserved a private dinner for approximately 31 adults to celebrate a 50th birthday. Upon arrival, the restaurant itself appeared beautiful, and our group was seated in a private dining room with water already placed on the tables. Unfortunately, the level of service that followed did not match the atmosphere or the upscale prices we paid.
Our entire party appeared to have only one server, whom I later learned was named Sarah. She did not introduce herself, welcome the group, explain how dinner service would work, or tell us what was being served. We were divided among four tables, which already made communicating our needs more difficult. A fifth table was designated as the "food table," where we were expected to serve ourselves both appetizers and entrées.
I have attended many group dinners and celebrations, and I have never experienced this type of setup at a restaurant presenting itself as an upscale establishment. The process felt disorganized and lacked the level of hospitality we expected. If guests are paying upscale prices, the service should reflect an upscale dining experience.
One of the most concerning moments occurred when it was time to serve the birthday cake. As our dinner plates were being cleared, we expected to receive clean forks for dessert. Instead, Sarah told us that the restaurant was "short on forks" because she believed people were stealing them, and we were told to keep our dinner forks to use for cake.
This explanation was both surprising and inappropriate. I later encountered the chef and asked him directly about the restaurant being short on forks. He appeared genuinely confused, told me there was no shortage that he was aware of, and immediately asked whether we needed clean forks. After I explained what we had been told, he brought our group clean forks.
That interaction was especially troubling because it left me questioning why our server gave us an explanation that the chef himself did not recognize as true. As a group of predominantly Black guests, the inconsistency in what we were told and the overall way our party was treated unfortunately left some of us wondering whether we were being treated differently because of our race. I do not make that statement lightly, but the experience made the concern difficult to ignore.
As for the food itself, it was okay overall, although several items were a bit too salty for our taste. There were also significant issues with the amount of food provided. We initially ordered based on the quantity recommended for our group size when making the reservation, yet we ran out of food during dinner. We then had to wait nearly an hour for additional food to be prepared. After that lengthy wait, we were ultimately unable to take the remaining food with us, despite the amount of money our group had paid.
For what we spent on this celebration, the quality of service simply did not justify the cost. This was an important 50th birthday gathering, and several members of our party were veterans. It was disappointing to see our guests receive this level of service during what should have been a special and memorable evening.
A beautiful restaurant and upscale pricing are only part of the dining experience. Hospitality, organization, communication, professionalism, and the way guests are made to feel matter just as much.
I sincerely hope management takes this feedback seriously and provides additional hospitality and professionalism training to its staff, particularly regarding large private parties. This restaurant has the potential to provide a wonderful experience, but our group unfortunately did not receive one.