Story time...
Our experience at Hemlock on June 23rd was extremely disappointing from start to finish. My sister initially contacted the restaurant to make a reservation for a party of 14 to celebrate three birthdays. She was told the event coordinator would reach out due to the party size. When they connected, my sister was informed that we would need to do a pre-fixe menu in the private dining room. She declined, stating we preferred to split the tables to avoid the pre-set menu, and the conversation ended with that understanding.
On the day of the dinner, I called the restaurant at 5:23 PM to confirm the reservation for 6 PM, since we had not received any follow-up. The hostess was unable to locate a reservation under our name or phone number. She mentioned it was a Monday and offered to book us on the spot, asking if we could adjust to 6:15 or 6:30 PM. We agreed to 6:30.
Shortly after that call, the manager on duty, reached out to my sister to say there had been a misunderstanding. He stated the private room was available and assured us they would set it up for our party, asking us to bear with them.
When we arrived, most of our party was already at the bar since we had initially expected to be seated at 6 PM. The hostess attempted to seat us at two separate tables. We explained that the manager on duty had just confirmed we would be in the private dining room. We all waited near the host stand while they attempted to sort it out, but ultimately, we were seated at the two separate tables--something we had agreed to in the first place just to avoid the pre-fixe menu, so that part was acceptable.
Unfortunately, the service from that point on was severely lacking. It took 15 minutes for our server to greet us and take drink orders. Champagne was brought to the tables as a gesture, which we appreciated, but we then waited another 30 minutes for the drinks to arrive. One of the birthday guests didn't receive her martini until nearly 8 PM--well over an hour after being seated--only after my husband personally went up to the bar to ask about it.
To make matters worse, the other table received their food well before ours, despite us being part of the same party. Our entrées and sides finally arrived at 8:34 PM. At that point, I had lost my appetite and only ate a few bites. While I was briefly away from the table, my silverware was cleared and not replaced; I had to ask for a new set. The carrots served with the meal were undercooked. When we brought it to the server's attention, she responded that they are served al dente and many guests have made the same comment--something that should be communicated upfront when ordering.
After dinner, a birthday dessert was brought out as a kind gesture, but it consisted of melted ice cream served in a bowl with just one spoon. When we expressed concern, the server said she could bring more spoons "if we wanted to share."
We were handed the manager's card and the manager on duty that night's cell phone number. My husband asked if he was still present to speak with him directly, and we were told yes, so we attempted to contact him. When we eventually did see him, I asked why one table received their food significantly earlier than the other, if we were meant to be treated as one party. His answer about steak cook times didn't explain the disjointed service. My husband asked why nothing had been done to accommodate us beyond the champagne, especially for the guests who don't drink. The manager asked for our contact information to "make it right," but by then it was already 9:40 PM and we had paid.
The entire dinner took nearly four hours, which is simply unacceptable for a group that had a confirmed reservation and straightforward expectations.
To be clear, the personalized menus were a nice touch, and I'm glad to hear that the other table had a good meal. My sister had a wonderful time, and we're happy for her. But Hemlock should have treated everyone in the party with the same level of service and respect.
This was one of the worst dining experiences we've had. read more