Had a problem with the beer, it was flat. Sent it back only to be told the chef said it was fine and was given the beer back. We were a little taken back by that reaction and told the waitress that it was an odd remark and we were trying to make light of the situation. Chef came out parading around like a peacock and tried to pick a fight. We were a table of 12, just coming from a funeral and a hot headed chef wanted to fight. I'm still shocked to my core that we were treated this way. We finished our meal and left. So obscene. Makes sense that we were the only patrons there on a Friday evening. Don't go. read more

We came here for Mother's Day after booking a week ahead. Surprisingly, when we arrived, it wasn't busy. The menu was small but had great options if you're a seafood lover. Which my group was! There were some vegetarian options as well. We had a variety of starters-the scallops, seafood chowder (this was big and perfect to share among 3 people), oysters, and jumbo shrimp cocktail. For mains, we had the cod fish, seafood linguine, and octopus. For dessert, we had the almond cake and lava cake. From the starters, we recommend the scallops. They were a great size and perfectly cooked and paired with a crisp fruit and bacon. All 3 mains were great and quite filling. As fir dessert, if you're a chocolate lover, don't pass on the lava cake it wad divine. As for service, it was excellent. Food came out at a reasonable time, and the server himself was really personable and friendly. This place is definitely a redo! read more

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Hands down amazing service. Hailey (sorry if I spelt it incorrectly) was our server for the evening. The food was delicious from beginning to end. Wanda is the owner of the restaurant. Such a beautiful spirited woman. We will surely be making the trip back to Oshawa to visit the Shrimp Cocktail. I do recommend that if you are coming, please make reservations prior. Wanda, thank you for your hospitality. read more

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Amazing food. Shrimp cocktail is our favourite restaurant in Oshawa. The food is by far, the best food. The steaks are cooked to perfection, the best cesar salad ever, the lamb is exceptional, the scallops appetizer is divine and the chicken with pasta for the children is delicious. Everything cooked to impress and it definitely does. The service is fantastic and the owner is a sweetheart. Everyone works together so well at Shrimp Cocktail to ensure the best service. We highly recommend Shrimp Cocktail. read more

Visited a couple weeks ago with a group of 7 under reservations. My family used to love coming here a few years back however we were disappointed to find that the food wasn't nearly as good as previous visits (change in chefs?) Used to be a reliable, "fancier", local restaurant but unfortunately will not be returning. Appetizers: Traditional Shrimp Cocktail ($16) - did not even come in a "traditional" cocktail glass! (as it always had been in the past; also if you're gonna call yourself "Shrimp Cocktail"....) PEI Mussels ($14) - got two orders, the Chorizo Sausage Marinara was quite nice and tasty but the Basil Marinara was very underwhelming Oysters (~$3.5 ea) - didn't try them but was told they were pretty average Entrees: Smoked Pasta ($27 linguine w chicken, shrimp, scallop, basil pesto) - Mine! Yummy dish, plenty of seafood/protein, no complaints, as for the other dishes... Mahi Mahi ($27 fish w orzo, veggies, shrimp skewer) - my partner's order; the mahi mahi was SO overcooked it was basically inedible, extremely dry (I tried a small piece which I didn't bother finishing aka very unlike me), the orzo was creamy but tasteless. The only somewhat redeeming element of the dish was the chili lime shrimp skewer. Steaks - ordered a medium and a medium-well, both were a definite red medium-rare. I don't recall the other entrees but they were described as "nothing special". All that being said, the staff is super pleasant, our server was very friendly and attentive. Free hot bread which they gave us more of for the oyster sauce, and two complimentary chocolate crème brulees for the birthdays. read more

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I went here on the suggestion of a Chowhound post after finding a severe dearth of Yelp reviews for the eastern Toronto 'burbs. Located, like so much else in the area, in a strip mall, the restaurant was actually a pretty cool space - it has a weird tower out front, and wacky chandeliers over all the tables. It was actually a great place for a business dinner with documents to review since all the tables and booths were well-lit. It was also pretty empty, for better or worse, with only a handful of tables filled around 7:30 on a Tuesday. Food was competently executed, but not remarkable - their specialty is seafood, and I was there on a Tuesday, which was "shrimp extravaganza" night. A had a shrimp and scallop cacciatore which was tasty - actually spicy, fresh ingredients - better than you'd get at Olive Garden or similar, but perhaps not deserving of the $17 price tag. read more

