Buckle up. This is a tale of things going very left in the customer service department, redemption, good food, igloos, and a testament to how one server can change everything.
Upon hearing about this place we sought out to get reservations when our parents came in town for the holiday. On their website, we saw that they have igloo dining (an outdoor heated clear igloo tent decorated where you can dine), however, using their selected reservation service (Resy), there was no way to select the igloos for dining. So we just reserved a table and decided we'd call during their business hours to see if the our reservation could be changed to include the igloo dining. The day before our reservation, we called and were informed that we could change to the igloo, but that it would be a $50 charge and $100 food minimum (no problem). We accepted and looked forward to our time there....Now here's where things go very left.
THINGS GO LEFT: The next day, we arrived to our reservation to see empty igloos that were undecorated outside and then to be told that no one had informed them that we wanted the igloo, that the fee was actually $100 with a $250 food minimum. When we explained what we were told, the owner was not apologetic. She continuously used words like "IF that's what happened," (which almost insinuated we were making this up) and upon us saying we felt what we were quoted the day before should be honored were meet with comments from the owner like "I can't just give you things for free," which is not at all what we were requesting as I/my party can afford whatever we decide to consume/service we want to use.
REDEMPTION: When I pulled the owner aside and had a heart to heart conversation about my disappointment in the way things were handled and how I was spoken to by her, the fact I just wanted what I had been told the day before I would get, and that I in no way want anything free because I can afford it, her demeanor changed. She explained they were training staff and admitted they did not give us all the proper information and seated us in the igloo, offered us a bottle of champagne, and took $25 off the newly quoted fee of $100.
THE IGLOO: It was very nicely decorated and warm. A lovely tablescape adorned the table. Faux fur throws were thrown in each seat which added to the warmth and ambiance. We felt like we were in our own covid safe VIP section in a clear bubble. Such a cute concept.
FOOD AND SERVICE: After waiting 45 minutes for them to prepare the igloo for dining, we were seated. We were immediately greeted by our server Tyler who offered us his sincere apology (despite this NOT being his fault). Tyler was so personable and pleasant. He offered us suggestions, and solutions since most of the higher ticket items were 86'd (there were NO filets, and only ONE steak left in the whole restaurant, which made it hard for us to make the required food and beverage minimum). We ended up starting with 2 orders of the LOBSTER ELJEAN for our appetizer. It was beautifully plated and delicious. The lobster tail lightly coated and fried and the crab meat was a good portion too. For dinner, we ordered 4 RIBEYE & LOBSTER SURF AND TURFs that were plated on a bed of mashed potatoes with grilled asparagus. The ribeyes were very flavorful, but two were fatty and a bit stringy. We also got 1 HAWAIIAN STEAK which had a sweet and savory flavor with hints of pineapple in the marinade.
DRINKS: A few of the drinks we wanted were also not available.
$550 later, we were full and laughing enjoying each other in the comfort of our heated igloo. The owner never checked on us which would've been nice all things considered.
MY SUGGESTIONS: The igloo dining is honestly mismanagement of a great concept and one of this restaurants greatest attributes. Igloo dining offers customers unique ambiance and more safety in these covid times. It could EASILY be a large part of this restaurants bread & butter/appeal. However, with a menu full of lower price points, and the kitchen being out of most of the higher ticket items, it makes no sense to have an igloo reservation fee AND a food minimum. A $50 fee for the smaller igloo and $75-$100 for the bigger igloo WITHOUT a food minimum would be sufficient and fair pricing and would keep these igloos constantly booked instead of all empty. I also think that the establishment should work on better staff communication (the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing despite this being a smaller establishment). I also think that management/the owner should work on their conflict resolution approach to customers: simply apologizing and admitting there was a breakdown in communication, and honoring what the customer was told would have gone over better.
SUMMARY: Better customer service is needed from the owner and management, the food is good, and the igloos are amazing but are not being utilized to their fullest potential read more