It saddens me to write this because I've been coming to Moreland's for years, but after my Father's…read moreDay experience, I won't be returning.
My African American military family arrived at 11:00 a.m. sharp on Father's Day. I mention "military family" because I want to paint an accurate picture: we weren't a loud or unruly group. We were five adults, five well-behaved children, and two infants looking to enjoy brunch together.
The restaurant was completely empty. Not "a few open tables" empty--completely empty. No one was even sitting at the bar.
When we told the hostess we didn't have a reservation, she went to get a manager. What struck me immediately was how flustered he became the moment he saw our group. He came out red-faced, visibly agitated, and immediately launched into how they were completely booked and there was "no way" he could seat a party of 12. We even asked if we could split into two groups of six and were met with the same response: impossible.
We stood there looking at an entirely empty restaurant while being told there was absolutely no way we could be accommodated. The whole interaction was honestly bizarre. Confused, we simply said "okay" and started walking away.
As we were already down the sidewalk, a hostess came after us and explained that we could sit on the patio, which was first-come, first-served. We could order through a QR code and have food brought to us. That was completely fine with us. In fact, with children and infants, the patio was arguably a better option anyway.
The truth is, by that point we stayed more out of convenience than anything else. Getting five children and two infants back into three separate vehicles and finding another restaurant felt like more of a hassle than it was worth. Looking back, I wish we had simply left.
Which raises the obvious question: if the patio was available all along, why wasn't that the manager's response from the beginning? Why did he act as though seating us was impossible instead of simply saying, "Our indoor dining is reserved, but you're welcome to sit outside"?
I do not make accusations of racism lightly. However, after reflecting on the experience, I cannot escape the conclusion that race played a role in how my family was treated. The manager's reaction upon seeing our group, his immediate insistence that there was "no way" to seat us despite an empty restaurant, and the fact that available seating existed all along created an experience that felt unmistakably exclusionary.
The interaction nagged at me throughout the meal, especially when my children and nieces and nephews started asking, "Why didn't the restaurant want us to eat here? The place is empty?" That's not a conversation I expected to have with children on Father's Day.
When we left about 90 minutes later, both the dining room and patio were still far from full. I counted 8 open tables inside and 5 open tables on the patio at 12:30.
I understand reservations. I've dined all over the world. But Moreland's is not a Michelin-starred restaurant with a months-long waitlist. It's a neighborhood pub--closer to an upscale Applebee's than fine dining. Yet somehow my family was made to feel unwelcome from the moment we walked through the door.
After years of being a customer, that is deeply disappointing.
