We visited The Toasted Owl this morning, and our experience was a mix of truly wonderful moments…read moreand one frustrating one. I want to start with the positives, because they deserve to be recognized.
First and foremost, our server Parker was outstanding. From the moment he greeted us, he was kind, attentive, and genuinely warm. Our little one had brought along his Spider-Man toy, and Parker leaned in and told him he was actually Peter Parker, working undercover as a server. Our little was completely starstruck. Parker was also incredibly patient as our little guy practiced ordering politely on his own, and when it came time to pay, Parker let him tap the card and cracked one of the best server jokes we've ever heard. Moments like that turn a regular breakfast into a memory. Parker, thank you for the amazing service and for being so, so kind to our family.
The food and drinks were equally excellent. Everything came out fresh, delicious, and exactly as ordered, so huge compliments to the back of the house.
Unfortunately, the rest of our experience didn't match that standard. The Toasted Owl is well known for being dog friendly, so we brought our pup along to enjoy the fall weather. It was about 50 degrees when we arrived around 8:30 to 9 a.m., and some overnight rain had left the patio tables a bit damp. That was no problem for us. We were happy to help wipe down our table and chairs, and we were fine sitting on a slightly damp seat for a moment. Since we had our dog, the patio was our only option.
While we were choosing a table in the sun, I said something simple like, "Whatever table is easiest for you all, we'll be happy at." The other patio server (white gentleman, beard, bald, leg tattoos) responded with a snarky, "If you sat inside, that would be easiest." We were annoyed but brushed it off, since the hostesses and the other servers helping out were all incredibly nice.
It didn't stop there. As the morning went on, more families arrived with dogs and asked to sit outside, which is exactly what this restaurant advertises. With every single group, we had to listen to this server complain. He made sure everyone on the patio knew he was unhappy, even though every person he complained to was a paying customer. It made it hard to enjoy the breakfast we were paying for and the lovely experience Parker was giving us.
Customer service is the heart of a restaurant like this, and this server's attitude stood in stark contrast to the rest of the staff. The Toasted Owl has something special in employees like Parker, and I hope management takes a close look at how their patio is being run, because one person's behavior nearly overshadowed an otherwise fantastic visit.
This would be a 5 star review if we did not have to hear this gentleman's non stop complaints during breakfast. I feel for the families that were stuck with his service, if we were one of those families, this review would by far be a 1 star.