Outrigger — Restaurant in Toronto

Exceptional Service at Outrigger – Thivekha and Ome Deserve Recognition!

Dining at Outrigger is always a memorable experience, but my recent visit was elevated to a whole new level thanks to the outstanding service provided by Thivekha, our server, and Ome, the bus boy. Their professionalism, warmth, and dedication to excellence turned an ordinary meal into an unforgettable occasion.

From the moment we were seated, Thivekha made us feel welcome with her radiant smile and genuine enthusiasm. She had an uncanny ability to anticipate our needs before we even voiced them, ensuring that our table was impeccably cared for throughout the entire meal. Her attention to detail was impeccable—she ensured our drinks were always refilled without prompting, explained the menu with remarkable knowledge, and even suggested dishes that turned out to be absolute delights. Her passion for hospitality truly shines, and it was clear that she genuinely enjoys making guests feel special.

What really stood out about Thivekha was her ability to connect with everyone at our table on a personal level. She engaged us in pleasant conversation, was attentive to our preferences, and even accommodated special dietary requests seamlessly. This level of attentiveness, combined with her warm demeanour, is a rare find in the service industry, and I cannot praise her enough for her efforts.

Equally deserving of recognition is Ome, the bus boy, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that our dining experience was flawless. Often, the contributions of bus boys go unnoticed, but Ome’s efficiency and quiet dedication were impossible to overlook. He was incredibly swift at clearing plates without disrupting our conversation and ensured that our table remained spotless throughout the meal. His eye for detail and commitment to maintaining a polished and comfortable dining space were truly commendable.

Beyond his technical skills, Ome exuded an air of professionalism and pride in his work. It was refreshing to see someone so young exhibit such a strong work ethic and positive attitude. He moved with purpose and precision, contributing immensely to the overall smooth flow of our dining experience.

The synergy between Thivekha and Ome was also noteworthy. They worked seamlessly as a team, communicating effectively to ensure that every aspect of our dining experience was executed perfectly. Their combined efforts created an atmosphere of harmony and hospitality that made us feel valued as guests.

Outrigger is fortunate to have such exceptional individuals as part of its team. Thivekha and Ome embody the gold standard of customer service and are a testament to what makes Outrigger such a fantastic establishment. Their hard work, attention to detail, and genuine care for guests go above and beyond expectations. I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough, thanks in large part to the exemplary service provided by these two outstanding team members.

If you’re visiting Outrigger, I sincerely hope you have the privilege of being served by Thivekha and seeing Ome in action. They turned our meal into a five-star experience, and I look forward to returning soon. Outrigger, please celebrate these two incredible individuals—they deserve all the recognition...

It pains me to write this review after going to this place for the better half of 7 years, however my last 3 experiences have been awful. The first time I figured it could have been an off day, but after 3 attempts and the same lack lustre service and food, I feel compelled to share.

1st time lunch - service was insanely slow, it was a Wednesday mid week on the patio of which there were 3 total tables (ours included). We proceeded to order a Cobb Salad and the Avocado Salmon. After our order it took 21 minutes before our drink ordered arrive a few inquiries as to where they are. When the drinks arrived the Rye and Diet coke had flat diet coke and tasted like swamp water. We sent it back to which they provided a new one with was normal tasting and pop with fiz. The food then came out 19 minutes later (40 minutes after food order) to which the Cobb Salad was incorrect and the Avocado Salmon came out as maple salmon - so we then had to wait again for the food. After all of this, the management oddly enough offered no compensation of any kind and tried to charge for 2 rye and diet drinks when the first one was sent back because it was flat. Over all terrible.

2nd time: Turkey Avocado club sandwich was ordered with a salad and the open face lobster grilled cheese - of which the sandwich came out with fries and both meals were cold to the point the Lobster Grilled chees wasn't eaten. We did get an apology from the staff on the meals and an offer to replace the lobster sandwich however at this point my wife's appetite to have that meal replaced was lost and I was already done my meal. When the bill arrived we were indeed expected to pay for the whole meal as nothing was compensated.

3rd time which was this week: server was rude, dismissive and snappy from the start which clearly set the tone for the meal. Our drinks showed up late and the ice cubes in my drink had already been half melted before it got to the table. The order consisted of the Thai chicken Peanut salad which the wontons and the crispy noodles were stale and it literally was worse tasting than buying the "asian salad mix" at the grocery store. The Salmon Avocado no long has any option to replace the veggies that come with - you simply just eat what you are given so we insisted just hold the veggies so we didn't have any food waste as they would not be eaten (cauliflower and Brussel sprouts). There were two small pieced of avocado on the salmon and some mashed potatoes the equivalent to about 1 ice cream scoop and the server told us that if we wanted any salsa for the salmon we could just use our daughters salsa that came with her quesadilla (keep in mind the cost of this dish is $28 which is a albatross to the value you get). I was kind of take back by the whole situation and left speechless. We paid and left and sadly had to admit to ourselves this is just not the same place it was when we first started going there.

I am not sure what their breakfast is like as we often try to hit the Beacher for breakfast, but what I can tell you is that this place is no longer a place my...

Patio is fine. Not crowded. We were Two and were greeted by a polite hostess. That made us happy. No menu cards or booklets. They will ask you to access the menu with your phone by accessing their website. Our waitress was, hmmm very stoic. It was not busy at all. However she had put herself mentally on a busy mode that she didn't come across as calm and couldn't wait to get our order. She lacked patience. Not sure why. Barely anyone there. Guess we were pampered by the hostess in tbe beginning and expected the same standards. What irked me was, she took my order for beer, walked over to another gentleman and got his order of beer. On her way back with the beer, I was right in her way and she had my beer in her tray. Totally ignored me, walked straight over to the other guy, gave his beer, chatted with him and then comes back to give me my beer. She could have just placed my beer on the table and walked over to the other guy. Nope, had to complicate it and now here I'm all effected by such a minor incidence. I mean it's minor alright, but still keeps gnawing at your mind. Makes you wonder, why can't people just live a simple and straight life. Anyways, call me sensitive or defensive or whatever but to go out of your way or in this case my way and deliver to the guy who ordered after me while I see my beer lose its chill and trying to be chill at the same time took a toll. It was unnecessary and made me feel like I'm less important and not sure why. I go out of my way to make ppl feel good and important. So much so that I come across as Wierd and perhaps even creepy. However, I'd rather do that than be rude to someone else.

The food was not exceptional. The chicken wings I ordered had a Wierd smell to it. The smell you get after you store food a long time. I mean it's just a burger joint trying to recover from COVID and still managed to come up with decent grub. So I guess it's okay. The patio was clean but GF was suggesting that they could plant some plants on tbe mound of dirt and make it look cleaner. The washroom was very clean. Well done guys. I was worried but when I saw the washroom, I was happy and let's say RELIEVED. Overall a kind and cautious 3 stars. If our waitress didn't complicate matters i would have...