My experience at this Courtyard Café was one of my worst restaurant experiences of all time. While I didn't expect greatness, I did expect some level of service and maybe even some breakfast. What I received was something all together different.
My stay over Memorial Day at the Courtyard in Gulfport was not very pleasant. On the day of check out, I decided to eat in the attached Courtyard Café. My experience there was incredibly bad, and one of my worst dining experiences ever.
I must preface this review by explaining that I have eaten at several Courtyard Cafes in multiple locations prior to this experience. They all utilize a similar setup, and up until this trip, have all been consistently good. There is a buffet which usually contains scrambled eggs, biscuits, potatoes, sausage, bacon and assorted pastries. There is also a omelet station, and two waffle irons where you can make your own waffles. Servers work the area with the tables refilling drinks, etc. At least that is how every other location I have visited has done it. This location was horrible for many reasons.
The food, or lack thereof
From the time I arrived, to the time I decided I couldn't take it anymore, there were no eggs on the buffet. I expected that they would eventually prepare and deliver more, but after 30-40 minutes of no eggs, I gave up. The waffle station was without batter the majority of the time I was there. They would bring out small batches of batter, but it would disappear almost immediately. The omelet station was overwhelmed. I realize the hotel was at capacity, but the management should have brought in extra staff, or at least been better prepared.
There were no drinks or silverware to be found. The coffee dispensers were empty, and there seemed to be no method of ordering regular drinks. A server was slowly bringing out silverware to some tables, but never reached ours. I walked across the restaurant and asked the omelet cook (the only staffer I could find) for silverware. She must've told someone because about 15 minutes later someone brought one set for our entire table.
Eventually an employee came up and asked if I was ready to pay. My response was "pay for what? a lack of food and service?" She stared at me blankly, but did only charge me the equivalent of one kid's meal for our entire table. I appreciated the gesture, but regardless of the cost, it was not worth it. I was so bothered by the lack of service that I actually left $0.00 tip which is something I hadn't ever done. I guess there's a first time for everything.
In summary, this experience could not have been worse. It was the icing on the cake of a poor overall experience. read more