Shrimp Cocktail - Bar at Shrimp Cocktail - Cafes Near Me - Oshawa, Ontario

The food tasted great had smoked pasta . Smelled awesome tasted awesome can't get enough had to get a second plate but oh well it's another $30. Everything was good except for mussels. They seem a bit stale like they been probably having this same stock for a while. Shrimp is fine it tasted good. Only down side was the mussels and 3 stars because I had one full plate of mussels and it doesn't taste fresh. read more

Shrimp Cocktail - Cafes Near Me - Oshawa, Ontario

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Hubby and I came here for Dinner on a Friday Night. We made reservations for 6:30pm and were glad we did as the place was pretty packed. We were kindly greeted by an eager host who led us to a large booth at the back of the restaurant. I liked this booth as it was located a step up above the ground floor and was in the centre so it gave us a great view of the entire restaurant. We had great views of the open kitchen down below which is situated in front of the bar with large aquariums hanging above instead of your traditional tvs and they had a black and white movie playing on a wall on the side. Our waiter soon came over to introduce himself and took our drink orders. We both wanted to wine and he was very good at giving recommendations. Hubby was stuck between 2 different wines and our waiter kindly offered to bring over a sample of each to help him decide. I went with the Cupcake Chardonnay as I was planning on having salmon and Hubby chose the Mission Hill Five Vineyards Carbernet-Merlot which he thoroughly enjoyed paired with his steak. After returning with our wine our waiter brought over a basket with whipped butter and two golden and chewy little ciabatta rolls served warm. For Appetizers we decided on going with the Crisp Crab Cake served with house made tartar sauce and citrus salad. As soon as this app hit the table I was overwhelmed with the fishy smell exuding from it. I liked that they gave 6 to an order but the citrus salad that was supposed to be served alongside was a mere sliver of grapefruit and orange. Taste wise I was not impressed with the crab cakes...perhaps I was too overwhelmed by the fishy smell but it was definitely lacking in flavour. Thankfully it came served on bed of house made tartar sauce as that stuff was more delicious than the actual crab cakes. For my main I knew was going to have the Salmon Atlantic Salmon served with Butternut Squash Risotto & Seasoned Vegetables The salmon had a beautiful crispy skin and was lightly seasoned with just salt and pepper however I would have liked it a little more underdone but that's just a personal preference. It came with a spears of perfectly steamed asparagus but no assortment of vegetables as stated. The risotto was delightful in flavour and creamy too but I did find a few clumpy bits of rice throughout while eating. Hubby had the 6oz AAA Beef Tenderloin and Shrimp served with Pont Neuf potato, sautéed vegetables, and grainy mustard au jus Of course I had to steal a few bites of his entree as well. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare and was nicely seasoned. The Pont Neuf potatoes were delicious all on there own with a nice golden brown exterior encasing the fluffy white potato with a light dusting of coarse salt. His only qualms about the dish was how small the shrimp were and again that the sautéed vegetables were just french beans. After finishing our main our waiter came back to see if we were interested in dessert. I always have room for dessert so I listened attentively as he described the homemade dessert specials for the day. I decided to go with the Truffle Cheesecake which he described was reminiscent of a Turtles chocolate adorned with caramel and pecans. The cheesecake was easily my favourite part of the meal. The cake was a mix of a traditional cheesecake with chunks of chocolate cheesecake on a crunchy chocolate cookie base topped with bits of toasted pecans and a drizzling of deep and creamy caramel sauce as well a chocolate shell drizzle and mini chocolate chips. It had no faults and I scraped every last crumb off the plate. Overall I have to say service here was top notch. Our waiter that evening was very attentive, helpful, and knowledgable of the menu. The atmosphere and ambiance was great however the food itself was hit or miss and the menu descriptions were a bit deceiving. Other than those few mishaps we had a great evening. read more

