Brindisi's Pub — Restaurant in Chanhassen

I really didn’t want to write this review ‘cause the server was a nice dude, but it’s really eating at me. I’ve never had quite an experience like this in my life. I’ve had worse dining experiences before, like when the server was just straight up awful in every conceivable way and the business slammed, and various other circumstances. But this was just so perplexing? If it hadn’t been for the fact I hadn’t had anything to eat for 10 hours, I would have been laughing the whole time. Not like in a ‘this is funny’ sort of way but more like ‘what is happening?’. There were definitely a lot of things wrong that I would attribute to the server, but that was only a small part, like 30%. So I was there during Happy Hour, when I arrived the place was fairly empty. Shortly afterwards I think about 6 more tables sat down, all at once, so yeah that can be rough, it took 15-20mins to get my order in (even though I was first). Mistakes happen that’s fine. What I couldn’t figure out is that the server seemed to be responsible for all the tables in the bar? (12ish+?) but he wasn’t alone. There were three staff always in the area, one was bartender, and another person who I really couldn’t figure out. He didn’t seem to be a bar back or a busser. He didn’t help take orders when the server got loaded up, didn’t refill drinks or run food, didn’t get water or clear plates, really I couldn’t figure out the purpose of his role. But even then the bartender didn’t help either, they were helping the 4 people at the bar (and yes of course all the drinks for everyone) but still. It seemed like the staff had been told to stay at their assigned station and were not allowed to go more than 20 feet from that spot. Because then we get to another strange thing - the expo - or what I assume was an expo or runner. The small amount of food that was being ordered was delivered by yet another staff member, to the bar area, but NOT to the tables. They’d place the food near the server’s ‘station’, then a lot of time the swamped server (because no one was helping him) wouldn’t be available to take the food to his tables, and the food would just sit there, in view of everyone, getting cold away from the kitchen. This ‘expo’ traveled a long distance to get there, and couldn’t help deliver the final 5 feet? Then this gets me to the food; so from when I sat down to when my flatbread arrived I estimate it was about an hour, it could’ve been 1.5. I asked what was up and the response would be paraphrased as ‘no idea’. And it was like he wasn’t even allowed to leave his tables to go see what was going on in the kitchen. I don’t know how this restaurant is structured, but I’m fairly sure that the 3 staff members in the bar did not go more than 20ft from their “station” in the ~1.5hrs i was there. Also, 3 people for 12 tables would only be 4 each, the low end of the standard 4-6 per server, why was this not happening? 12 per 1 server is terrible! And also without support from the 2 support staff who should be delivering food TO the tables, and/or also checking to see if any tables need help while the server is clearly overloaded with tasks. I understand this could be a just communication issue but it seemed very structural and I just couldn’t figure it out one way or another. Like I said, very perplexing. I could chalk it up to it being at least 5 people’s (if I include at least 1 cook) first week at work, but that seems highly unlikely.

TL:DR Food and drink is good. Service: Service is Great! - If you’re over 50 and like the middle America “service” where the server says, ‘hi my name is X and I’ll be taking care of you’ and they appropriately grovel and stoop enough so that you can feel superior to the less-than-human service workers. If you prefer service that values Efficiency, Quality, and Attentiveness, service is not so great.

Honestly, for my own sanity’s sake 😂, I’d delete this whole thing if I could just hear the reasoning behind this restaurants...

I would like to use this space to give thanks to my own personal hero, Richard II, or rather, the actor playing the role of Richard II for the Chanhassen Dinner Theater. On the fateful night of my dinner, I was witness to a squabble of the most troubling variety. It seems that a local patron had been denied his crab omelette, at the behest of his over-bearing older brother, who claimed, falsely, that the younger sibling was 'allergic'. Nothing could have been further from the truth, and this younger brother, of singular constitution, and filled with the righteous anger of the un-fed, was quick to act. Just as blows were to be struck, our new 'King Richard', who I henceforth shall call the American Ghandi, stepped in, and proposed an amicable solution. The omelette was sent to St. Paul, with our miscreants to follow. Methinks I am a prophet, new inspired. And a convert to this Royal Throne of Kings, this House of Solomonic Justice, this Eatery of Fine Delights, this...

Meh, probably wouldn't stop here again. Patio was 3/4 full, a handful of patrons at the bar. We are a family of 4. Service was slow. We ordered 2 apps, 1 pretzel and the bruschetta. They were out of pretzels we were informed by the server. Ordered 4 sodas, and then found out they were out one of the flavors, so we ordered water. Seemed like alot of confusion in the wait area. I saw one order sit in the bar area for about 15 minutes and then was delivered to the customer. Our appetizer was delivered after our meal....what??? My "world famous Brindisi burger" was nothing special.... Marinara, cheese and a couple red peppers slapped between a bun. Nothing special here. My wife's salad was ok, but how can you mess up a salad? One daughter ordered grilled cheese, and she said there was no flavor and the other daughters bread on her BLT was so hard she couldn't eat it.

Our waiter was nice enough.

Overall not a...