Mother’s Juice Cafe — Restaurant in Bend

I had the most appalling experience at Mother's cafe today and for the life of me can't understand why I was treated so poorly. I don’t even know where to begin. Have you ever had an experience that made you want to rage and cry at the same time? That’s how I felt today at Mother’s. After going to the East side store (my usual spot) and finding they were closed during their normal open hours (this happens often unfortunately), I called to make sure the West side was open and able to take my order before venturing over and hunting down a parking spot. I had surgery yesterday and had a very sore throat (endoscopy, screening biopsies due to a chronic condition with high cancer risk), so I was wanting a goodies from my favorite smoothie spot in town more than anything- both to fulfill my post-op dietary needs and to cheer me up during an anxious time. In preparation for and after my procedure I was ordered to have light meals, with liquids encouraged- so it’s been lots of soups, smoothies, eggs, and toast lately for me.

Anyway, the West location got my order wrong last time (they gave me something I abstain from, and ate anyway- because I was short on time, didn't want to bother staff, and don’t like to waste food) and when I brought it up today, the cashier didn’t offer much- no refund, no comp my current order, just a "I'll make sure they get it right this time". Anyway, I got my food and smoothie and it all was as I asked for it. Before I got a chance to begin eating, a middle aged woman (manager maybe) came out and asked if they got the sandwich right- and I happily replied "yes!". I assumed she was going to offer to make prior mistakes right, but instead she SCOLDED me. She began with “there was bacon on it last time?” and I told her yes, my family doesn’t eat bacon. She cut me off and loudly said “well, that’s because this is a KID'S sandwich, we don't make kid's food for adults... I was told by (so and so) that you came in here and pulled this a couple days ago too, you're not who this menu is for." I was so humiliated about being publicly berated, with not only staff watching and some holding back reactions (one later came up to me and said she was sorry), but also other customers turning their heads to see what the commotion was about. The level of unkindness, disrespect, and HUMILIATION is something I've never experienced at a restaurant before, let alone one that I've so openly supported.

Just to note- I usually order this $8 half sandwich for my child, and realized it'd be a great option for my surgery prep and recovery diet, or along with soup when someone in my family is sick. It never occured to me that it wouldn't be okay to order it for myself (along with a $15 smoothie). And also, I find it silly there isn't a similar adult soup and sandwich option because it's a pretty good combination. Aside from all that, it's bizarre to me that someone would think it's okay to treat a customer this way. Perhaps she could have asked why I ordered the half sandwich or said "I'd love your feedback on how to make the adult menu more appealing to you." But I have a feeling it has less to do with an adult ordering a "kids item" than it does with me not visibly fitting in with their ideal white, upper-middle class, gender-normative, neurotypical, able-bodied clientele.

Over the years, I've eaten at Mother's regularly, have brought visiting family and friends there, have convinced people in my health network to join me in juice cleanses and to give them another try despite past issues (Mother's had a ROUGH patch). I think that's what hurts the most- feeling like I'm being slapped in the face by a company I've so openly supported over the years, and specifically because I ordered something for a special health need which they proclaim to be all about supporting. I've overlooked issues in the past, but this one is so outrageous that I'd be a fool not to swear the business off for good now. Fool me twice, shame on...

I'll do my typical breakdown of why I rate high or low based on all the different categories. Environment: 2 stars. The outside is nice and relaxing, except it is along a very busy street. Inside is loud and everything echos. There is no noise damping. The feel inside is pretty "modern" aka clinical/easy to clean. The parking is bad... but that is typically for this area.

Drinks: 3 stars. They were a good smoothie, nothing to really rave about... they had a good ratio of the different flavors is about all I can say. Then again... smoothies are hard to mess up.

Food: 3 stars. again... pretty meh.

Pricy: 2 stars. Pretty pricy... but the inflation factor and Bend isn't cheap so I am not giving a 2 stars on the price... but rather on the hidden prices they don't warn you about. In my opinion this is far from ethical. If it were a sales tax (which Oregon doesn't have) then I could understand it, but to charge $0.60 for a "take out fee" is pretty petty. They probably pay about $0.05 for the cup and straw... the customers are not taking up tables (therefore inviting more sit down customers) it costs just as much to wash the plates afterwards.

Service: 3 stars. Sometimes the counter staff is pretty friendly other times they just seem annoyed that you are sharing oxygen. This last time we asked about the "take out fee" and the guy literally ignored us and walked away.

Ethics: 2 stars. The hidden price ethics is frustrating... yes... it is just $0.60, and it won't break our bank. However the ethics behind it is pretty bad. The marketing of them using organic fruits might be true, but if you look closely at the strawberries they sell (which are Driscols, by the way, and they are not known for good growing practices) they don't even use the "organic" version. We ask

In summary. It honestly is just a smoothie place that seemingly offers regular ingredients at a high price. It isn't a bad place to go to, but it isn't anything that I would give a 5 stars to.

Letter to management: What I would suggest improving. Let the customers be able to hear each other better by adding in some noise damping. Be open and up front about your pricing. If you are trying to discourage waste, that is great! Just let people know that instead of surprising them. If you are going to use organic products, make sure it is a good organic. Not what the USDA calls organic, because anyone that prefers organic will be able to tell you that the USDA organic label is a joke. And then those people will...

Mother’s in Bend, Oregon, is a charming restaurant with adorable decor. I ordered the ‘Hello Portobello,’ which was a delicious marinated portobello mushroom sandwich with heirloom tomatoes, caramelized onions, goat cheese, pistachio crumble, herb lemon aioli, and wild arugula on thick-sliced in house sourdough bread. When you bit into the sandwich the immediate flavor I got was the marinated portobello. As I chewed I could smell the fragrant caramelized onions. It was nice that every few bites you got a little bit of the pistachio crumble, that left you wanting more. The heirloom tomato had that fresh from the vine taste to it, it was thickly sliced and had the perfect acidity. The goat cheese and the lemon aioli married this sandwich together tastefully. The flavors were complex and well-balanced. I was pleasantly surprised to find potato salad with my order. It was homemade and delicious, with tender potatoes, a dill-flavored mayonnaise based sauce, and subtle notes of red onion and scallion. I wouldn't be surprised if it was in-house made mayonnaise. The staff was friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable. The restaurant was spotless and had a pleasant outdoor seating area. The sandwich was light and refreshing, and I would definitely return for another meal.

Mother’s Westside Kitchen is only open for breakfast and lunch, closing at 3 PM. Their menu offers a variety of breakfast options, sandwiches, wraps, salads, bowls, smoothies,...