Mediterraneo Greek Family Restaurant — Restaurant in Waterloo

We were very excited to try out Mediterraneos as it has been years since we have been there. My son was celebrating his 19th birthday and spent his 17th birthday in Greece so we thought this would be a great place to go. I called to make a reservation and explained we were celebrating his 19th birthday. I told the waitress again when we got there to which she wished him a happy birthday. There were 6 of us. We order 3 appetizer, a dinner each, 1 non- alcoholic beverage and 5 alcoholic beverages PLUS 3 shots of ouzo. The food was good. Portions were large. However they were out of lamb...no lamb stew or souvlaki. The fettuccine which had rave reviews was pretty flavorless and the shimp souvlaki plate, although did have a dozen shrimp, didn't come with any sort of sauce or dip and it would have been an upcharge. Our total bill with tip was over $360 and what did they do for my sons 19th birthday? Nothing! I even asked the waitress and she said, 'no Mario doesn't do anything for birthdays'. I have to assume Mario is the owner. The crazy thing is, we had just watched a table of 4 be served icecream and one customer had a candle and they sang happy birthday. When I asked the waitress about that she said, "oh thats Mario's cousin". So disappointed. My son had specifically chosen that restaurant to celebrate and I was shocked that they wouldn't even do a small scoop of icecream or offer to comp his Ouzo shot. It just kind of fell flat. We love Greek food, and were really hopeful for a fabulous experience. You'd think when I called to make the reservation and specifically stated we were celebrating a special occasion, the gentleman on the phone would have said "just so you know, its not standard for us to acknowledge celebrations so you'll have to either pay extra for that, or do your own thing." Unless of course you're a cousin. A little customer service...

With all the high reviews this place has received, I had high expectations. However, I was sadly disappointed and wish I had spent my Saturday night elsewhere…

While our initial server was quick and polite, once his shift ended, it seemed our new server was trying her best to avoid talking to us.

When our food came out after 45 minutes of waiting, she quietly placed it on the table and left without saying a word (no apologies for the wait… no nothing…)Typically, servers announce the dish they are placing on the table or at minimum, respond to a customer’s “thank you” after the meal has been placed down. However, our server walked in and out without a word which made us feel ignored and uncomfortable.

And while the business may try and explain that they were very busy and that’s why the server was unable to be more attentive/friendly, as you can see in the photo, it was not very busy when we were there.

Additionally, while we found the Greek salad to be good, the rice and pork skewer were too dry and the potato was wayyyy too sour.

And since I read a comment from the restaurant saying they would have been happy to help another unhappy customer if they had voiced their opinion in store, I want to share that I was not comfortable sharing my thoughts in person because of the unfriendly server and atmosphere. While entering the restaurant, I saw a sign stating that the prices of the food will change depending on the customer’s attitude. Seeing that made me not want to ask any questions and definitely not voice my concerns in case the restaurant decided to charge me extra for being “rude”. As such, we decided to quietly leave the restaurant and not bring anything up to the server/manager.

I really wish I could have liked this place but the service and atmosphere...

Like many others have noted, the food is usually fine (a bit on the bland side though), but the wait is usually long.

Yesterday it was unusually long - apparently because the waitress forgot to communicate our order to the kitchen. After the usual long waiting period, she dropped by to tell us that it would "be a little while" because they were hosting a big party. That party was about 15-20 people, but most of the tables were empty anyway.

Our food arrived after another long waiting period - a good while after several other guests who had arrived significantly later than us were already being served. When I commented on that, she said "well, that salmon takes a long time."

That salmon did not look overcooked at all - 15 minutes at the most.

Note to the owners: hire waitresses with better memories - or, if you can't find any, ones that can lie more convincingly.

Reply to the manager: I was less annoyed with the actual mistake by the waitress than by her not owning up to it. (First she blamed it on the party, then on the salmon - right. She can't even keep her own story straight for 30 minutes - is it any wonder that she forgets the orders?)

Now in your reply, you are just offering up more of the same BS. Way to go (not). I realise that some dishes take longer to cook than others. However, that salmon didn't take a full hour or more, which is how long we waited for it - even though the place was less than half full. Guests who had arrived after us were ALREADY LEAVING by the time we finally got our food.

It is clear that you made a mistake. Acknowledge it, and I will remove this review. Keep denying, and I will...