On Saturday night, my friends and I visited Geraldine’s for a highly anticipated birthday celebration. We chose this restaurant based on its positive reviews and expected an excellent experience. Unfortunately, what should have been a joyous evening was soured by miscommunications, unprofessional conduct, and a disgusting absence of accountability from management.

We called Geraldine’s twice before our visit to confirm details, including the dress code and whether we could bring small decorations (confetti and balloons) for our table. Both times, we were assured it was fine. However, after setting up and beginning our meal, a manager - tall, bald, and dressed in a suit -approached and curtly said that “glitter” was not allowed, and that a $250 cleaning fee was typically charged. When we clarified we brought confetti - not glitter - and referenced the prior assurances from our phone calls, this manager refused to engage in meaningful dialogue. He merely reiterated the no-glitter policy and walked away visibly annoyed. His attitude was dismissive, disrespectful, and dampened the celebratory mood.

Adding to the discomfort, we witnessed this manager conferring with a second manager - more casually dressed with black hair in a man bun - along with our waitress and a chef. They glanced at our table, which seemed to be the topic of their discussion. The second manager was friendlier but his behavior was equally unsatisfactory when we spoke to him shortly before leaving. He immediately brought up the confetti issue and deflected blame for it, repeatedly citing the $250 cleaning fee and referenced a purported city regulation prohibiting such items in restaurants. However, my subsequent research revealed no such law. While restaurants can set their own policies, they're also responsible for communicating them clearly.

Additionally, the second manager repeated his personal involvement in asking our waitress to stay after her shift to assist with cleaning the confetti, implying that he was doing us a favor by not charging us the $250 cleaning fee. He framed this poorly executed damage control as a generous favor but it came off as a thinly veiled guilt trip, a passive-aggressive attempt to shift blame on us while avoiding accountability for his staff’s mistakes.

Furthermore, when inquiring about a cake cutting fee, we were initially informed that the charge would be $5 pp, amounting to $50 for our party of 10. However, the second manager corrected this, stating it was actually $5 total for the table - another communication inconsistency from Geraldine's staff. Had we been provided with accurate pricing, we would have been able to plan appropriately and bring a cake, a missed opportunity due to the restaurant’s failure to convey the correct fee.

While the food was delicious, the environment clean, and the music enjoyable, these positives were overshadowed by the attitude of the management and their unwillingness to take responsibility. Our group was appropriately dressed, well behaved, and even cleaned the confetti ourselves before leaving, yet we were made to feel like a burden. I've dined at numerous fine dining establishments, and this experience stands out as one of the worst.

Management's conduct, coupled with the staff’s failure to provide accurate information, reflects a troubling disregard for basic customer service standards. To select Geraldine’s for a special occasion and then be met like so is unacceptable, especially considering some of us drove over an hour to come. This experience not only detracted from our celebration but also raised questions about the professionalism and operational integrity of the establishment.

For groups considering Geraldine’s for a special event, I urge caution. Their inability to communicate policies clearly or handle mistakes respectfully dulled what should have been a joyful dinner. I sincerely hope management addresses these issues so no one else endures this experience. As it stands, I cannot recommend Geraldine’s and will not return anytime soon.