BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse — Restaurant in Carlsbad

I normally don’t like to make situations about race, but in this case, I truly feel my family and I were racially profiled. Carlsbad, CA is about 15% Hispanic, and unfortunately, the way we were treated during our visit to BJ’s makes me believe our ethnicity played a role. We were visiting for my daughter’s 9th birthday with a group of 14 family members. On Saturday, August 9th, after spending the day at LEGOLAND, we decided to have dinner at BJ’s. Around 7:30 PM, my husband called to ask if they could accommodate us. They said yes, but we would need to be put on the waitlist with about a 1-hour wait. My husband agreed and provided his info. About 25 minutes later, we arrived. I checked in with the hostess, Marlin (possibly Mayline) Gomez, and asked how much longer the wait would be. She abruptly said, “An hour.” When I asked if that hour counted from the time we called, she replied with an attitude, “No. No one has left. I’ll call you when your table is ready.” After waiting another 35 minutes, my sister-in-law asked again for an update, mentioning we had several young children (including a 2-year-old) getting restless. The response was another dismissive “I don’t know, maybe 20 minutes.” From outside, we could see two hostesses glaring at us. (eye rolling) Another 20 minutes passed, and my husband went to ask about our table. Marlin rolled her eyes and said we’d be called in 10 minutes. As he walked away, she said, “I’m tired of those people.” When we were finally seated, the kids were excited—but we had no utensils, no waters, and no greeting from a server for over 15 minutes. We later found out we were placed in a closed section where no server was assigned. The staff then openly argued in front of us about who should take the table. Marlin also says (I never sat those people down) Eventually, a waiter named Hayden—who was already off the clock—stepped up and took our drink and food orders. Meanwhile, my sister-in-law spoke with a manager named Matt. He apologized, acknowledged the poor service, and tried to make it right. He comped my daughter’s birthday dessert and brought a few extras, which we appreciated, I don’t think he knew that 3 of our parties orders had came with deserts lol but that was fine. However, when we asked for the name of another hostess involved (a white American girl), Matt refused to share it—though he had no issue immediately giving us the other hostess’s name. That refusal, in my opinion, confirmed the racial bias we suspected. We were not loud, rude, or disruptive. We come from a family in the hospitality business and know what respectful service should look like. What we experienced that night was unacceptable. Actions like these have consequences, and I hope those involved reflect on their behavior. My family and I will never return to this BJ’s, and I will be sharing this experience...

Dear Bj’s Corporate,

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to share my disappointing experience at one of your Bj’s locations today believe it is important to bring this matter to your attention as it reflects poorly on the reputation and values of your esteemed establishment.

On 07/17/2023, my family and I arrived at your restaurant with the intention of enjoying a pleasant dining experience together. We were a large group, including children, and had family visiting from out of town. However, upon our arrival, we encountered a disheartening situation that left us feeling embarrassed and unwelcome.

We requested to be seated together to ensure an enjoyable and cohesive dining experience for our entire group. We were asked to wait approximately 45 minutes and we did. However, we were informed by the staff that seating us together would not be possible and that we would have to wait for an extended period, despite there being vacant tables available. This unexpected response was both surprising and distressing, as we had made prior arrangements and had high hopes for a memorable evening with our loved ones.

As a result of this unfortunate turn of events, we made the difficult decision to leave the restaurant. The experience was not only disappointing but also highly embarrassing for our family, particularly in front of our visiting relatives. It is disheartening to encounter such a lack of accommodation and understanding, especially when dining establishments are meant to foster a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for all guests.

I understand that unforeseen circumstances and operational constraints can arise in the restaurant industry. However, I firmly believe that customer satisfaction should always be a top priority. The treatment we received on that evening fell far short of the level of service and hospitality that we expected and deserved.

I kindly request that you investigate this incident thoroughly and take the necessary steps to address the shortcomings in customer service and ensure that this type of experience does not happen to other patrons in the future. I believe if we were not Mexicans this would have never happened. A sincere apology for the inconvenience and embarrassment caused to my Mother would also be greatly appreciated.

As a loyal customer who had previously enjoyed dining at your establishment, I sincerely hope that you take my concerns seriously. Your attention to this matter and your commitment to providing exceptional customer service will not only restore our faith in your establishment but also demonstrate your dedication to creating a positive dining experience for all guests.

Thank you for your understanding and swift action in addressing this issue. I look forward to hearing from you and working towards a satisfactory...

Took a little while to write this review but nonetheless here it is! I recently dined at this BJ's location about a week ago when my family and I were staying at Legoland for the weekend. We decided to venture out of the park and find a restaurant nearby that didn't charge outrageous prices for a simple meal. BJ's was my first choice since I absolutely loved their pizookie's!

First thing I noticed when we arrived was that there were quite a bit of people waiting to be seated. The hostess advised us it would be 45 min to an hour for a table which I found a bit strange since half of their dining tables were empty. I have to assume they were severely understaffed on that particular night. Other than that it wouldn't make sense why so many people were waiting for a table when so many tables were open. At least the hostess was friendly! We did end up waiting that hour to be seated though.

The food was good. I ordered the chicken Alfredo pasta and it was delicious! I normally would request extra alfredo sauce but in this one instance I didn't, which is a good thing because they actually added extra without me asking for it! My son enjoyed his Mac and cheese but honestly that's really hard to mess up. My bf and I also shared a chocolate chunk pizzookie for dessert which was pretty good. Only thing is the cookie wasn't as warm as I'm used to, not sure how fresh it was but it still tasted good!

The reason I'm giving them 4 stars is for their service. Our server was Dominic and he was very attentive during our entire dinner. Not only was he friendly despite the fact that he was serving probably half the restaurant, I'm surprised he had the time to come around and check on us as often as he did. We got refills on our beverages pretty quickly without having to ask too. It was nice not having to chase down a waiter even though I know he was very busy with other tables.

If my family and I are in the area I'd definitely come back to this location just because their customer service is great! Other than them being under staffed I know they tried their best to accommodate everyone as best and fast as they could. Overall a great experience, minus...