Can't I rate this with less than one star?
The service and customer service here was appalling!
After a trip from Galway we decided to stop off and have a bite to eat in Shine's Bar. The restaurant was decorated and lit nicely so we thought it must be a nice place to eat.
We were seated at the back of the restaurant and given some menus. Our orders were quickly taken and from the menu I ordered, southern fried chicken with chips BBQ sauce. We were not asked if we would like to order any drinks and had to fetch our own water and glasses.
When the orders were taken the waitress returned with the cutlery and napkins, which she placed in a pile in the centre of the table.
The gentlemen in our group were served first and the plates were piping hot, the waitress did not warn them to be careful of the hot plates.
It was a considerable time before the rest of the dishes arrived.
My plate was the last to arrive and I was told it was southern fried chicken with chips BBQ sauce. The chicken was rather flat looking, baked not fried and it was wrapped in bread crumbs and mixed herbs. It tasted just like stuffing which I rather dislike. I was going to mention it to the server upon her return but she did not return to check on us at any stage of the meal. I ate the chicken and some chips leaving the stuffing aside. When I tried the BBQ sauce I couldn't believe it but it was actually gravy! At this stage I was beginning to think I had been given the wrong meal.
When most of us had finished eating the waitress returned to collect the plates leaving only mine behind. I had another couple of chips and gave up on it. My friend suggested that I say something if I'm not completely satisfied with it so I turned around in my chair several times to get the attention of a waitress but I was ignored by all of the staff. After about ten minutes I got up out of my seat and brought it to the attention of the cashier.
I was asked if I was happy with everything and I told her that I was not, I told her that I did not receive the dish I had ordered and that even the BBQ sauce was in fact gravy.
To this she responded "well I haven't even seen it", I invited her to come to our table and see it because it was still not collected despite my best efforts to get the attention of the staff. She told me that they were very busy and there were only 4 floor staff on duty. She asked me what she was supposed to do and told me that Id eaten most of it. I again told her that it wasn't the dish that was on the menu and that I had only eaten some because I was hungry. She argued that I should have mentioned it earlier and not at the end of the meal, I told her that nobody had checked up on our group after the dishes were served and I given up on even having my place collected at the end. Next she told me that she was going to have a word with the chef and brought my plate over to the kitchen. When she returned she told me that it was the chefs twist on the dish and that's how he cooks it, she told me that it was bbq sauce but its his own home-made recipe. I told her that the menu should be changed to reflect what is being served and there's no way that it wasn't gravy, it was the same as what was served on the carvery!
I was shocked that she was arguing with me about it and making a spectacle of my complaint in front of the whole restaurant.
She shouted over to the kitchen from our table on more than two occasions asking the chef to "come and talk to this person". I told her that I did not want to speak the chef!
She asked me what I wanted her to do about it, and I asked her if this was really how she deals with these situations?! I was mortified! I asked if she was a manager and she told me that she was the owner. I was shocked to my core. I was so stunned I just kept shaking my head in disgust. In the end she told me that because I didn't like it, it would be taken off the bill, but everyone else's would have to be paid for.
I could not believe how poorly I was treated. There was no issue with how the food was cooked, so it was not the chef's issue, it was an issue with the menu not reflecting was was being served and so false advertising. The owner needs to be trained in customer service, I am completely disgusted!
I wouldn't wish for anyone to be treated this way, so steer clear. read more
