As I was walking down King Street looking for a restaurant to have lunch, I came across Virginia's…read moreon King. The front of the restaurant caught my eye, so I stopped to look at the menu. As I was perusing it, a woman standing nearby with a cigarette informed me that the food was fantastic. Well, regarding the food, I would agree! Unfortunately, the service was just okay.
When I entered, the hostess, who was standing at the bar, approached me and seated me at a table directly in front of the servers' station at the bar. Now, I was expecting a booth, but I certainly did not mind a table--especially one directly in front of the servers' station. One would think that being so close would result in immediate attention. On the contrary!
I waited a good six minutes before my server, Katie V., approached me. I ordered a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, which took close to ten minutes to arrive. I guess the bartender had to squeeze the grapes!
I also ordered a cup of She-Crab Soup, which has the appearance of Lobster Bisque, but the taste is definitely crab. As my entrée, I had a Club Sandwich on wheat bread. Both the soup and the sandwich were tasty, and I have no complaints whatsoever about the food. Unfortunately, the service was another matter.
Once I received my wine and meal, I was completely forgotten. Not once did Katie V. inquire about my meal. Not once did she refill my water glass. And not once did she inquire whether I wanted another glass of wine.
Fortunately, another server noticed that both my water and wine glasses were completely empty. Since I did not know the brand of wine I had been served, she could not refill it without first obtaining that information from my server. By that point, Katie V. had lost the opportunity to earn what would have been a much larger tip.
The hostess was also busy talking with customers at a booth for quite some time. They must have been frequent patrons because she seemed very engaged in their conversation. She, too, never once checked on me.
Finally, there was a couple sitting at a table two tables away from me who apparently wanted to get their server's attention. Both of them repeatedly looked around the room trying to locate her. That pretty much summed up the service I experienced.
In conclusion, the food at Virginia's on King was good, but the service left much to be desired. A restaurant can have excellent food, but attentive service is an equally important part of the dining experience. Unfortunately, on this visit, the service simply did not measure up to the quality of the food.