I had spent another long day cleaning out closets, dressers - hauling bags of clothes (& memories) to the local Goodwill. I needed a break - both physically & mentally. I wanted to sit somewhere clean & quiet - away from the clutter & chaos at my parent's house & the dirt & grime at the rental I'm prepping for showing. I wanted salmon again. This time I decided to try my luck with Longhorns. It was a decision I would come to regret.
Exterior
They are tucked into the corner by Lowe's & Target. Lots of parking.
Interior
Dark - so you can't see much. As far as cleanliness goes - the hostess seated me at a dirty table so I decided not to dine in - more on that later.
Customer Service
Hostess was MIA when I entered but she arrived fairly quickly. She took me over to a booth right next to a couple with a woman who was talking loudly & animatedly. There was one other couple in that section - seated window side, & one other table of diners in the entire restaurant not counting the doordashers at the bar. I asked if I could be seated in a different section. She pointed to the window table & said she'd "just sat those folks so not really unless I sat in the bar section." I agreed.
She took me over to a booth on the cusp of the bar section then dashed off before I could ask her to please have someone clean the booth (both seats & table were covered in crumbs). I was wearing black & didn't want to have my butt peppered with white crumbs, so I stood, thinking surely, she will see me in her peripheral vision & come to assist. Nope. Instead I had to gesture her back over. I asked for paper towels to clean the area. She came back with a massive wad of DRY paper towels - then proceeded to wipe the crumbs off BOTH seats, then wipe the front half the table. Thanks for wiping the booth butt germs all over the table & for only cleaning the first 18 - 20 inches of the table.
I did not feel comfortable eating at the 'not even close to being sanitized' table, so when my server / the bartender arrived, I told her I'd decided to get my order to go. She told me to let her know when I was ready.
After waiting a bit, I approached the bar, made eye contact with the bartender, then placed my menu on the bar. She came over, picked up my menu, said nothing, then walked back over to another area of the bar. After standing there for a few minutes, she came back over. Said she thought I had changed my mind about ordering because I'd placed my menu on the bar. I didn't understand. What was I supposed to do with the menu? Stand there fanning myself with it like Scarlett O'Hara?
When I placed my order, I told her I'd like to add a side salad & she warned me that there was an extra charge. I'd had enough of this strange interaction with her, so instead of just saying ok, I explained that I was aware, that's why I'd said 'I'd like to ADD.' She double-downs & says, I just wanted to make sure you knew because some folks get a salad instead of a side & they get upset when there's an extra charge. I told her that I can understand explaining a substitution upcharge, but I wasn't substituting - I was ADDING to my meal. Most restaurants don't let you add ANY side on for free.
Food
I had planned on ordering salmon with veggies & rice but I needed to order something I could eat while driving. I opted for the 6 piece chicken tender meal with fries & added a salad, heavy tomatoes. Ranch dressing. No bread loaf. My food was 'ok.' The tenders were laughably small. More like nuggets than tenders. Most were good, but 2 of them were tough & rubbery. Fries were good. Salad was smaller than usual & apparently they no longer give you croutons.
Despite request, they gave me the complimentary bread. It may not seem like a big deal, but I ALWAYS tell them I don't want the bread, butter, etc - & they ALWAYS give it to me. & I give it back to them to throw away. I've done it hundreds of times now so it's pretty wasteful.
Price / Value
The value wasn't really great because my chicken tender portion was tiny. But they do have some great sounding lunch specials that seem like good deals.
Overall
I attempted to pay - bartender said I had to wait until a ticket generated. I wanted to pay first because I knew I was going to speak to a manager & I didn't want to seem like I was angling for a freebie. I called the restaurant while waiting in car. I called 3 times before reaching anyone. Keep in mind, restaurant was nearly empty as 1 of 3 tables had left while I was at the bar. I spoke to manager, Matt. He apologized for my experience. Seemed genuine & empathetic. When I came back, she said Matt had discounted my meal & asked if I'd like a beverage. I requested a cup of ice & she brought it holding it by the rim. I can't use straws & can't put my lips where dirty hands (from touching cash, cards, doors, possibly shellfish) have been, so I trashed it. Most seasoned servers & bartenders know cup / glass handling etiquette. Not a great visit. read more