Sola's Grill — Restaurant in South Bruce Peninsula

From reading the reviews on here, it seems most people have had an enjoyable visit. I've tried the location twice and can't say the same. Both my visits were nearly identical experiences so I'll share my last one: It was Canada Day weekend and the bar was quite busy. We (there were 4 of us) saw an opening at the TIKI bar outside on the patio. We stood at the bar and waited. We watched as numerous servers/bartenders walked behind the TIKI bar and never acknowledged us. When a table opened up we attempted to move from the TIKI bar to the table but were told the table was spoken for. Unfortunately the waitress who told us this was unaware that we had been there standing at the TIKI bar longer than the couple who was waiting for a table. I told the waitress we had been there at the bar for 10-15 minutes and had not even been acknowledged. Her response was very unapologetic and even a bit condescending. We just decided to leave. Now, I am fully aware of how busy it can be around Canada Day and I am even completely fine with waiting for drinks several minutes because of this. What I can not tolerate is not even being acknowledged. We actually had servers and bartenders look directly at us and not say a word. We were ignored while a bartender helped local customers sitting next to us without saying a word to us. Here's a bit of advice: When it's very busy, train your staff to simply smile and say "I'm working on getting to you guys - sorry I'm really busy". If we would have just been acknowledged EITHER of the times we went here I would have no complaints because I can understand being busy. I just can NOT understand handling a situation by ignoring it. Long story short is that I would not recommend trying to get a drink at the TIKI bar if they are busy. You'll be thirsty for...

I was wavering between a 3 or 4 🌟because my meal was tasty with pricey drinks. My partner was caught between a 2 or 3 🌟 because his pizza was lacking sauce, but service was good. We compromised and settled on 3 for this review. The atmosphere is nice though the inside feels a bit dingy compared to the scenic ocean view inside. The location is convenient and close to the main strip and beach. The food was decent and the drinks (although quite expensive) were very very yummy. However, I'm very confused to read a comment from the owner that they don't take reservations. I came here with my partner this past Monday, saw an open 4 seater table out on the patio, but we were told there was only bar seating or indoor available. I figured that the empty outdoor table was reserved. We were seated inside (at another 4 seater) and enjoyed our meal. But we very much would have preferred the table outside, as inside there were 2 large groups of 8+ people with noisy kids. If there are no reservations, why were we seated at a table of equal size inside while the outdoor table was given to another small group who arrived after us? It doesn't seem fair, and it certainly is something the owner should be looking into if it's happening to multiple guests. 2 🌟.

Edit: As stated in my review, we were offered a seat inside or at the bar. There was NO ONE waiting at the bar when the table was empty outside, but we were seated inside. So really, since no one was waiting at the bar, we should have been the front of the line, so to speak, and should have been given that table. The owners response...

This patio has a fantastic view of the beach and Lake Huron. The servers are friendly and efficient. The food is standard grill house fare. The reason for two stars comes from a management policy regarding fountain drinks. At $3.50 a pop, you’d think they’re making plenty of profit, eh!? Well, the soda water ordered came in a plastic, non reusable cup, was 2/3 filled with ice and about 3 ounces of drink. I asked the server for a “refill” when the first drink was emptied in two gulps. She happily brought another plastic cup filled with ice and a little soda water. Once again, that was gone in a couple of gulps so asked for another refill. Same story as number two. We were eating and drinking for over an hour so it wasn’t excessive or abusive to request two refills. Here’s the kicker… the bill comes and we were charged for THREE cups of ice with a little carbonated water in each. Total $10.50 plus tax and tip! Having worked in various restaurants for over 10 years, I’ve never heard of a management policy that charges the only non alcohol drinker at the table for each cup of fountain drink. What’s worse is that our server never once mentioned the charge when I specifically asked for a refill, nor does the menu state “no free refills”. After asking why this was not mentioned, our server stated that it was management policy. Way to go Sola. You’ve definitely lost...