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Went here for my birthday dinner. Our reservation was for 8:00pm so it wasn't busy. The appetizers came out quickly. Our bread didn't come out until the first meal was brought. I ordered the Seafood Linguini...I had 4 clams and 3 of them didn't open (which is upsetting because I paid for seafood and didn't get 3 out of 4), my mussels were so overcooked they were stringy and and unable to come out of the shell. The restaurant was apologetic and didn't charge me for the meal. The other food quantity portions from the other dishes were incredibly small for the price we paid. Our dinner took 45 mins to get to our table. Won't be going back here. read more

Never going back. We waited one hour and ten minutes to get our mediocre food. Our server was sweet and friendly so we didn't want to vent on her so we pretty much kept quiet. We did eventually politely inquire about the delay to her. She must have said something,so the 'manager' did a walk by and we asked him about the delay and we got an arrogant and short answer. Now get this, there were only 4 occupied tables in the downstairs area. We learned afterwards that there was an office party upstairs which caused the problem. All of this could have been explained to us and maybe get another piece of bread to tie us over until we got our meal. Even an apology with explanation would have went a long way for us. Anyway Shrimp Cocktail will never get another dollar from me. read more

Here's the situation. You judge for yourself. About 10 of us went to Shrimp Cocktail for the 60th wedding anniversary of our grandparents. Long story short, my wife ordered the stuffed chicken and got a rubbery, plasticy tasting chicken that could not have been natural. It felt like the mechanically made chicken breasts you sometimes end up with if you buy stuffed chicken at the supermarket. After a bit of resistance, the waiter agreed to take it away and bring something else instead for my wife's dinner. She asked for the steak. A while later, when everyone else was finished, the steak came out and was delicious. When the bill came out, we expected some kind of comp for the poor food and ill timing of the replacement. Instead of any comp at all, they charged us full freight for the STEAK (higher of the two dish prices). When we asked the waiter about it, he straight away said no. Then said he could get the manager when I asked him to take it back and talk about it with her. So in came the manager. She walked up to the table and stared at us without a word. Her attitude was combative as she argued with us saying they were just charging us for the meal that was served. I pointed out we are a party of 10 on a great occasion and have dined there many times of the years. It would make sense for her to at least just charge us for the chicken. First she just straight up said no. Then the manager literally said "Well I'd have to call the owner about that" as if it's some massive ask! I laughed and encouraged her to call the owner (imagining that call about $7 difference). She thought better of it and then turned around and gave us the discount, but SUPER BEGRUDGINGLY. What a great taste to leave in our mouths right as we were about to leave, don't you think!? Hope this helps. I won't ever be back there. read more

Food was good...our table ordered the crab cakes, escargot, lamb shank, seafood platter, lobster Mac and Cheese, halibut, snapper and seafood fettuccini. However, nothing was WOW. It was fine but we have all had better at other places. Service was SLOW! It was a Sunday night reservation for 5pm and the place was not nearly busy. I am pretty sure our server was the only one on the floor for the first 3 hours we were there and was also the bartender for the night. We had to ask for water and beer refills and more bread. He people were friendly but just super slow. I recommend that you try it for your self but hope you have better service. read more

The restaurant looks great, with lots of interesting touches, but the experience went down from there. The hostess was friendly, but couldn't seat us in a larger table due to an incoming wine tasting, so we had to jam in to a smaller one. Our server changed in between drink orders and food orders, and got progressively slower at coming back. Apps came out after about 30 minutes, and entrees were a full hour after that. Lobster bisque was bland and there was scarcely any lobster. No garnish or oil to add some flair. The smoked chicken mac and cheese I had for my main was not macaroni - it was penne! Very odd choice when you specifically call it mac and cheese. Pasta was underdone, and though the smoked chicken was tasty, the Gouda cheese sauce was watery and flavorless. read more

The decor in this place is super cool! Dark colours, black lights, huge tables, and an open kitchen. But not tacky. So you feel like you're in an upscale restaurant - not a restaurant that's part of a strip mall. I went for a white wine spritzer and my boyfriend and I shared some apps (coconut shrimp, bruchetta, and calamari.) The shrimp was fantastic (even my bf who is not a fan of shrimp enjoyed it...a lot) The sauce it is served with is delicious. The bruchetta was soooooo good. Toppings were by no means scarce. And super delicious. The calamari...was okay. I'm not a huge fan of calamari to begin with, so I suppose I shouldn't judge. The only reason I'm not giving this 5 is because I didn't get the full monty (I didn't have dinner) I'd like to try it again. We will go back again for sure. Our waiter was a fantastic friendly man who did a great job. read more

