Stella’s @ PlugIn — Restaurant in Winnipeg

Allergies or food sensitivities?? Be very careful.

I was told that their ingredient list doesn’t include all the ingredients. 🤦🏻‍♀️ huh?? What’s the point of it then?? That needs to be communicated to anyone you provide the list to!

Avoid this place if you have allergies! I’ve been visiting different locations over the years and just learned that what I was eating had an allergen in it - I was told they have different lists, with different ingredients on it. Huh?? Omg.

Wtf.

At the very least, if you tell people the ingredients, for the love of god and for the respect of your customers health, tell us if it doesn’t include all ingredients! Isn’t that obvious?

There is no reason to suspect an ingredient list would not be complete.

I’ve asked at some locations to see the ingredients, and been told “we don’t give out our recipe.” 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ What? I mean… huh? Recipes include proportions, mixing and preparation instructions. Ingredients lists are just a list of the things put into the item. They’re two completely different things.

All food products for sale in grocery stores include ingredients - not recipes.

Let’s be honest, Stella’s food is so mediocre, no one is out to get their recipes. I used to eat there only because they were the only thing close enough for me to get to.

Stella’s management* if you read this, please either ensure you communicate to your customers that the ingredient list isn’t accurate or consider not providing it. It is absolutely pointless if we can’t rely I’m on it being accurate. *

Maybe you don’t have allergies that can hospitalize you, but it doesn’t mean your customers don’t. And we trust you when you tell us your ingredients because we had no reason to expect that an ingredients list isn’t compete. No one reads an ingredient list thinking it only includes some ingredients - that absolutely defeats the purpose of an ingredient list!

I remember years ago being in line at the bakery and hearing a customer who was shocked to hear there were eggs in an item because he’d been getting them for his daughter, because they’d previously told him there were no eggs in them. I was shocked then and should have let it be a warning.

This is just beyond irresponsible and inconsiderate of your customers, and obviously, avoidable.

That said, the restaurants actually don’t prepare the food fresh. They get precut vegetables from a different location. They use those to make individual menu items, like salad… so the cooks just assemble your food out of the veggies cut days ago at the commissary. For me, that’s gross and not worth the money. 🤷🏻‍♀️

For anyone with histamine sensitivities or allergies, this could be a huge issue. Prob not though for most people though. Just another weird thing about Stella’s.

I want to love it. It’s everywhere. I guess I prefer knowing what I’m eating, and believing my dollars go to a business that gives a 💩 if their food puts me an allergy attack for...

I honestly loved Stella's because of the great food and the great atmosphere, but my experience this time was so off-putting. The food was awesome, but the service was unfortunately not.

My friends and I decided to go to stella's after our shift at work. It was an hour and a half before closing time. I get it, I know the feeling of wanting to go home after a long day at work because I, too, work in the service industry. I know it's unfortunate to take in orders and serve customers right before closing, but it also sucks being the customer and feeling like a nuissance for dining in so late.

Anyways, after feeling hesitant, we decided to dine in, but I immediately sensed our server didn't feel like serving us. He was very monotoned, didn't look quite happy, and he just seemed annoyed about having to serve my friends and I. That was very disheartening.

He set the food and left without saying a word, not even a quick "enjoy." That made me feel even more bad and guilty about coming into the restaurant. Finally, we proceeded with our payment. I felt bad but decided not to tip even though my original intention was to at least give 10%... but it's not like he was nice. I guess he saw that I didn't give him a tip, so he THREW my receipt on the table, which left me really dumbfounded??? I thought it was just an accident, but another copy of the receipt printed, and he just chucked the copy right in front of me again??? My friends saw what had happened, and we kinda just stared at each other. My friends paid as well and he did the same thing!

Overall, it was just a really bad experience. I waited tables too at my work and had a fair share of good and bad customers, but at the end of the day, friendliness does come a long way. I feel bad about leaving a negative review because this is something I don't normally do. But, my experience this time was really something new, and I didn't think anyone could be that rude. To be honest, I don't think I would ever come back again. Perhaps at a different location. On the bright side, the greeter was super friendly and engaging! She was kind and nice when she showed us to our and I really...

My first experience at this Stella's was not a great one.

I had just moved to Canada and was still getting used to the currency; I was so proud when I could find exact change for payment by myself after my wife and her friend had gone to the bathroom. My pride did not last long.

As the got back and I paid, they got their coats on but I hadn't even gotten up, as I pass proud exact change to the waitress she asks me if I'd ever worked in the restaurant industry. I had, I told her. She then went on to berate me about how I should know since cook staff get a portion of tip, by my (in reality not yet) not tipping she was actually some how getting less than her wage if people don't tip. This was maybe not the most friendly welcome to Canada..

I was so mad, especially when i found out later on that wait staff get paid a full wage PLUS tips here. When I worked in the restaurant industry in Ohio as a line cook, not only did cooks not get tips, wait staff made a fraction of minimum wage because of the expectation of tips (at the time probably $5.40 an hour).

So, after being proud I'd gotten my head around loonies and toonies, I'd gotten unfairly smashed since the wait staff, who gets paid a full wage, assumed I wasn't leaving a tip before I got up from the table. I was so embarrassed by the whole exchange I didn't return for over a year. The exchange still gets my blood boiling when I think back on it.

Since then, I've been back a number of times and have had decent and redeemable experiences, hence 2 stars. Still that episode overshadows my recollection any time I consider going here, hence no...