Update after the owner's response:
Unfortunately, the…read moreresponse from the owner reinforces my concerns about how our experience was handled. We arrived at 7:35 for our 7:30 reservation and walked into an essentially empty restaurant. We even let another party with a 7:30 reservation enter ahead of us.
Our food took nearly two hours to arrive, which is exactly why we were still there near closing. And this was not a complicated order. We were ultimately served basic items like salad, salmon, and chicken because so many menu items were sold out. That should not take two hours.
This was never about a discount. We were prepared to spend significantly more had the steaks and other items we came for actually been available. Our concern was the service, especially since tables seated after us were able to order steaks while we waited an extended amount of time before our order was even taken.
We accepted the discount because it was offered, not because we were looking for compensation. I would have preferred a professional response acknowledging the experience rather than criticizing our party for sharing an honest review. The comment, "We understand you won't be back," speaks for itself.
Original review.
We eat out almost every night, mostly in the Bay Area, so we understand that restaurants can have an off night. My parents live in the area, and we decided to try this new restaurant for a special birthday dinner. We specifically chose it because the menu offered both ribeye and New York steaks.
Unfortunately, the entire experience was disappointing from beginning to end.
We were the first people seated in the restaurant, yet it took more than 30 minutes for our waitress to come over and take our drink order. During that time, approximately four other tables arrived after us, were seated, and received service before we did.
What was particularly frustrating was that those tables were able to order steaks. By the time our waitress finally came to take our food order, we were told the ribeye was sold out. A few minutes later, she returned and told us the New York steak was sold out as well. Since we had arrived before the other tables, it was incredibly frustrating to watch guests who came in after us order the steaks we had specifically come there to have. Had our waitress been attentive and taken our order in a reasonable amount of time, we likely would have been able to order them as well.
The drink service was equally slow. After finally placing our drink order, it took another 30 minutes to receive most of our drinks. My hot tea took nearly an hour because, according to our waitress, they had to boil water.
Ultimately, it took more than two hours for us to receive our food. By the time we finished eating, nearly everyone else had left the restaurant, and we felt like we had to rush through the rest of our evening, including the birthday cake. What was supposed to be a special family celebration ended up feeling stressful and uncomfortable.
The manager did provide a discount, which we appreciated, but after this level of delay, I would have expected more effort to make things right. Even offering an appetizer while we waited, checking on us regularly, or simply giving us a sincere apology would have gone a long way. Instead, the overall attitude we experienced felt rude and condescending.
I understand that new restaurants have growing pains, and I rarely judge a restaurant based on one imperfect evening. But this wasn't simply an off night. We arrived first, waited while multiple tables that arrived after us were served, missed out on the very steaks we came there to order, and then waited more than two hours for our food.
For a new restaurant in a small community, hospitality and word of mouth matter. With the high prices, extremely slow service, poor communication, and the way the situation was handled, this was an incredibly disappointing experience. Unfortunately, based on our experience, I would not return or recommend it.