TLDR: server begging for tips, aggressively bussing tables, scamming my mom out of money, terrible service

(This happened in the summer to be fair but its SO bad that and still makes me mad I just had to leave a review incase those same employees are still there)

My mother and her friend had lunch here and I later find out that their server added an 18% auto gratuity to the check EACH, and never said a word, so they tipped on-top of that too. I only discovered it through her receipt.

I complained and it was confirmed this was not supposed to be done, so was given a $100 gift card to return. This time I came with my mother; and wow- horrifying service.

I'll leave the worst for last- seems so small in comparison but we had to ask them for the champagne they were offering at the entrance 3 times before someone finally came and served us.

They were aggressively bussing our table to the point they would be trying to collect glasses that were still a quarter full, and plates that still had food on them. It was really uncomfortable.

The worst part- So there were no tables available so we decided to have an appetizer and a drink at the bar while we waited for our table to have our meal. Have done that at places like The Keg, with a seamless experience.

After a drink and an app, our table is ready. I am then prompted to settle up at the bar. I questioned this because I wasn't expecting it, and she said she can't just add it to my total bill at the end of my meal. She refused.

So I agree and I give her my gift card. She didn't seem happy about this, and she asked me if I'd like to leave a tip. I was not ready to tip yet, I wasn't even ready to pay yet, I hesitated because I didn't really want to tip twice, and to be honest I didn't like her service so I didn't want to tip.

Once I hesitated for a moment, she launched into this explanation about the concept of "Tip out" (which I already knew) and telling me about how servers have to rip out their back of house a certain percentage of their sales, so if I don't tip her, she'll be losing money off of me.

To say I was horrified would be an understatement. I'm not sure if it's because we're of a similar age that she felt comfortable with this, but it was the most unprofessional, tacky thing I have ever experienced.

After my continued hesitation, she relented and agreed to transfer my total bill to the servers section I'd be seated at for my meal. We still had food and drinks and they didn't bring up my food from the bar. Sigh.

I then explained this all to the server (left her a $20 tip.) and I actually spoke to the manager on the spot. She gave us a free dessert and apologized, nothing was comped because we were already paying with a gift card that we got because my mother was literally scammed by a server here last time LOL.

The manager confident stated that we'll be back. But we never did go back. Even writing it out makes me realize how AWFUL that was. It ruined our afternoon. I didn't feel like it was handled as it should be. I think she should've been fired for that. She was a very young, thin blonde girl working behind the bar.

Just terrible staff, I don't know how they get away with it with their jobs in tact.