I've been to Chuck's Southern BBQ hundreds of times before last Saturday night, and although there has been a gradual decline in the service and quality of food over the past year, it has always been one of my favorite places to go... Until now.
A group of us went to Chuck's Voodoo Lounge after a wedding and ordered a few drinks. We noticed the Redbull and Vodka, didn't really taste like Redbull, so we asked the waitress about it who appeared annoyed we had the nerve to ask. We then ordered a round of chilled Grey Goose shots. As soon as we drank them, we immediately knew there was something wrong, no one tasted or felt any sign of alcohol. I've ordered this shot many times over the years, and one of us at the table had over 8 years of bar-tending experience. I understand shots get watered down when you mix them with ice and shake them up, but this was shocking. The waitress advised us the shots were watered down because we asked for them chilled, but offered to get us new ones anyway. The new shots came, and although they were a little better, they were still way too watered down to be charging over $5 for them.
As we finished the second set of shots, I notice Chuck was standing behind me talking to two female customers. Since I was only about two feet away from him, I turned around and asked if I could speak with him when he got a chance. He said no problem, and continued his conversation with the two customers. After about 20 minutes (we were all standing up with our jackets on), I asked Chuck again if I could talk to him. He said no problem and walked over. Within seconds the bartender raced from behind the bar and began to engage us in a conversation that should have never happen. The bartender started to tell the group that we didn't know what we are fu*king talking about, and yes he used those words. His demeanor in my opinion was erratic and although I'm not accusing him of anything like drinking on the job, the question needs to be asked why a bartender would think it appropriate to come from behind the bar to insult customers in front of the owner. Meanwhile Chuck is asking me questions such as, "Are you saying he is shorting you on purpose?".... "Are you saying he is picking on you because he doesn't like you?".... "Why would he do that?". I attempted to try to explain to Chuck that I had no idea why the shots were not done right, that I had been coming to his bar for years, had ordered these same shots more times then I could count, and they were just not done right. The bartender continued to hurl insults at the group, as Chuck looked on. I asked Chuck why he would allow an employee to talk to customers like that and he responded with, "Well he is upset that you are insulting his drinks, he is my best bartender, and he has been working for me for years". I advised Chuck that he may need a new bartender, at which point, the bartender in plain view of Chuck and anyone else within ear shot, offered to take me outside and show me how great of a bartender he was. (I'm still not sure why he needed to go outside to show me he couldn't pour a drink) but I suspect it was normal behavior at the Voodoo Lounge since Chuck never addressed his employee's misconduct and continued to smile and laugh. As the conversation continued to get out of hand, Chuck continued to provide excuses like a 6-year-old boy. He finally offered to take the drinks off the bill, as bouncers started to stack up to observe the sideshow. The waitress came by the table while Chuck was still doing his best to avoid taking responsibility and slammed the bill on the table. But don't worry folks, Chuck didn't disappoint, he had an excuse for this as well. He contributed it to her being crabby and having a bad day... lol. As Chuck finished up his conversation with us, he slid back over to the table with the two girls, and said, "Anyway..." (sorry to bother you chuckie)
I've had bad service before, and drinks that were made wrong, but I've never been witness to an owner that stood around and watch his employees disrespect a table full of paying customers. His excuses were that of a small child, and his employees were about as unprofessional and untrained as I've ever seen.
The saddest part is Chuck's food and recipes are still unbeatable on the south-side of Chicago, and now I will no longer be able to talk about that without telling my story of Chuck being more concerned about talking to a table of female customers than stopping his employee's from treating customers like crap. His behavior and that of his employee's is about as embarrassing as it gets, and I know I speak for everyone who was disrespected that night when I say how disheartened I am to see a grown man with a million dollar business acting like a child and belittling his customers. If you love great food, and don't mind exposing your family, friends, or significant others to a night of humiliation, Chucks Southern BBQ is the place for you. read more