Cafe Amsterdam — Restaurant in Alaska

We used to love this place especially their eggs Benedict. However our Visit today sadly will be our last. Upon approaching the building there’s a large sign outside explaining the mask mandate. I was grabbing a mask as I opened the door for my girlfriend to walk in. We were immediately stopped by the owner as I’m holding the door. Her Hostile approach and demeanor immediately threw us for a loop. She then informed me that I cannot walk into her establishment without my mask which I was putting on my face. Then she told me that once you get your mask on correctly you can enter. I have a beard, so no mask fits my face correctly. She then informed me as she standing in the doorway blocking our entry that we are letting out the heat and she has a heating bill to pay, meanwhile she’s sitting here explaining how to put a mask on and blocking the door. Now at this point we should’ve turned around and left but we chose to stay thinking that maybe she might be having a bad day or whatever. We then were seated where she explainsTheir mask requirements to stay on our face at the seat until we have a drink in front of us. We kindly oblige by her rules and mandates. I will say the rest of the staff was extremely nice. After she brought our food out she asked if we would like any Catch up or hot sauce. I then said yes I’ll take some Tabasco please. She looks at me and says well I’ll bring you some Tabasco and whatever else we got. Now We are small business owners And work directly with restaurants every single day, I have never in my life been treated so rudely. We will never come back to this establishment which is sad to say because we love to support local but until she changes her approach sadly She’s losing customers.I honestly felt like it was more than a mask issue, we are a biracial couple And judging by the way she treated our table compared to the rest of the restaurant I feel like that may have been some of the issue. I don’t know for sure but that’s how she made us feel. Very...

This was from 23 Dec -Went in to have lunch in the early afternoon. There was a very weird sign on the door. "Door is locked, we will let you in". So my boyfriend and I stood out there, and no one came to let us in. He looked to see if anyone was there to test the door. A person finally came to the door and rudely points to the sign and then opened the door. This obviously unhappy person then says, "Can you read"? So, we go in and the person says, " We will seat you in a minute", and proceeds to continue on with something. She left us for over 5 minutes. Acted like we didn't exist and tone was nothing less than dismissive. I have eaten here before and wanted to treat my boyfriend, due to the interesting decor/vibe. After being ignored a while longer, we decided to leave. There were customers in there, but not even close to being full. There was absolutely no reason to be rude, dismissive or standoffish. I'm not sure if they are short staffed or going out of business, but an hour or so later, we saw a new sign that said, "Closed early". I will never eat here, nor ever recommend this place to anyone again. Unfortunately, since I write reviews weekly on various businesses and establishments. I had hoped I could do the same for this one.

Update from owner I wanted to cut and paste here since she blocked me on facebook. Here is my comment and here is her response. I wrote this on her Facebook page same day as this review.

Close and never open again, if being rude and dismissive and insulting to people who had bad experiences is your pleasure. It's nefarious. These types of intentional negative feedback comments you make, after you get feedback is a reflection of your character. It will eventually come back to reflect on something towards you, when you least expect it. What you're doing is wrong and I hope your food is not as toxic as your...

Not welcoming. Very strange experience.

I arrived at Cafe Amsterdam this morning, a bit early to meet some friends. Not being familiar with the layout, I entered what looked like the main entrance, which led through a bar area toward the dining room. There was a partition (a doorless opening in the wall), and a sign posted in front—something about being seated—but no staff in sight. I assumed I might’ve entered incorrectly, so I gently stepped around the sign to peek into the dining area to see if my friends had arrived.

I was immediately confronted by a short, stocky woman with gray hair and bright-rimmed glasses—who later identified herself as the owner. She was visibly upset, treated me like I was trying to sneak in or use the restroom without permission, and insisted I wait by the front bench. I calmly explained that I was just there to eat and see if my friends had arrived. The interaction was confusing and uncomfortable, and while she eventually offered me water and let me peek into the dining area, her demeanor remained cold and suspicious.

I told her we would be a party of five and waited. Three friends showed up, and we let her know the fourth was on her way. Despite this, she still wouldn’t seat us. After waiting another 5–10 minutes by the front door, we learned that our friend wasn’t coming—and by that point, my friends were so put off by how I’d been treated, they decided we should leave. I agreed.

The whole interaction felt bizarre and needlessly hostile. I entered politely, said good morning, and just wanted to find my group and sit down. We were never seated. This matched another review I later found, which echoed nearly the same strange tone and behavior from the same woman.

I’m not sure what was going on, but I can say with certainty that I’ve never been treated that way at any other restaurant. I...