Doug's Diner — Restaurant in Centennial

I’ve been here three times in a week with my partner. Here’s my main gripe with this place: the servers here are not good. First time the old lady was our server. My partner asks for a cinnamon roll when we order all of our food. I get my plate and a few bites in I realize I would really like some hot sauce. I realized that she was not coming back to our table. I ask the people at the table next to me for their hot sauce. We finish our main meal and she hands us the bill. My partner says I ordered a cinnamon roll, which was not on the bill. She corrects this at the end. My gripe about this is that there was no two bite check back. We just are given our food to eat and given the bill to get out. Not to mention she was obviously having a bad day and wasn’t hospitable. Seemed irritated that we got sat in her section. Whatever, we all have off days.

SECOND time I come in a few days later. We get sat, and the same lady is our server. I can’t do dairy so I said no cheese on my burrito. I get served it by a food runner and there’s cheese on top. Not to mention we had no silverware so we had to sit and wait, WAVE HER DOWN, to get utensils to eat our food and for my order to be fixed. It was fixed promptly but still. I do not know which party at fault for that, her or kitchen. Whatever. She doesn’t check back, just drops the check again after it’s fixed and we were done eating. (The red chili tastes like ketchup and salsa, always get the green chili here). THIRD TIME was TODAY. we get sat with a gentleman with an accent. I have to ask for utensils because I had to blow my nose with the napkin they’re wrapped in, and they’re not already on the table. I ordered the papas rancher plate with bacon, ham, and sausage. I get home fries because those are delicious. My partner orders something sweet, but also loves the home fries so he asks the server for a side of that for his meal. The server comes back to our table, and tells my partner that they ran out of home fries, would he prefer hash browns or French fries instead? My partner says French fries, the server leaves. I assume that my meal will have the home fries, as he did not ask me. When I get my plate from the food runner, it’s a SAD meal on a small bed of fries. My partner has gotten this both times previously on the last two times I was with him and his plate was like a mountain of potatoes with all his toppings so mine came out and it was sad and disappointing. Not to mention I was not expecting my plate to have fries and look like that, so I was blind sided and rightfully upset! The server comes up to bring my partner’s plate and we clarify the miscommunication. He never heard my partner order his side of potatoes apparently. Honestly if I was communicated to ME that MY MEAL, the main reason I got it, was OUT of the MAIN INGREDIENT I would have asked for a different entree! The server could tell that I was upset and asked if I wanted something else deadpan, and I was so confused and upset about the situation I needed food immediately so I didn’t flip out. I ate my weird chili breakfast fries, and had to ask for the sausage as the kitchen did not put it in the meal!?! I left feeling SO unsatisfied and upset.

The fact that server negligence has happened every single time I have come here three times in a row in the same WEEK has put SUCH a bad taste in my mouth towards this place I wanted to love and try everything on the menu with my partner.

I don’t know if these servers are negligent to us because we look young? My partner says he comes in frequently and is helped by another young lady and has no issues at all. My partner ALWAYS tips over 30% even though we have had these issues here. I really don’t feel comfortable being served by these people. They don’t check back on you midway through meal, they’re always MIA, they obviously have trouble with listening to customers or even paying attention???? I work the exact same job they do and I...

I stopped in here last Wednesday (today is Friday) because I was hungry. Very hungry. Normally, after the gym I'm famished and I eat right away, but on this particular day I had an appointment I had to rush to and so, by the time I stopped in here, I was feeling the hunger.

Why did I choose Doug's Diner, especially since I hadn't been here in probably a decade? Because nothing else in the area sounded good. I didn't want "fast food" or something overloaded with bread or salt. So, I decided "breakfast" was what I needed.

I was sat quickly enough, and even though I was by myself I was not given the option to sit at the bar. My waiter had an accent I couldn't place and mumbled through his presentation to me to the point where I had to ask a couple of times for him to repeat himself.

Whatever,

I ordered tea as a drink and made sure I could order food from either the breakfast or lunch side of the menu, then proceeded to look at the options while he was away.

A few minutes later he returned with a large cup of tea and another equally sized cup of water. I sipped the tea only to discover it had that spoiled (rancid) taste to it, as though the pot had been sitting for days or hadn't been washed.

The waiter must have seen my distress because he came back by and I told him I wouldn't drink the tea, that it was rancid, and I was fine with water. At that point I told him I didn't have high hopes for the food there. If you can't make tea, can you make good food? I then ordered The Basic, eggs over-medium, sourdough toast and the turkey/green chili sausage patties.

It didn't take long for my food to arrive, but then again, it wasn't that busy - maybe 6 tables with people.

The Good:

The toast (not the jelly, I'll get to that) The hashbrowns were good.

The Bad:

The eggs were over easy and extremely runny to the point I had to slurp them off my fork to get them in my mouth. But, whatever, I was hungry and wasn't going to complain.

The jelly for the toast was in a tiny little cup and had the consistency of maple syrup. I tried to use my knife to get the jelly out and it just ran down the knife and then off the toast onto the plate.

I had to ask for syrup because I like them in my hashbrowns and the waiter seemed to think that was bizarre as he asked me twice if that's what I really wanted. Yes, and I don't have to explain myself to you.

The turkey/green chili sausage was not only a little pink on the inside but also extremely dry. I wrote that off as being "turkey" and not pork, and therefore less fat, but after everything else wasn't good, now I have to wonder.

The waiter asked me how everything was going and I gave him my honest assessment. He said he'd get the manager for me. I did not ask for the manager and told him I was too hungry to care, that I would eat the food, but he offered and I waited.

He came back a few minutes later and told me the manager said the meal was on the house. Don't tell me you're going to get the manager and then not get the manager.

I decided to stop eating at that point and went to the register for some change so I could leave a tip. The waiter did serve me, after all. They argued with me about getting me change since the meal was comp'd, and it was a struggle to get some cash for the waiter. I was dumbfounded.

Needless to say, I see no point in returning for another 10...

Miserable Service. I brought my family here on Friday at 10:30. It was busy but there was not an incredible wait. We chose to sit at the front counter where we waited about 15 minutes before anyone acknowledged us. After having placed our order an hour went by when I decided to inquire about our food. I noticed the gentlemen who came in next to us had gotten his food well before I posted the question. Courtney then proceeded to tell me that there was a party of 10 who's plates were being made first. When i pointed out the gentleman and others that who arrived later already had their food and just about finished eating that our plates hadn't even been started. I pointed out how much time had passed and asked she make an inquiry to the kitchen. Upon coming back Courtney had nothing to say. When asked what were the results of her asking the kitchen she did not respond. I again asked "What were the results of your inquiry?" She responded with "Nothing was the result." Courtney then proceeded to argue with me answering back with quick remarks to everything I asked or said. After 17 years in business I find this unacceptable to any degree. I asked for a manager. Courtney then came back again and asked what my problem was. At this point I am furious and asked for her to prepare our bill so we could leave. Courtney made NO ATTEMPT to try to salvage our business. If I could give Doug's Day Diner ZERO STARS I would. Courtney, you were a shining example of the worst service I have ever experienced. I hope you find something you are good at and stick with it. Service is...