I don't normally leave negative reviews because I understand how much they can affect a business. I…read morebelieve strongly in entrepreneurship and in giving businesses the opportunity to improve, so I usually try to give people the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately, after two visits to this location, I felt I needed to say something.
Our first visit was through the drive-through. About half of the order was incorrect, and the customer service was disappointing and unprofessional. I chose not to go back or complain because I assumed they were simply having a bad day.
On our second visit, we went inside and ordered through the kiosk. There was no acknowledgment when we entered, not even a simple greeting or "thanks for coming in." That may seem like a small thing, especially in a kiosk-based restaurant, but a quick acknowledgment would go a long way toward making customers feel seen.
The food portion of our order took about 10 minutes, which was completely reasonable considering how busy they were. Unfortunately the order was wrong again and missing some sides. I let it go because it wasn't a big deal. However, our milkshake took approximately 40 minutes.
After about 20 minutes, I politely asked an employee about the shake. I was intentionally patient and respectful because another customer had just become very upset over his grandson's missing milkshake, spilled a drink on the floor, and left after making quite a scene. The employees had obviously been dealing with a difficult evening, and I didn't want to add to it.
The employee told me they were simply backed up on milkshakes and would get to mine. However, she never actually checked my order. After another 20 minutes, now about 40 minutes total, I was the only customer left in the dining room and asked another employee about it. He checked, realized the shake had apparently been missed altogether, and made it himself.
Mistakes happen, especially during a busy rush. What concerned me more was that, while quietly observing the operation, this didn't appear to be an isolated mistake. Orders repeatedly seemed delayed, incomplete, or incorrect.
From a customer's perspective, this location appears to need stronger quality control and leadership during busy periods. Someone should be verifying that each order is correct and complete before it goes out, and there should be a shift manager or other leader actively overseeing the operation, helping employees stay organized, and handling difficult customer situations when they arise.
I actually view most of these problems as training and process issues rather than simply blaming the employees. The staff seemed overwhelmed and could probably benefit from better systems, clearer responsibilities, and stronger support from management.
That is especially unfortunate because there are things Steak 'n Shake does very well. This was essentially our first experience with the chain after hearing about it for years. I really liked the uniforms, they give the restaurant a more classic, higher-end fast-food feel. The fries cooked in beef tallow were noticeably better than typical fast-food fries, and the burgers were genuinely very good. For fast food, I would easily put the burgers among some of the better ones I've had.
There is a good product here. The customer experience simply needs to catch up with it.
If I were the franchise owner of this location, I would want to know what is happening and would spend some time personally observing the operation, reinforcing training, and putting better quality-control procedures in place. Fast food is still capable of being executed extremely well, and with stronger management and training, I think this location could be considerably better.
I hope this is taken as constructive criticism rather than simply a complaint, because I would genuinely like to see this location improve.