Malpeque Oyster Barn — Restaurant in Malpeque

If I could give zero stars, I would. This was the worst customer service experience of my life. I made a phone reservation for 11 people, and when we arrived, they informed us that we would be seated at three separate tables. Since we had all travelled a long way to eat here and don’t get to see each other often, we asked if we could move the three tables together (there was more than enough space). They responded that they couldn’t do that, saying that tables of that size become too loud and disruptive.

At first, I left it alone but went back to ask again because it didn’t make sense to me. There was plenty of space to put the tables together, and our getting up to move between tables throughout the meal would clearly have been more disruptive. When I asked again, I was met by an extremely rude server behind the bar. Her response was a flat-out “No. We already told you we’re not doing that.” To say I was taken aback is an understatement. She quickly became argumentative and defensive.

I was told that if we didn’t like the layout, we didn’t have to eat there. This is when things escalated. Rather than trying to de-escalate the situation, she gave attitude to me and my family. At one point, I asked, “How are you okay speaking to me like this? I’m a patron.” She responded, “So am I.” She went on to say that it is their policy to inform guests over the phone that large groups cannot sit together. I was not informed of this policy. If I had known that my family would be spread out across three tables, I would have chosen another restaurant that could accommodate us.

When I asked to speak to the manager, I was met by the owner. Instead of apologizing for my experience and how my family was treated, I was met with the same defensive tone and was again informed of their policy (which, again, was not communicated to me). I should note that all of this happened before we ordered any food. We had put in an order for water and drinks for the kids, but they hadn’t yet arrived. Not only did we no longer want to spend our money there, but we felt discriminated against and singled out. There was no apology and no attempt to improve our experience. Rather than doing everything they could to come to a resolution, they yelled at us, making a scene in front of the rest of the diners.

We promptly left the restaurant and went down the road to "Ship to Shore," which was happy to receive and accommodate us at the last minute, even without a reservation. I will NEVER go back to the Malpeque Oyster Barn. If this is how they treat their customers, I can only imagine the type of culture the owners have created. What a terrible stain on our peaceful...

Groups of six or more beware!

Worst customer service of my life. I worked in restaurants for many years, and cannot imagine ever speaking to a guest the way multiple employees spoke to members of our family tonight.

We were a party of 11, made a reservation and showed up on time. We were the first to arrive, and were told we'd be seated at three different tables. This was not discussed when the reservation was made. On arrival, my husband asked if we could put the three tables together, and he was immediately told no, that it was their policy not to do that and we would have been told on the phone when making the reservation (again, that did not happen).

The staff told us that their policy is to keep tables separate because large tables get too loud and disruptive, and it messes with the flow of the dining room. We left it alone, but within two minutes of this, the staff members behind the bar broke out into extremely loud laughter and conversation that could be heard by all. Quite disruptive.

When the rest of the party arrived, we struggled to separate as there were four different families to be split into three tables (along with a baby in a highchair). My husband and brother both asked again if we could move the tables, even suggesting where we could put the tables together. A woman then responded, rather loudly, that no, they would not be doing that because these are their rules and it's just how they operate. She repeated that this would have been mentioned at the time of booking the reservation, didn't care that we were not told, and proceeded to say that the kitchen can't handle more than six orders at a time. We said we could order our food staggered to not overwhelm them. Still no.

This is where things got heated, as she was still speaking very loudly, cutting them off, and simply shutting everything they said down. When we said that we might have to find somewhere else to dine tonight, her response was "go ahead." Never in my life have I heard someone in hospitality say that to a guest.

I wish we had gotten the name of the people working there tonight, but unfortunately this isn't even entirely their fault, as this obviously reflects poor management and a clear lack of training in proper customer service.

We promptly left and went to a restaurant five minutes away that welcomed our large group with open arms, having a table arranged for us when we arrived.

I could never recommend this...

We had a reservation that we made a week ago for 11 people and left before we even ordered drinks. They set us up at 3 different tables without notifying us that we would be separated. When we asked to move the tables together (there was plenty of space), we were given a terrible defensive attitude in return. They told us we should have been informed at the time of reservation, but we were not. They made no effort to try to rectify the situation. I've worked in hospitality for over 10 years, and never have I seen such bad customer service. Our tables would have been almost half of the restaurant's capacity and they wouldn't accommodate our simple request. The rude lady said it was against their policy, saying the kitchen can't handle orders of a table of 6 or more at a time, so we offered to order separately as if we were sitting at different tables. The other excuse given was that the long table would be disruptive and loud, as if 11 people getting up to go speak to one another and switching seats to have conversations wouldn't be more disruptive... There was no reasoning with these rude people. We travelled from afar and just wanted to enjoy each other's company by sitting as a group. I can't imagine what a toxic environment it is working there if you treat customers this way. There is clearly a lack of training or exemplary customer service from owners and managers. This is basic hospitality and it's inexcusable in a tourism centric area. I do not recommend this...