Wild Morel — Restaurant in Brevard

This is a dichotomy of a restaurant: Astonishingly good food, with poor, inconsiderate service. It took a solid 25 minutes from the time we were sat down for someone to show up (there were perhaps 5 tables with people at the time, 7:30 PM Sunday). After our order was finally taken we learned that they had "just" run out of a particular appetizer we were looking forward to; the irony of the 25-minute wait was not lost on us. We had the Mussels+Chorizo and the Scallops. The Mussels were fine, in an excellent sauce. Had to ask for bread (which was not offered) for sauce-dipping purposes. The scallops were among the best we ever had, with a great cracked pepper finish to them. For the entrees, we ordered the Blackened Trout and the Lamb Loin. The lamb was an excellent cut, a meatier, richer change of pace from the typical chop or rib. It was promised "medium rare" but was ever so slightly overcooked. The tomato sauce it came in more than compensated for that. The Blackened Trout was, quite simply, the best we've ever had, hat's off to the chef. No two portions arrived at our table at the same time, and I was surprised to receive my lamb several minutes before my wife's trout showed up. We ordered coffee and desserts: excellent French Press, tasty chocolate mousse, and a fragrant, lemon-y pannecotta. We received exactly two spoons, so had to use them both for the coffee and the desserts (BTW no Splenda, luckily my wife had some in her purse...) Then came the "shocker": We knew this was a pricy restaurant ($206 for two, before tip) but the check also included an additional 4% (!?!) charge if using a "Credit Card". This is not disclosed on the menu or website, so we didn't carry cash or a checkbook. I inquired if this applies to Debit cards as well and was told that it did. I checked with VISA and found out that:

A) A merchant must be pre-registered with a 30-day advance notice to charge a fee

B) The fee can only equal the actual processing fee (which ain't 4%)

C) The fee can ONLY APPLY to Credit Cards: Debit Cards and Gift Cards are specifically excluded (so at the very least they owe me a $9 refund...)

I guess that if I file a complaint with VISA the restaurant might lose its card-processing rights, which would be a substantial hardship. I understand it when a food truck charges an extra fee for card use, but to do so in the priciest restaurant in Brevard? I find that not only inappropriate but downright tacky. Yes, I know that costs are higher, but so is the food pricing. We walked away with immense satisfaction from the food and beverage and a sense of irritation from the table service and billing practices, which surely couldn't be the intent of the...

I want to preface this by saying between my wife and I, one of us works in the food/customer service industry and it takes a LOT to complain/send food back.

I want to express my disappointment with both the customer service and the quality of the food I experienced during my Anniversary dinner at Wild Morel last night.

First, l'd like to address the issue with the menu. After reviewing the limited options, we ordered the ribeye and the filet, only to be informed that both dishes were unavailable. Given that the menu was already pared down, I was surprised to learn that multiple items were out of stock, which significantly impacted our dining experience.

I opted for the Alfredo dish, which I was eager to try, but unfortunately, it was overwhelming due to the heavy use of truffle. While I understand that truffle is a signature ingredient for some dishes, the strong flavor in this case was overpowering, and it detracted from the overall meal. I would like to emphasize that my complaint isn't about the truffle itself–we've had it plenty of times at other restaurants—but rather the disproportionate use of it in this particular dish.

To make matters worse, when I raised my concerns with the manager or owner (woman with a heavy southern accent and ponytail), we were met with an unprofessional and dismissive response. Instead of addressing our feedback constructively, we were told, "next time don't get the Alfredo," "that's our style," and "that's how truffle is." As if we've never once consumed it. These comments were not only unhelpful but also condescending, and they left us feeling undervalued as customers.

As a paying guest, I believe that constructive feedback should be welcomed, not dismissed. It is disheartening to encounter such an attitude, especially when the experience didn't meet expectations, both in terms of the food and the customer service.

(And based on things other employees told us, the woman who spoke to us about the food is typically a bit direct and harsh... sounds like she could benefit from a customer service training.)

Pros: the waiter was awesome, attentive, friendly, and understanding. The lamb shank was very good, as was the loaded salad!

Unfortunately, this was our first and last time going to...

The restaurant is beautiful and the atmosphere was a great mix of cozy and refined. However, we spent $200 on a dinner for two (+a bottle of wine) and did not feel the price was appropriate for the quality of food.

We got the tomato basil soup, veal meatballs, ribeye, and the boar pasta. I had to season everything with salt pretty liberally, which perhaps that’s intentionally done by the chef (there’s a good variation of opinions on appropriate salt level after all). The boar in the pasta was prepared beautifully and the ribeye was satisfying, but not a noteworthy steak. The tomato basil soup was simple and true to its name, but lacked the “wow” factor you would need to price it the way it was (would be nice to have a lil rendered guanciale or pancetta element and crouton, and then I’d feel more comfortable with the price). The meatballs were a bit boring. The people working in the dining area seemed lovely, but service was extremely slow (the restaurant had a total of 3 other tables to wait on during our stay there, so was a bit confused to see the pace of plates coming out and the drawn out periods of time taken by our waiter to ask our orders and check in).

Really cute spot and wish them the best seeing as so many people (google reviews) have such positive things to say about this place. I may have dined here on “one of those weird” nights. I got the impression our waiter may have new and still learning...