I have been to Shrimp Cocktail a few times now. It is usually a fairly decent place to eat. I have never order the steak in the past and I really regretted it. Both my wife and my steaks were so bland I had to put salt on it. We actually had to send the steaks back the first time because they were so charred. We have only done this two previous times ever. We went on a Monday, so there wasn't a dinner rush or anything. I gave two stars because we liked both the servers and the atmosphere but the food was not worth the price of admission. If you do go here, I would not recommend the steaks. Just stick to the pastas. They have been good in the past. read more

Seafood pasta was FULL of seafood! Lunch menu was great. The crab cakes were good but would've been better if there was a little more flavour put into the recipe. They literally give you ONE bread per person but overall if I'm ever in the area I will come back here. Good food. Good prices. Good service. read more

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My family (extended) has eaten there a few times. It's not for kids, per se....but a great place to eat as an adult. I have always enjoyed every meal I've eaten there. It's not cheap, but the quality is very good and the staff are really good at what they do. Might be a perfect place for a romantic dinner! Just make sure your date is not allergic to seafood! read more

We had our dad's 80th birthday last night (Oct 20,2018) at shrimp cocktail It was a huge success We had 24 people including a 4 month old baby We also brought in a photographer They were so accommodating We had a great night There was Soft music and quick service Everyone's meals were excellent We even had a dairy allergy and a gluten allergy These were catered to as well One of the guests had to leavers their baby was being fussy and they even packed up the parents meals and didn't seem to affect the perfect flow of the other guests meals I will highly recommend shrimp cocktail for excellent food Great service and for so much accomadation for all your guests wants and needs We had a great evening and created a wonderful memory Thanks Shrimp cocktail Sandra Provenzano read more

My husband and I had used their online reservation system. When we arrived, we were told that we did not have a reservation even though I had a confirmation, however they were able to seat us. We sat up in the tower which was fantastic. We were well looked after by our server who was extremely attentive without being annoying. For our appetizer we shared the lobster spring rolls and the escargot. The spring rolls were delicious but the escargot was extremely salty. Our entrees were served hot and fresh but my husband did not get served what he had ordered. Not wanting to make a fuss or have to wait while I ate he ate what he was served and said it was quite good, although not the pasta dish he had hoped for. Overall it was good food however we felt a little pricey for what you got. read more

Seating area and music was nice. Service was ok. Got busy and had to wait awhile for my bill then for the debit machine. I had the salmon. Portion was small. About an inch and half or less wide of piece for 30 bucks. read more

Shrimp Cocktail - Had the upstairs turret to ourselves for a little while before it got busy. - Cafes Near Me - Oshawa, Ontario

My boyfriend and I came to Shrimp Cocktail to celebrate our anniversary. On our last trip, we were very impressed with the food and service and decided to come back as a result. When we arrived, we were seated promptly and given menus. Now, this is one of my pet peeves, especially since the restaurant wasn't busy. Our waiter didn't approach our table until we'd had enough time to look over the menu, discuss what we each were thinking of and decide. When he did, his greeting was something like 'do you know what you'd like', which I'm not a fan of. He took our drink, appetizer and food order and came back shortly with our drinks. I ordered the Calamari - note that this is a full sized portion, probably best to share with the table but since my boyfriend had ordered a salad, I polished all of the calamari off myself (yum) but there was a lot. They were very lightly breaded and just salted enough for me. There was a nice sriracha aoili served with it and it was just the kind of calamari I wanted. For dinner, I ordered the salmon. All of the side portions listed on the menu sounded really good and when the plate came out, i was a bit surprised because it wasn't what I was expecting, but it looked tasty. There was the salmon in the middle, with a deliciously crispy crust, a lemon wedge and mango chutney, potato shrimp "hash", which wasn't hash at all, just four pieces of shrimp on one side and a bunch of chopped potatoes on the other, a small pile of spicyish peppers and spiked black bean puree. My first few bites of salmon were very good. I got about halfway through the filet and realized something wasn't tasting so great. There was a sauce on the bottom that didn't go with the rest of what was on the salmon, so much so that i didn't want to eat any more of the salmon that had that sauce on it. The peppers didn't look too appetizing and while they were flavorful, they didn't go with the salmon at all. The shrimp were tasty, as were the potatoes (nice and finely chopped and well seasoned). The black bean puree had absolutely nothing going for it. Flavorless and there was quite a bit of it on the plate. I only ate about half my plate because I was full from the appetizer, but I doubt I would have been able to eat much more than I did given that some of the flavor combinations didn't work for me at all. Frankly, I was disappointed with my dinner plate given our experience the last time (brie appetizer and lamb shank for dinner, both excellent). Our server was okay and got better as the meal went on, but he wasn't the best. Overall, a disappointing experience at Shrimp Cocktail. I won't write it off yet and we'll be sure to try it again soon, but I'll avoid the salmon and stick with a pasta or a meat dish instead. read more

