Shoeless Joe's Sports Grill — Restaurant in Vaughan

One of the Worst Dining Experiences I’ve Ever Had – Management Needs a Serious Wake-Up Call

I don’t usually leave reviews, but after tonight’s disaster, I feel like I owe it to future diners. This place isn’t just badly run—it’s practically a masterclass in how not to manage a restaurant.

We walked in around 7:40pm to a half-empty dining room and were told to sit at the bar. We politely asked for a booth instead, and the host said “wait 5 minutes”—no big deal. Then another host came, acted confused, and told us the booth wasn’t actually available… until she realized we had already been promised it. After another unnecessary wait, we were finally seated at the same booth she just said was “unavailable.” Off to a great start.

Our server was in training, and honestly, she was the least of the problem. She ignored us for long stretches, sure—but from the looks of it, she was thrown into the fire without much support. No allergy check, no menu guidance, no manager stepping in to help her. I used to run a restaurant myself for three years—this wasn’t a server issue. This was a full-on leadership failure.

We ordered a flatbread that was supposed to be drizzled with hot honey. What we got was a greasy mess drenched in oil. No one asked why we barely touched it, and it was whisked away like it didn’t matter. Our mains came out immediately after, no pacing, no timing—just more evidence that no one here knows what they’re doing.

My girlfriend’s salmon bowl was fine, thankfully. Mine? A souvlaki bowl with chicken so dry and overcooked it actually chipped my tooth. I wish I was exaggerating. When I told the staff, they agreed the chicken was way too hard and said they’d bring a new one. I waited. And waited. 25 minutes went by. My girlfriend finished her meal, and I was still sitting there hungry, staring at my empty bowl.

Eventually I asked another server to just cancel it because at that point, I’d lost my appetite and patience. Still, no sign of our original server. Ten more minutes pass. I had to walk over to the bar to ask for the bill. Then—after 35 minutes total—our server comes over and says, “Oh my god, did you not get your chicken?” Really?

She offered to get it right away and bring over a manager. I declined both. At that point, I just wanted to leave. They took the bowl off the bill, which is the bare minimum they could’ve done.

I didn’t write this to get a refund or to be contacted—don’t bother. I’m writing this so future guests know what they’re walking into. The food is inconsistent, the service is overwhelmed, and the management is nowhere to be found when it counts. I’ve had better experiences at fast food chains. First time here, and definitely the last.

(PS: I hear the cocktails are decent. If you’re brave enough to roll the dice, maybe just...

I have been going to Shoeless Joe's for years and it is always a great place to hang out with friends to watch a game and enjoy great food and drinks! However, it is always the people who make the experience that much better! The pandemic has especially hit businesses hard, and it is great to see them getting back on their feet! The employees work hard to make the experience the best possible, and for that I am thankful!

Over the past few times I have been here (and the times before that as well), the food and particularly the service has always been awesome! Nicole and Rachel have been amazing and really work hard! Nicole is friendly, attentive and always has a smile on her face!

Rachel is another amazing server! She is always nice to the customers, carries great conversations with everyone, is energetic, makes you feel welcome, looks after everyone to make sure everything is taken care of, answers any questions and provides service with a smile! When customers ask if she is working, you know that she is doing a great job!

Having worked in the service industry before as well, I do not think they get enough credit for how hard they work. Completing orders and constantly being on their feet has to be tiring, but they are always ready to help customers and provide awesome service!

Thank you very much and keep up the excellent work Nicole, Rachel and everyone at...

Service and food here are very good! The ambiance is perfect for a casual, laid back hang out, especially to watch sports since there are screens in every possible viewing point. The limited time menu is really good and I hope they keep some of the dishes and drinks in their line up. I had the honeycrisp apple mule and it was DELICIOUS. The waffle fries and regular cut fries are nice, thick, perfectly seasoned and perfectly fried. The burger (especially the limited time menu version - double stacked western burger) was delicious, juicy and loaded with flavour, albeit INCREDIBLY messy to eat. The fish sandwich was good too though I should have asked for a lemon wedge to help brighten the flavour. The only comment / caution I call out here (which I'm sure is common amongst a lot of restaurants) is that the bartenders and waitresses grab lemon and lime wedges with their bare hands, not using tongs or washing their hands before grabbing the drink accents. This is why I didn't ask for lemon for my fish sandwich. I would come back but I would hold off on any citrus wedges, especially during pandemic where hand hygiene is critical. But also seeing the bartenders touch their hair and faces and then grabbing the lemon wedges was a turn off (hence the 3 stars). If it this was just based on food and service, I'd give...