The Common Man Restaurant Claremont — Hotel in Claremont

3 years ago my wife and I had a bad experience (both service and food) at the Common Man, and it took a couple of years for us to give it a try again. We enjoyed a few good experiences over the past year, but sadly we didn't even get to the food portion of dinner during our last visit.

We arrived just before 5 (we're old, what can I say), and the staff was gathered around the hostess stand. Not one of them greeted us or even smiled at us until one unhappy looking employee finally grunted 'any gluten free?', fumbled around with the menus for a while, and then mumbled for us to follow him. There was one group in the restaurant at a big table in the middle, but the restaurant was empty otherwise. Where did he seat us? In the booth right next to the table with 3 screaming kids. Hey I get it, I used to have screaming kids too, but I always hoped that the staff would be smart enough to keep people a couple tables away from us.

We asked to be moved and our gruff server said all the other tables were closed. I get it, sections are closed when it isn't busy, but you couldn't have given us a booth a couple down from that chaos? Would that have really inconvenienced the wait staff all that much?

Anyway, we asked about sitting outside (90 degrees is better than screaming kids), and he said that was ok. So we were seated at a rickety, dusty table with no umbrella and debris all around it (there was flooding recently and it is right on the river). He deposited a bottle of water (didn't bother pouring it) and left without saying a word. We watched the wait staff come and go to other tables, but never ours. After 15 minutes we got up and walked out and I don't think anyone even noticed.

Sorry Common Man, I know restaurants can't find good help these days, but your bad experience percentage is just way too high. I get great service at other establishments in the area, so perhaps it is a management issue? In any event, you've lost my business for...

I have to say that the first time I ever ordered from this place it was delicious and on point and on time. The host was delightful and there were no issues. This evening however was a complete disappointment. On my 3-hour drive North I decided to order common Man takeout so that we didn't have to cook after a long commute. The app said the order would be ready at about 5:30. We arrived promptly at 5:20 and I spoke with one of the waitresses. She went into the kitchen and checked with the kitchen staff and came out and told us it would be just a couple minutes. After sitting on the couch for 20 minutes I went up to the host (not the waitress) just to let her know that I was sitting on the couch in case she couldn't see me as I had been waiting for an order. She then informed me that the order hadn't even been placed yet and that she was putting the order in at that moment and it would be 30 minutes until the order would be ready. I asked her if she would mind checking with the kitchen as the previous waitress went into the kitchen and they told her it would just be a couple minutes I just wanted to make sure there wasn't a miscommunication. She was very helpful and had no problem going into the kitchen and asking however the other waitress then came over and confirmed that the order had not even been entered yet. She promptly refunded me for my order which I appreciate. I did ask her in the future to please ensure she checked her system before telling customers that it would just be a couple minutes as many people would rather have the truth than assume their food would only take a couple minutes only to find out it would be over an hour since the order was submitted. I understand in these times it is hard to find good help and that everybody is understaffed. But a little honesty goes a long way. It probably also wouldn't hurt for them to update their app to account for...

The Common Man space and staff exceeded our expectations for our wedding day! Kristie, Tessa, and Katie helped us manage every detail - they offered up helpful suggestions, were extremely responsive throughout the planning process, accommodated our special requests, were transparent/clear about pricing/costs, and did a great job reducing planning stress at every turn. During the event, all of the event and hotel staff were extremely accommodating. Our reception was in the Ballroom, and our ceremony was in the Woven Label room. The event team helped us decorate and clean up, and the wedding day was perfect. Everything was ready and exactly how we discussed, the space was beautiful, our guests loved the waterfalls, and the staff was attentive and timely throughout the event. The food was A+, our guests loved it, and we were able to do a buffet and played vegetarian option. We were even able to do a late night snack - cheeseburger sliders were served at 10:30, which was a huge hit! The bridal party got ready in the Terrace Suite, and the hotel team helped us immensely - they provided extra tables/chairs for our hairdressers to use, constantly checked in to provide extra towels, etc, and Kristie even helped us organize a lunch delivery, which arrived right on time. Our guests LOVED the inn - they're still talking about how great it was that everyone could stay on site and how nice the rooms were. Overall it was a truly wonderful experience and we are so grateful to the Common Man team for making our wedding...