My husband and I spend a lot of time enjoying the fine cuisine of Durham region. I had the oysters which were fabulous and my husband had the Brie for appetizers. The Brie was uninspired; Brie in itself is a very bland cheese so some seasoning is required, they did not stand up to the task, perhaps some lemon or orange zest in the breading would Save this dish. The 14oz sirloin itself was mouthwatering, unfortunately the twice baked potato had no flavour and the presentation was lacking. I had the halibut, the presentation was fabulous but that's where it ended. Slightly over cooked halibut with undercooked potatoes and chewy bacon pieces. Dessert-crème brûlée/mousse I'm not really sure. Listed as crème brûlée but the crust was non existent The service on the other hand was impressive, she was very knowledgable and ready to answer any question we had. read more

This is a great seafood restaurant. The menu choices are interesting and i find that their portion sizes are just right! The food was delicious and the atmosphere if the restaurant is very pleasant! We definitely want to come back and try other items on the menu. I had the lake pickerel for main and the duck confit slider as my appetizer. To finish it off.. We shared a cappuccino creme brule, a perfect end! read more

We keep this place for our special occasions and we have never been disappointed. Food is always amazing, as is the service and the decor is lovely. read more

The best lamb shank this side of Durham. Friendly service, great food and drink. This place is a little hidden gem for those looking for a treat in town. read more

Wonderful! Great service, great quality! The only thing I would change is offering their prefixed menu more often!

Had our sons wedding rehearsal dinner here for a group of 18. Everything was perfect from atmosphere, food and drink, friendly staff. Food was very tasty and all dinners for 18 were all served at same time, piping hot. There was not a single compliant throughout the entire evening. Would highly recommend this restaurant for any occasion. Wanda and her staff take great pride running a top notch shop. read more

A+ experience start to finish! The atmosphere is upscale but very welcoming, the staff was EXCELLENT and very friendly, the food was fresh, delicious, fairly priced, and plentiful! They obviously have a very creative and flexible chef. We were pleased to hear that any dish on the menu could be adjusted to suit our tastes, a nice change from places that won't allow any deviation. Fresh bread, fresh pasta, perfectly cooked seafood, and the longest we had to wait for a server was 3 minutes; basically the exact opposite of our experience at a chain restaurant down the street the night before. We paid nearly as much for dinner at the chain with so-so food and horrible service, so compared to that I thought that the prices at Shrimp Cocktail were VERY fair. My only regret is not living close enough to make this a regular place! read more

Oh Shrimp Cocktail, where do I even begin? Firstly I'd say my partner had a warned me about this place, but had said it had been years since they had last been here. So since they had a gift certificate I thought it would be different than their that visit there. Upon entering it's a little drab and dark but with a cute charm to it. However it only went downhill from there. We both ordered Appetizers, them the Escargot and I the fried calamari. Both dishes were lack of a better word disgusting. The supposed "crisp" phillo was soggy and the sauce wasn't at all good. It was bitter and almost too thick. As for the calamari it also lacked in flavor, the batter wasn't crispy and they calamari within was horribly chewy, only good part of it was the spicy siracha aioli. Both had to be sent back to the kitchen with practically everything still on it as after a few bites we were highly unenthused for the main course. For the main entrees I ordered the Lamb shank and fortunately for my partner they ordered the grilled chicken salad. The salad was probably one of the best items we had eaten, because my lamb shank was cooked perfectly but there was no taste as if it wasn't seasoned at all and well at this point the wait staff was exasperated with my constant return of items. I'm sorry but it was the worst lamb I have ever had, the frozen stuff at the grocery store tasted far better!! The garlic mas potatoes and green beans were the only parts of the dish I ate. Needless to say after the wait staff tried to convince me their lamb shank was "amazing" I was the one eating it and it made me so mad because even my partner was shocked at a "popular" dish was so poorly executed. I will not be dining there anytime soon and would say that those who chance going there just don't or get a dish (like the salad) that can't possibly be messed up. read more

