I’d like to speak with the manager!!!

Today in a nut shell. 

We closed the patio today. 

But it’s not raining they all said.  

Yes, but at 4:00 it was 60 degrees.  And dropping quickly.  Who had using the heat in your car on June 18 as a thing.  

I’ve mentioned this before, but we close the patio when it’s cold, not because the guests will be cold but because if you spend 60 bucks on a steak, you don’t want YOUR steak to be cold 90 seconds after it’s put in front of you.  And especially your mashed potatoes.  

The patio was closed. 

At 4:20 the host takes a call.  She listens for about 2 minutes and hands me the phone.  

The woman on the other end of the phone IS pissed.

Super pissed.

She booked 3 weeks ago.  She asked then if the patio would be open.  She was told yes.

She called 5 days ago to see if the patio would be open.  She was told yes.

She called yesterday and was told that the patio would be open.  

She is saying all this at me.  

It is outrageous that the patio is closed after all this planning.

We should have called her yesterday to tell her this.  Especially after telling her the patio would be open.  

She is on a tangent.  

I explain, that unfortunately, it’s not as warm as we expected so we’ve been forced to close it.

This is unacceptable. 

I am listening trying to come to a solution, but she won’t stop yelling at me.  

I try to ask what her name is, and how many in her party but she keeps on yelling at me.

Finally, she says she’s going to eviscerate us on social media.  

Please for the sake of all things…do not say this to me.

Because I promise I’ll respond in the following way:  I won’t be held hostage by a threat of a review on social media.  

And I said that, and she lost her shit.

And I said do what you have to do.

And hung up. 

She was still yelling when I hit end on the cordless phone.

So far, no message.  

But it was not a fun way to start the night.  

Fast forward 60 minutes and I’m called to table 25.  

As I walk toward the table, I realize I know them.  

I greet the table and shake hands with the man at the table.

He says to me, I hear you were playing (I don’t remember what action hero he called me) but he was referring to Friday night.

A friend of mine, drives for him as he owns a car service in town.

We then spent about 10 minutes comparing horror stories, with him telling me that once he left a passenger at a restaurant that is even more remote than hours after the guy was a complete ass.  

We all chatted, until the host interrupted to tell me I was needed at table G9.

Uh. OH.

I knew about this table. 

It is a two top.  

They each sent their steak back 2 times.  

I get to the table and have the following exchange.

We made our reservation weeks ago and you’ve sat us at the worst table.  

Uh.  You made your reservation Friday night.  And that is why you are sitting here.

It’s also not the worst table.  It’s really not.

But I reply, I’m sorry to hear that you feel that way.  Lots of people enjoying sitting here.

He tells me it’s ridiculous that they are by the wait station.  

Fun fact.  There is a wait station in every restaurant.  And what make that a bad table.  Only 2 servers are using it, they are both quiet people.

It’s ridiculous that they are seated near an exit door.

Sorry, sir.  Every restaurant has exits.  And most have tables that are there.  

And I’m seated next to an old lawn mower.

Actually, it’s a vintage scooter that chef has owned for years and has been in the restaurant since we opened.  Most people take picture with it, instead of complaining that it’s a lawn mower.  

He goes on.  

This meal was terrible.

We had to send our steaks back twice.  Because it was cold and undercooked.  

Well sir, you ordered your steak medium rare.  Which is supposed to have a cool red center, AND steak is not meant to be eaten hot.  It’s allowed to rest before it is served.  

It was undercooked both time.

Sir, I’m sorry to hear that.

It also did not have a good flavor.  In fact, I could have gotten a better steak at Longhorn for half the money.

I’m sorry you feel that way sir.

Yes, the French fries were the only good thing about the meal.

Yes, our fries are indeed quite good.  

I will say, the service was great.  I’m not complaining about the service.  

Thank you, sir.

We are here to celebrate father’s day and in my opinion this is the worst dining experience I have ever had in all of my 70 years.  

I should say, I’m getting annoyed, because they were perfectly fine with the table, until we sat a party of 9 with 5 horrible children next to him.  

The conversation is also, not nearly as calm as I’ve written it.  He’s is pissed, and I’m having a hard time with it, because our food is second to none.  Our décor is second to none.  

And when he said, in 70 years I’ve never had a worse dining experience, I might have said, well sir then I’d suggest you eat out more.  

I know, I know, I know.

I shouldn’t have, but I did.

He is clearly looking for something for free.

However, his plate is clean. 

I ask if I can take his plate.  He says yes.

His wife asks for a to go box.  

If it’s so bad why are you taking it with you.  

I leave.  

I go back to table 25 and tell them it’s their fault this just happened.

90 minutes later they post a review on a page called Lyman:  The happening.  

The review:

Website is utterly deceiving.  Zero ambience.  Nothing special as far as the steak.  A sports bar that caters to large parties.  Waitstaff is top notch.  Even with a reservation at opening time, we were given the wort table in the house, the hallway next to the service door, which also served as the server station and the outside door.  Manager visited our table after multipe requests.  Told him that this was my worst restaurant experience in 70 years of life and he told me I “needed to eat out more.”

Steak entrees had to be sent back TWICE.  Undercooked both times.  Ordered medium rare.  Both times we received the same cut of meat.  After second refire they didn’t even bother with the garnish.  I’ve had better steak at Longhorn for a whole lot less $. 

Save your hard earned $.  Lots of better places out there. 

As I’ve already said.

The summer people are here.