This is a difficult review, but here we go. 50 years I've been going to this track, since I was a kid. I have family members who were staples at this track and went frequently. The track staff are friendly and fast with helping you and no complaints about them at all. They closed a gate recently and come out as you approach to tell you to use the other entrance about a football field away, but for some reason do not post a simple sign stating that to keep you from parking and walking up only to be turned around, wasting your time. Not sure who designed their parking lot, but it is a dangerous mess for a place offering alcohol. A scary nightmare driving thru the lot hoping someone doesn't hit you or you hit them or a hydrant. The vendors... oh boy! After walking all over getting your program and placing bets, finding a seat somewhere, you get thirsty, enjoy that $4.51 CAN of soda (sign is priced at $3, please explain that tax for me again) or the $8 pretzel (didnt get one, but based on the soda, after tax has to be $12)... They were not making enough money so they added a casino. Feels a little like McDonald's selling jello or pork chops just to get more of your $$$. I'm not an avid gambler so I don't go very often, mostly go for the nostalgia of days gone by with my father and uncle and thousands of dollars they spent and enjoying every minute of it all while being to drunk to grab their own butt's. Good times, I'm surprised I'm still alive today and they lived well into their 80's. This place is a paradise for people watchers, so many characters walking around, some grumbling at their loss and others smiling and laughing at the moments of a joyful win. The track is immaculate and very well cared for and with their new tickets, the floor has never looked that clean in all my memories, ever! I love this track but I am saddened by the theater style concession prices and shear greed of it. Thank you for all those memories and times of joy and sadness I will cherish until the my...
Read moreLet me share my Saturday Derby day at Fairmont Park, it was a very rainy day in vibration was eventually canceled. The usual kitchen has never been open anymore. The table I set up and cared with another gentleman was OK. I had one piece of pizza that I had to walk next-door to the grandstand to purchase and the pizza was OK. I later got a Chicago hotdog and paid $10 for it and it was horrible later and the day I had my form for Vermont and my daily racing farm and my insulin as on my diabetic and my diet Pepsi on my table, I also had a ticket $20 ticket for a race 14 a Dale Roman's horse number 12 I went to the restroom to pee And I came back and four gentlemen was starting to sit down at my table and they said that the young man had cleaned my table and threw everything away. I went out side, and there was a gentleman in a suit standing by the exit and I told him that I had a complaint. I told him all about it. He asked me if he could get me another diet Pepsi and I said no it turned out to be a horrible day even driving over there from Missouri was horrible 12 to 15 miles of interstate 255 was totally closed. They detoured me through Cahokia Heights on 157 all the way to I 64 on the way home, I took black Lane and I 70 and I 55 this road has detoured down to being very bad. It turned out to be a very horrible day. I'm still sick at my stomach today from it it used to be such a nice visit at Fairmont Park. It's not anymore. I did visit the casino and the casino seems to be OK. My fond memories of Fairmount Park is all I have left because Derby day was horrible. There was A lot of nice people there to speak to and visit with. My stomach is still...
Read moreWe were there this last Friday and experienced some horrific customer service from the bar manager during party in the park. They had been serving all bottle beers for $2 until a little later we went back and to get another round. Suddenly he was lecturing his bartender that Miller and AB beers were different costs by almost double, and actually they didn't even sell Miller during that event because it was sponsored by AB. The bartender was as confused as we were and finally told him " you never trained me on any of this!". To which he got out all the AB beer and slammed one of each on the bar and said " it's not rocket science". I told him I didn't understand why he was being so rude to her in front of customers. He claimed he was not being rude, and a group of 5 of us reiterated to him how awful he was treating his staff. At this point he started screaming at 5 of us and threatened to kick us out and leave the event we paid $13 to enter for some cheap appetizers.
I find it odd that a place like Fairmount racetrack which is known to be struggling to stay relevant and profitable would have such poor customer service and hostile bar mangers when their upper management is trying to stay open and get customers. I sincerely hope this manager is reprimanded and apologizes to his staff for what was clearly obvious not his first time blasting staff in public. Hope things change here but we will probably...
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