My wife & I have been to this restaurant twice now and we have had great experiences both times. The first time was for our post wedding dinner with about 10 others and we were able to reserve the upstairs room. Service was great. Food was delicious. And they couldn't have been more accommodating to us. Our second visit was just as welcoming. We sat downstairs and had a perfect view of the open kitchen, which I might add is a rare commodity in the restaurant business today, and we really enjoyed being able to see the cooks gettin their chef-game on. The place is very clean and tidy. Loved the atmosphere. It was dark enough that it felt private but light enough that we could still see each other and our food. My wife had the escargot which she loves, although it may have been a little too salty for her. I had the lamb and it was perfect! No complaint at all! Our favorite thing about this restaurant is that the owner is typically at the door waiting to greet you as you come in. She has been working in the industry for over 25 years and clearly knows how to run s restaurant. We will be going back again :) read more

the food is decent. the steak was alittle salty for my liking. nice service. the bread could of been better I think it was margarine that they serve it with that I didn't like. read more

Have eaten here a few times in the past and never disappointed. Great service always. Want to drop a line now though to commend Michelle who works there for going above and beyond. I live in Toronto and wanted to get a gift certificate for my parents who live in Whitby and who eat here a few times a year. She made it easy to organize over the phone and even personally delivered the certificate for me free of charge after a night shift (!) to my parents who were pleasantly surprised to find it in their mailbox in the morning. Nicely done and much appreciated. read more

Excellent dinner! Each dish was served with care and excellent presentation! The servers were all extremely polite and attentive. The meals were chef prepared and you could taste the hand crafted quality of each dish. Excellent selection of wines! Overall a wonderful experience and a hidden Gem in the Durham Region. I highly recommend this restaurant for a very nice dinner at a very fair price. Seafood was plentiful, fresh, and delicious! read more

The decor and space is very nice. Comfortable and nicely decorated. My thoughts on the food and pricing is torn. I'd take this any day over red lobster though the menu could use some work as the pricing is a little high for what is being presented. Felt as though it was missing the extra little bit of flavour. read more

Went here for dinner a few weeks ago and witnessed something that made me have to post on here. Not only was the owner of the restaurant verbally abusing the kitchen staff she was doing so everyone in the restaurant could hear. This is not the first time I have heard the owner state derogatory remarks towards her employees however the comments she made were so insulting and rude I definitely won't be coming back any time soon ( maybe when the owner changes) . After discussing this experience with some of my friends , they told me they had been for dinner one time and actually saw the owner throw a plate at one of the cooks. Classy. If I have one suggestion it would be give your money to someone who treats people with respect because the owner of shrimp cocktail doesn't deserve it. read more

So not worth the expensive price tag for the meals. This place is suppose to be fine dining but it is always so busy and packed and so so loud. Tables are squished together and you're so close to people. Interior is very very small and underwhelming. The service is the WORST!!!!!! The waitresses AND THE MANAGER are all so rude, dismissive and not friendly what so ever. They all had so much attitude and always seems super annoyed with everything. Caught one of the waitresses rolling her eyes after walking away from our table and another couples table , I think her name was Jan...had blonde hair and lots of work done on her face. Service was so slow. I spent about 2.5 hours in here. Waited almost an hour after ordering for our appetizers and then another 45 minutes to receive the main course. Our waitress rarely came over to fill up our water, I was left without water for a good 45 minutes before having to ask for another refill. Overall atmosphere was bad, food was mediocre, could have gotten the same quality at East side Mario's or something and gotten more food for the price there. Portions were small, obviously. I wouldn't recommend this place and I wouldn't go back ever again. Just the service I received alone was such a turn off and I will not be returning!!! read more