The way I see things, the details of the customer experience at a restaurant are best categorized into three buckets. They are (in order of importance): the food, the service, and the atmosphere.
Individual restaurants within a restaurant chain are limited as to their ability elevate the chain, as they are constrained by the chain for the food offerings and for much of the atmosphere. Great service is where they can best differentiate themselves. Individual restaurants in a chain, however, are NOT limited in their ability to disappoint.
As a restaurant chain, I slightly prefer Texas Roadhouse over the others in its peer group. But not this location. The kitchen has repeatedly demonstrated their inability to stop cooking a steak until it is way past medium rare. It's a shame, because up until a couple of years ago the were really quite adept.
Having been disappointed here before, tonight I spefically ordered "Medium Rare -- If you make a mistake, make it on the RARE side."
Nope. They hammered yet another one. Not the nice juicy tender succulence of medium rare. Instead it was dry, tough, and had that all-too-familiar mealy "wet sawdust" mouthfeel that I have learned to associate with a way-overcooked steak from this location. No juiciness. Never even any noticeable myoglobin on the plate. "Hard" medium to well done has proven to be the rule, not the exception. And I have given them way too many chances to redeem themselves.
Here is a hint for anyone in the restaurant business: When the entrees are served, offering to take one improperly prepared entree back and cook a new one is probably NOT a viable remedy. I understand why you offer that, but . . . Do you honestly think a that's a good solution, where one person has to sit there and watch everyone else eat, only to have everyone else sit around and watch him start eating after they are all done? Or are you thinking that everyone else should wait to start until the one entree is re-made, meaning only one person gets to eat his food before it goes cold? No, the only way that idea could ever really work is to remake *every* entree at the table. And you really ought to throw in a free round of drinks for the inconvenience.
But, sadly, cooking me a new steak (which clearly would NOT have been the nice one I had originally picked out) was the ONLY remedy offered. Not even a word with the manager to see what else he might do (if anything). If my waitress had at least done that, I would have left her my usual tip -- 20-25% on the FULL price (even if it was partially discounted by the manager).
I left a one-dollar tip. I did flag down and speak to the manager on my way out. Mostly to ensure that he was aware of the error, but also to confirm to myself that my server had not spoken with him previously. I told him I left a one dollar tip. I also told him the rest of her tip can come out of what I overpaid for that ruined steak.
The nearby Outback Steakhouse closed a few years ago. Their steaks used to come to the table perfect medium rare every time. Does anyone know how good the kitchen staff is at Longhorn Steakhouse, on the other side of the mall? I never cared for that chain as much, but it looks like that may become my new "local" choice. read more