Simcoe Restobar & Lounge — Restaurant in Oshawa

Five ladies out for dinner & drinks, and thought we would check out the grand opening.

We were the only customers in the place.

The waitress was brand new had never done the job before or so it seemed and there. There was another girl who is also brand new, trying to assist her and the two of them were fumbling through everything.

So my gf and I ordered Caesars and it took everybody the five of us at least 30 minutes to get our drink orders in when we got our Caesars. I took one sip and I went. Oh that’s sweet, my friend tried it she couldn’t drink it and we noticed they didn’t know how to make a Caesar because they were looking it up online.

Anyways, we found out that they use sprite in the Caesar didn’t know how to make a wine spritzer for one of the other ladies and they brought it in this huge piña colada glass, they charged her eight dollars for the wine and three dollars for the club soda and we told them how to make a spritzer.

Waited well over an hour for our food. It was ok.

The waitress was she was sweet she kept is everything OK and kept apologizing, but there was nobody mentoring her or helping her learn the ropes.

When it came time to settle up our bill, that probably took a good 30 minutes and they screwed up one bill in the end and wanted to pay by credit card and the girl rang it in his cash and said oh I’m sorry I can’t change this and was told her you need to go find your boss-and get this sorted .

The man on the premises came out and just like can’t do anything about it and that’s when a few ladies told him he was rude and he refused to take any accountability for leaving this poor girl alone to fend for herself or provide us with an apology and zero customer service skills.

He wouldn't make eye contact with any of us. It was a comedy of errors from beginning to end.

Not to mention, bringing us one bill at a time instead of all five of them at once....

The ONLY good thing about this place was their chairs!

Two more things, the lights were way too bright and the music was a radio station and the commercials were deafening

She’s probably gonna get fired and it was not her fault, we all felt for her, she did her best.

We would have liked to talk to the owner and have him respond to us, but because that wasn't happening, hence, the Google review instead

If you plan to go ask if they have their Smart Serve

Yes, establishments in Ontario must have Smart Serve certifications to serve alcohol. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) requires this certification to ensure that staff are trained to sell

Any person involved in sale, service, sampling, delivery, or in taking orders for the sale of liquor must hold valid certification demonstrating the successful completion of a training course approved by the Board of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of...

Abysmal experience due to deplorable service and food that isn't as described in the menu. We arrived as a party of ten, with reservations, at 6:00 and we were the only table seated at the time. Placing order for drinks and apps took a while because the waitress kept running back to the bar to input our orders. I asked to see the cocktail menu but was told they didn't have one which I found surprising since it this is a 'restobar'. I then asked for a fruity cocktail and was offered a rum and coke! Drinks were served pretty quickly but we asked for water for the table which didn't arrive until 7:00 which was when we finally got to place our meal orders and the apps were long gone! After we placed our meal orders, three members of our group received their food by 7:30. The next two meals (lobster mac and cheese which was strangely lacking cheese) came about 15 minutes later. The final five meals came one by one between 8:00 and 8:45. Three of the orders were for fish and chips, which all came out at different times, and were not hot and tasted bland. The quesadillas should have been described as a wrap since none of the vegetables were cooked, were cut into huge chunks, and the cheese was not melted, nor was the dish hot. It did not come with salsa or sour cream. The wait staff told us around 8:00 that because our food was delayed, we would receive a 15% discount on our meals, so we decided then to go ahead with the order instead of canceling. When one of our party members asked at 8:30 when the final fish and chips would be arriving, the waitress yelled at her. When we received the bill, we were told that we would be getting a coupon for our next visit, not the promised 15% discount, and that we should have canceled our order if the delay was an issue! We were trying to be patient since we could see they were clearly understaffed and in the end, the manager made it sound like it was our fault that we weren't being discounted. The manager, who is the daughter of the owner, told us that we couldn't speak to him, even though he was in the (now quiet) kitchen. No one in our party will be returning but honouring the 15% discount on our meals could have changed our minds and left a more favourable impression of this establishment. It's pretty standard in the industry that when there are delays with food orders, the meal is comped or discounted. Instead of having a massive menu that the cooks clearly can't handle (and FYI the menu online is even bigger!), keep it simple and maybe your kitchen can handle an influx of guests. Also, buy warm LED bulbs that can be dimmed. Most people enjoy eating their meal without the feeling of being in an operating or...

I went on a Wednesday night, and I cannot believe that I and my friend were the only ones in the place for over 2 hours. They had a bartender who was very nice, but the drinks were too expensive for the quality of product. When we left after 8 pm, only 1 other person had come in.

I think the new renovation is great, But what is the use if nobody's there? Where are the nightly specials? Happy hour? Weeknight entertainment? This place has great potential to be a popular place in Oshawa. It used to be great a few years back. Great dance bands (The Bomb), good jazz, open mic nights. Why can't it do the same now? The bar was busy only 2 years ago. Why are all the other bars that are not renovated and have the same old customers busier with more revenue on a weeknight than this place is? Why? Regulars that's why. This isn't isn't Toronto, but Oshawa needs some class with great value and fun. Bring back good bands, special price nights on food and drink, and events that appeal to all tastes of Oshawa bar patrons, the new and old! It will bring in customers. The decor will...