This past Saturday, my friend, my daughter, and I decided to try Lounge 1888 for lunch while we…read morewere shopping. I called ahead to ask if 16-year-olds were allowed, and the gentleman who answered was pleasant and helpful. Unfortunately, the experience after we arrived was very different.
The parking staff was friendly, and the restaurant validated parking. When we entered, we waited at the host stand for the couple ahead of us to be helped. After they were assisted, the host took a phone call. We waited for him to finish, and then he began using his tablet while we stood there waiting. After my friend commented about the wait, he finally asked if we needed help. He had apparently thought we were with the couple before us.
We told him we wanted a table. He rudely asked if we had a reservation. We said no because we were not aware reservations were required. He told us that without a reservation, we would have to sit outside. He then moved tables from a shaded area into direct sunlight where there were no umbrellas. I asked if he could move the table back into the shade because we did not want to sit in direct sunlight. He seemed irritated and initially looked like he might walk away, but eventually moved the table back.
We sat down and waited for our server. She greeted us quickly, so we thought things would improve. Unfortunately, they did not.
We ordered food, drinks, and two flights of mimosas. We waited over an hour with empty water glasses and no food. The server would occasionally come by and blame the delay on the bartender or kitchen. Meanwhile, we could see other tables receiving their food.
When our food finally arrived, it was brought by other staff members, and we still had not received the two flights. The food was cold, as if it had never been properly heated. We flagged down the server and asked her to cancel the drinks because we wanted to leave. We also told her the food was cold. After another explanation, we asked to speak with the manager.
The manager was pleasant and genuinely tried to fix the situation. We explained everything, including the long wait, cold food, and missing drinks. He offered us an appetizer and brought out spicy tuna wonton cups. They were not spicy, and only I tried them because my friend and daughter did not find them appealing.
He also brought the two flights of mimosas. One was served in the signature glasses, while the other was served in a medium-sized shot glass. My friend said she could taste the alcohol in hers, but I did not taste or feel any alcohol in mine. I rarely drink, so I would have noticed. It honestly seemed like my flight contained little to no alcohol.
The replacement food eventually arrived. It was still not hot, only lukewarm, but it was more edible than the first order.
We barely saw our server after that. As we were preparing to order dessert, we waited again. When she finally came, she brought the receipt. We asked for the bread pudding, but she returned and said it was too late to order it. A good server would have let us know that the brunch special or kitchen service was ending soon and given us an opportunity to order dessert.
We arrived around 2:00 p.m. and did not leave until approximately 4:50 p.m.--nearly three hours for lunch.
I am giving Lounge 1888 three stars mainly because the manager had a great personality and made an effort to correct the situation. I appreciated his professionalism and willingness to listen.
However, the cold food, lukewarm replacement food, questionable mimosa flight, long wait, and poor service made it difficult to give a higher rating.
I understand the restaurant may be newly opened and may still be experiencing growing pains. Hopefully, things improve with better staffing, training, and communication between the kitchen and servers. A food runner could also help.
Most importantly, the host is the first point of contact and sets the tone for the entire experience. Unfortunately, our interaction with him started the visit on a negative note.
I am sharing this as constructive feedback. The manager showed that he cared about the customer experience, and hopefully the restaurant uses this feedback to improve..