The Seasider Bistro + Wine Bar + Patio — Restaurant in Powell River

Our hostess greeted us warmly and sat us where we wanted with a smile. Minimum expectations met nicely. She gave us a QR code to scan to access their menu and then placed a feature sheet menu outlining the specials of the day - then promptly pointed out 3 things that were not actually available.

A bit off-putting, especially as it was a Wednesday and we were the first customers. One of the items unavailable I was interested in so I was a bit bummed before I'd even sat down.

I don't know how, but I think finding a way to provide updated lists so that at opening all items are available would be worth the effort.

Our Server was great.

She was lively, adjusted to our stumbling and indecision, happily suggesting to come back after giving us a few more minutes, multiple times. Very patient.

The Food: I picked two items from the afore mentioned Feature Sheet; the Tom Yum Soup, which I've always been interested in, and the East Meets West Bratwurst. Essentially a German hotdog with Korean toppings. It comes with kimchi & aioli topped fries.

My wife chose the wonderful sounding Prawn, Avocado + Mango Salad and then the Truffle Parmesan Triple Cooked Fries

We received our salad and soup first as they were the only things we could decide on initially = patient server.

My wife couldn't stop praising the salad. It looked amazing and was a decent size, though $22 for a salad is on the steeper side. I can vouch that the prawns were chunky and I named them Larry, Curly, and Moe. Stars of the show and gone too soon.

The Tom Yum soup was excellent. I enjoyed it. I would get it again, though I'd wait for a cooler day. This is where air con would have helped :-).

After a protracted discussion about the merits of burgers, hot dogs, and pulled brisket poutine, I chose the hot dog. It was a near thing and had our server been using paper to record our orders instead of her mental powers, she'd probably have burned through a pad, a pen, and possibly developed a stutter.

With my decision locked in, my wife chose the truffle fries as a chaser to her salad.

Note - all food arrived with alacrity. I've been wanting to use that word for some time.

The truffle fries were great and disappeared without help from me. My hot dog looked amazing as did my kimchi and aioli covered fries. I started with the fries and they too were good. They really don't need any toppings as they stand up by themselves (metaphorically, I didn't test if they could stand on end.)

My Hot Dog was a Hot Mess. It looks amazing as you can see in the photo I attached to this review. However, upon picking it up and applying the requisite pressure to the sides, as one does with hot dogs preparatory to taking a bite, the bratwurst squirted up and the secretly hidden condiments underneath and around it, forged a path through the minimal connective tissue joining the bun halves and fell onto the plate, my shirt, and the chair.

I shoved the bratwurst back into the hug of the bun and scooped some of the escaped toppings (the ones on my plate of course) placing them on top. Then I rectified my initial mistake and grasped the hot dog with both hands like it was a goose's neck and I was trying to keep it from biting my face. Then instead of bringing the hotdog to me, I went to it.

This was the correct decision. My mouth isn't small, but it isn't a muppet's hinged face hole either. I managed to take a decent bite, once more spilling toppings and condiments over my strangling hands and onto the plate.

It was pretty tasty.

I finished it with a knife and fork.

So there's my quick tip for you. Buy the East Meets West Bratwurst - but eat it in the middle of your plate.

This brings me to the napkins, which I'd forgotten about until now.

BEST napkins ever. They are paper but feel and look and act like fabric. They saved my chair, my shirt, my hands, and my face. I just...

To start, this restaurant has a great location, the best patio, the inside is modern and sleek and they have the most talented live music and the place has an immense potential.

The isn’t the first time I’ve been disappointed here but I’ve had great times too. Admittedly I eat out far too often so I give it a pass when they’re not on the ball. Friday night was something beyond my comprehension….

We were at the restaurant for an hour and forty minutes and never did get our food because we walked out. Which is something I have never done. Our server admitted half way through being there that she forgot our order but it will be “10 minutes or so”. Now this happens and we were polite though obviously frustrated. We also had not seen our server for a long time, my drink was empty and waters were gone too and no one seemed to notice (I feel like it was 30 minutes plus). We ordered two stuffed mushroom orders because they are fantastic, along with two salads as our light side orders (I.e. the mushrooms were the bulk of our dinner). When our server brought us one order of mushrooms all alone and said this is what we have for tonight we both were silent and puzzled. When she returned to our table I clarified, will there be another order or your don’t have anymore. And I quote “that’s all the mushrooms we have left for tonight”. She offers a free dessert and that frustrated me even more because at this point I want to go home but ok fine we will wait on the salads which won’t be much longer. So 25 minutes has passed since getting the mushrooms and all we’re waiting on is salad at this point…. When our server comes out with an order of mushrooms in hand and pauses at our table to mention it will just be a minute longer for salad and continues to walk to a table that arrived an hour after us and gives them the food they don’t have anymore of that we’ve been waiting an hour and a half for. We look at each other and walk to the bar. Our server realized what she had done and followed us to the bar repeating I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry. I asked for the supervisor to explain why I’m walking out and worse that she lied to us. I said do you understand what’s been going on at our table tonight and she says she can comp our meal… we never got a meal. We had two drinks and six mushrooms. It wasn’t ready when we left either. I totally understand mistakes and I appreciate honesty if you mess up but I can’t understand why we were lied to. None of it makes sense. The manager did call me to hear what happened and I can appreciate that she cares unfortunately this was just a lot. An hour and forty minutes and you get home hungry and annoyed after a long...

Manager physically pushing at the guests. Extremely Disappointing Experience at The Seasider Bistro

Review:

I recently had a highly unpleasant experience at The Seasider Bistro, which I feel compelled to share. Our group had made a reservation for a large party, and to ensure everything was in order, a part of our group arrived at the restaurant two hours prior to the scheduled time for confirmation purposes. However, to our utter dismay, when the rest of us arrived, the manager suddenly informed us that they were unable to serve our group.

This sudden change in their stance left us feeling disheartened and frustrated, but we suggested splitting up to make it more manageable for the restaurant. Despite our willingness to accommodate their seating arrangements, the manager still insisted that they couldn't serve us. In an attempt to convey our disappointment and willingness to appreciate their service, I explained our perspective to the manager, emphasizing that they should have informed us of any issues when part of our party initially arrived.

To our astonishment, instead of trying to find a solution, the manager became increasingly confrontational. They began pushing us and even went so far as to threaten to call the police. While I had no qualms about them involving the authorities, as our reservation was clearly documented on their schedule, it was incredibly disheartening to witness such an aggressive response from the manager.

As a customer, I firmly believe that establishments should strive to find ways to accommodate guests, especially when reservations have been made. The Seasider Bistro's failure to fulfill our reservation, coupled with the manager's unprofessional behavior, has left me deeply dissatisfied. It is crucial for any business, particularly in the hospitality industry, to prioritize customer service and communication.

I sincerely hope that The Seasider Bistro takes this feedback constructively and implements measures to ensure such disappointing experiences do not occur in the future. It is my genuine belief that a proactive approach to resolving issues and prioritizing customer satisfaction will contribute to their long-term success.

In conclusion, I strongly advise potential patrons to exercise caution when considering The Seasider Bistro for their dining needs. The lack of service and the manager's unacceptable behavior marred what could have been a pleasant evening, leaving an indelible...