Gave myself a couple days to step away and cool off before writing this on here:
Recently I went to Ofrenda with a group of 14. We had a reservation for 8:00. We were having a great time, ordering many pitchers of margarita, each of the 14 of us ordering something to eat, so a big ticket for the restaurant. We're talking a nearly-$700 bill.
Like I said, everything was going really well- good service, kind interactions with our server, etc. it was a great evening out. And then it all changed.
Toward the end of our time at our table, our server came up and said that he'd like to get our check going because "the other party has been waiting." *1ST STRIKE OF INAPPROPRIATE ACTION* Now at first, we didn't react too much to this-- it came from left field. So we kind of smiled it off and said things along the lines of "ok we're getting close to being done," etc.
A COUPLE OF MINUTES LATER the server returned saying we "need to get going because the next party has been waiting over an hour." *2ND STRIKE* I told him that it wasn't really our problem that the next party had been waiting. He informed me that Ofrenda operates with a 2-hr window for their reservations. I told him we weren't informed of this, especially when sitting down. He said he did tell someone from our party. I asked who. He said "the person who made the reservation," then pointed to my friend Chris, a male, who was walking away toward the bathroom at that moment. *3RD STRIKE* This was a lie, as my friend Mary, a female, responded that she had made the reservation and that she was told 3 hours on the phone. Our server said that she must have misunderstood, and that "look guys, they've been waiting over an hour." *4TH STRIKE* Again, not necessarily our problem. My friend also pointed out to our server that he and his staff had been SERVING US well after the 2-hr mark without so much as a mention of the restaurants rules.
At this time I noticed that two 5-7 tops were open at this moment, and while I understand that those may have been reserved, they could have made something work for this delayed party if they needed to seat them THAT desperately. I did not vocalize this, because I figured it wouldn't help in this moment.
He brought us our check -- the bill was nearly $700 Ana no one of us was comfortable putting it all on his or her one card, so we needed a moment to figure it out. We went to work on this right away when they handed it to us.
MINUTES later the server returned asking for the cards, even though it was clear we were working on it. *5TH STRIKE* we showed and told him we were trying to do just that. Finally got it ready and handed it off to him.
Minutes later the busser came over and asked if we could get up from the table so he could get to cleaning it. I was more obliged to do that for him (after all, he hasn't been rude to us yet), but my friends did have a problem with this. Saying "I will get up from this table when I've gotten my credit card back." To which I must say, is a pretty reasonable stance.
Around this time one of the members of the usurping party called my friend the c*** word. This news didn't spread to myself and one of my friends until we were already in talks with our server about everything that has been happening. We asked him if he was going to allow that kind of behavior in his restaurant and he shrugged it off. *6TH STRIKE.
I told the server I wanted to remove the heat that was rising between all of us, and speak to him candidly and calmly. Which we did. He said "And if you'd like to speak to a manager, I am the manager." EXCUSE ME!? You manage this restaurant and THIS is how you YOURSELF operate??? I told him that in all of my time going to a restaurant, aka my whole life, I have never been treated this way. Never.
This all boils down to communication, the lack-thereof, and then the projection of the restaurants mistakes onto other things-- LIKE THE CUSTOMER!? bad call, y'all. If you have a restaurant that operates with a certain window of time per reservation, TELL YOUR PARTIES THAT. WHEN THEY ARE SITTING DOWN. OR WHEN THEYVE JUST ORDERED. And if this seems like a faux-pas, then get to work accepting the fact that they may want to be staying longer, and may not know what's happening with your rules.
**** I do not recommend this restaurant.
**** If you want a kind place that is responsible for their actions, don't come here.
**** if you are looking for a restaurant that handles complications in communication or anything else, don't come here. read more