Flashback Breakfast & Lunch | Barrie — Restaurant in Barrie

Horrible experience. I ordered ahead and was told I could dine in depending on table availability when I arrive. There was a long line for the tables and no one seated at the bar. I asked an employee if I can wait for my food and eat at the bar and she said yeah.

Shortly after an old miserable dragon lady came at me shouting “ you’re not going to be able to eat at the bar.” I said that another employee just said I could and I asked why not. Instead of making an exception because I was already told I could, and because there was no reason for the “policy,” The lady lost it on me, saying no one’s allowed to eat at the bar.

She said there’s a lineup for tables, you’ll have to wait in line. I said the lineup is for tables and I had no issue with taking out. I just noticed there’s a bar there and clearly none of the families waiting for tables wanted to sit at the bar with four stools. It was a big embarrassment in front of everyone so I made it an even bigger embarrassment and asked all the families if any of them wanted to sit at the bar. None of them put up their hand. The lady had no valid reason for losing a customer and getting another 1 star review.

If I wasn’t told I could sit there, I would’ve taken my food to go, but because the manager was rude and another employee said that I could sit at the bar, I was very disappointed. I told her to enjoy my pancakes as I was leaving. She said “we will!”

I later called back and asked to speak to the owner. An Indian guy came on the phone and repeated all the same jumble of reasons. I asked him why the rule against anyone sitting at the bar was more important than customer service. He kept changing his arguments and had no specific arguments for why I couldn’t just sit at the bar after I was already seated and told I could. When he ran out of excuses, instead of apologizing, telling me to go back to get my pancakes at a reasonable discount, he said he was going to hang up on me because I had nothing better to do with my time than argue. Then he hung up.

How’s that for a relaxing morning pancakes and coffee and first time experience at a diner? Of course it’s always more enjoyable being single and alone going into these places with...

I used to frequent this restaurant but had a very undersirable experience with a long-time waitress Darlene because she felt I didn't leave a suitable tip and decided it was okay to try to publicly shame me loudly in the restaurant. I have avoided the restaurant since but after several months went back this morning in an attempt to hopefully get past the one bad experience. Unfortunately it was horrific. The waitress Darlene ended up being our waitress and was volatile and disgusting right from the entry to the restaurant. She didn't even ask what we wanted to order she showed up to take our order by standing there and expected us to speak, dropped the coffees messily on the table and never came back to the table. I had to ask the bus girl multiple times for service it wasn't until I mentioned to the bus girl. I need my bill and said loudly within the other waitresses ear shot that clearly there's an issue with this waitress. Please get our bill so we can leave that she came to the table and actually showed some fake civility. This woman made every attempt to disrupt our morning. We pay for the food in the restaurant first and foremost and the basic service. It is disgusting to be treated like that and this entitlement to high tips because they deem themselves Worthy is wrong. It will not come as a surprise that we did not tip her in this situation....

My partner's breakfast was very good! Large "Canadian Breakfast", with every element well done, good home fries, sausages, bacon and pancakes. My main beef with the place was that Google Maps suggested it was similar to one of my favorites, Cora, and it was just the opposite! I mostly avoid sugar and only rarely eat white flour but I was feeling like half a waffle was the right choice for today. I saw the fruit salad from another table and decided not to order it because it was basically green and yellow melons with little else, but the other choices were preserves with clearly a lot of artificial coloring, the whipped cream didn't look like real food, and neither did the syrup. In all fairness, they don't claim their food isn't processed, so it's caveat emptor. The servers are obviously having a very good time at their workplace which is great, but it was one of those places where you feel you are interrupting. We also had an interesting situation with coffee (I ordered decaf), the lady came to offer both of us a refill and I mentioned I wanted decaf, and she said "this is decaf", which made us wonder why she was then offering it to both of us?? Anyway, probably won't come back. But the savory part of the breakfast was indeed good, and they cooked the eggs in a way my Autie partner likes them. Cute...