Harvey's — Restaurant in Guelph

Went there tonight. 3 Kids were hungry after our errands despite already eating dinner and it being close to bed. Decided on a treat for them since I just didn't have the energy to cook a full meal lol. I don't remember the last time we ordered fast food to be honest. So, they were excited!

We waited too long I suppose to decide and lobby was closed; the drive thru was empty until we went through but... A single car went in before us. Not a long lineup and otherwise was fairly empty!! We had waited about 10 minutes in the parking lot first because I was fixing my scene points and didn't see anyone lock the doors so... I wonder when it was actually closed. And no one came in drive thru while I was waiting. I chose Harvey's exclusively because of my scene points. Can't justify spending money on take out very often. Lol

Very abrupt language in drive thru. Not very cheerful or friendly - I've worked management for fast food for many years in the past ... So, I try not to be overly critical but I do tend to notice more. I tried asking for a few moments and felt like I had to quickly order. Every item made it seem like it was annoying when I was adding my next items on. I tried to be friendly on the other end - mindful of any drive thru times but was faced with similar rigidness. I decided not to worry about it much because I knew my order would be pretty much free with my points. So, I let them indulge.

You could tell the drive thru attendants were impatient and unimpressed. They still had 4 hours until close so... There should be no reason they're impatient to have me rush other than drive thru time.... I get to the window and tell them I was going to pay with my scene points and they made it seem like I should've known their system was down until Monday. I tried to get clarification and explain that my circumstance was that I wouldn't have ordered my meal under the pretense that the points would have it paid for. I asked if there was any signage I missed and how it should've been posted if clearly they were aware. She quickly dismissed me.

Not impressed. $40 later -. - for money I wouldn't have normally spent. Then, I thought maaaaybe they might have comped something or added some pies or SOMETHING as an I'm sorry for the inconvenience or misunderstanding .. Nope. Chicken burger wasn't fresh but... It was OKAY. Rest of the food was decent. Onion rings were nice and crispy fresh though!!!

Overall. 3/5 for food quality. Customer Service 1/5 Speed 3/5

Next time, I would've preferred going to Chuck's roadhouse for kids meals in the neighbouring plaza. Better pricing. Better quality. And roughly the same time waiting. ...

Typical good Harvey's food for the most part. However, our most recent experience was odd... We received onion rings in November 2024 but found they were subpar to Harvey's normal quality. They were greasy, overcooked and the onion was dehydrated. So we returned them and asked for French fries since we didn't want to wait for a new batch of rings. The staff collected the current batch of fries from under the heat lamp and dropped them back into the deep fryer. I presume she was attempting to warm them up since they had been sitting around for a while. I told her this was unacceptable and I would now be waiting for a new batch of fries. Once the new batch was done she delivered them to our table and they were fine. So I hope they learned a lesson that you do not re-deep-fry food. Honestly, after that experience it may be a while before I return. The second odd experience was while they were cleaning the dining room. The room was 1/3 full of customers but they were moving chairs to get under the tables and it sounded like a heard of buffalo and wildlife were running through the restaurant. They were scraping the floor and banging so loudly that we couldn't talk at our table until the cleaning was done. It was quite loud and left me with ringing ears. Apart from that, everything was pretty typical Harvey's - which is...

I feel compelled to write a review for a gentle man that I routinely encounter during my infrequent stops at the restaurant. Tonight I learned it was Kousik's last night, and was moved by his passion and large heart.

Even with our limited interactions, Kousik's unwavering kindness and warm spirit left a lasting impression. Every time I stepped into Harvey's, his warm and kind smile always greeted me, making it my young daughter's favorite place to eat. His genuine love for customers, the restaurant, and his colleagues was evident in every interaction. The way my shy daughter lights up when she sees him speaks volumes about his impact on the world.

Tonight, it broke my heart to learn that due to immigration challenges and government policy it was Kousik's last day of work. I believe it's a profound loss. It's obvious that man is the heart and soul of this restaurant, and his departure is a disservice to all who have experienced his kindness.

Kousik, thank you for the joy, warmth, and kindness you bring...