Big Ben Pub — Restaurant in Charlotte

Hit or Miss!! Best way to explain it. Last visit, BIG MISS!! I've been going to Big Ben for several years now. Not a "regular" customer but have been there many times. My last visit ruined it for me and I'm not sure I ever intend to return! To that point in a moment. I used to love to go there because of the pub atmosphere, the food and plus they showed good sports programs. I LOVED there fish sandwich and/or Fish and Chips!! Went there about 3 years ago to get a delicious fish sandwich and it came out with the usual nice set up only to find there were 2 little "fishstick looking things" for the fish like something you'd get in the freezer section of Food Lion. Terrible! Didn't go back for a little while then several months ago I stopped in to try again. That time I had another yummy, delicious dish sandwich and a charming bartender. Everything was grand! BUT, yesterday totally blew it for me. I can understand people having a bad day, I also work in the service industry BUT when you ignore your guests for some 20-30 minutes while you're doing nothing and certainly NOT BUSY that takes the cake. I was meeting a friend that I knew would love the food, praying it would be good this time. I arrived early so I had a seat at the bar, asked about beer/liquer specials and was informed that some local beers were $5.50 and whiskeys were $5. EXACT WORDS from Brittaney the bartender mind you. Great so I got a Hop, Drop and Roll, one of my favs and a shot of Bushmills. Then Courtney came to take over the bar and bar table area so I tabbed out with Brittaney while talking to my friend that had shown up by that time. Tabbed out (obviously not paying close attention to the tkt ot I'd have noticed I was overcharged $1) and tipped Brittaney. Finishing my beer and waiting on Courtney to bring menus and maybe take our orders. No acknowledgement whatsoever for at least 20 minutes. Yes Courtney had just arrived at work. Courtney evidently had to get settled. She did have to change the TV for herself or someone. She did need to carry on a non service related conversation with someone sitting at the bar.(for a while). She did have to text or get on Facebook or whatever was more important than we were although we were in plain view the entire time. I finally decided to go get my own menus and then noticed Brittaney telling Courtney something at which time she made her appearance at the table. Took our drink orders. 2 local drafts. Went back to the phone. Finally after 5 minutes or so, another waitress asked if we needed anything and we said we had ordered beers. She volunteered to bring them (Kudos to her) and then Courtney decided to bring them. Finally took our order. Brought our food and asked if we needed anything else. I decide since the Bushmills were $5 that sure I'd have another. She brought that and informed me it was $6 not $5???? Ok, only a buck but why was I told $5?? Then Brittaney decides she told me they were $2 off not $5 for whiskey. Ahem!! Not true! Not what she told me earlier! We all make mistakes but that got to me a little. Admit it if you screwed up alright. Courtney apologizes for not getting to us earlier because she had just come in and had 20 different things to do. As I stated before, TV, chat chat chat chat, stand around and play on phone. And even if that were so was there NO ONE around to take orders in the meantime?? Yeah, there was! SMH! HORRIBLE SERVICE!!! On a positive note, the food was pretty good...

I want to preface this by explaining that this review is from a person that has served and bartended for over a decade and my husband is a GM in restaurants. We have never been ones to give anyone this kind of review bc we have a lot of understanding especially when bartenders/servers are busy.

That being said, the service we received from this bartender was APPALLING. I had known from the second I walked in that she was very cold and didn't greet me for about 15 mins to ask if I would like a drink. Now was there an event in the other room? Yes. Do I understand when the tender is busy? Of course. But she went out of her way with myself and all patrons to avoid eye contact or any interaction and was very rude overall. Additionally, she was moving slowly as if there weren't plenty of empty drinks and people that needed things.

We witnessed people walking around to find condiments, napkins, silverware and a gentleman approached us asking if we had been here before bc he was super disappointed by the service and to top it off there was an 18% autograt attached to his check. Now listen, I have had checks with gratuity attached before but we were alerted about it and it was on the menu letting you know. This place did not let you know and when he asked her about it being taken off she ignored him and he was fed up and just paid it.

After we witnessed how rude she was to this man, we INSISTED she take it off our check as we could not believe her lack of kindness and respect to the patrons of this establishment. When my husband asked, she brought back the check and would you believe it, 20% grat on our check!!!! My husband again said ma'am, we need this gratuity removed we can't justify it for the service we received (mind you we tip EVERYONE but can't demand 20% for this behavior). She flat out says no. We then go back and forth saying this is not right it's not on the menu that they add this and she grabs the menu out of my husbands hand as we mentioned this. She claimed that she can't take off gratuity bc she has a big party. I said ma'am, we are not part of that party we are at the bar and demanded to see her manager. At this point she snatches the card and check and says "FINE I'LL TAKE IT OFF!"

Again, this could all have been avoided if she showed an inkling of kindness. A smile. An acknowledgement that she'll be right there. ANYTHING other than her mean attitude. She ruined what was supposed to be a spontaneous date night during a busy week for us and I really hope management considers who they let run their store-most people would not come back after this.

We...

I am 8 months pregnant. I go to big bens all the time and order the chicken Alfredo . It usually comes out to be like $11.80. Yesterday i ordered the same thing i usually always get which is the chicken Alfredo no mushroom no tomatoes. I didn’t think to say shrimp because I’ve never got shrimp with food before and thought they just had a chicken Alfredo meal. Plus I’m not going to order something i have a shellfish allergy too. So i ask the waitress that works at bar which has the nastiest attitude for no reason i asked her i said why is it so much this time when i usually order it come out to like $11.80/$12. She slams the menu on the counter in front of me and points at the chicken and shrimp Alfredo meal and walks off. When she comped back i ask her was it special that day or Something for the “chicken” Alfredo because it’s never that high. She says no and then proceeds to bring me my food. I attend school around there so my lunch was very limited i didn’t check my food Until i got into the car. I open up my food and take two bites of the pasta i mixed it around realize that it is shrimp in my food. Immediately i felt my throat start itching. So i get out my car and race back to the restaurant. I tell the waitress they gave me the wrong order this is not what i ordered she snatched the food away and tosses away aggressively my friend and i look at each other like I’m okay . After that i just asked for my money back and when does the manager get here she tells me 2:00pm it’s was 12:47. As this is occurring i start feeling my throat closing and swelling i run outside because i can’t breathe and start throwing up . My friend brings me napkins and water to try and help but i couldn’t swallow. When i walk back into get my money the Manager is walking through the door i immediately go to speak to Him because we caught eye contact. I let him know what happens and he said as he was pulling up to the restaurant he saw me throwing up outside . He spoke with the waitress at the back and came back out and lets me know that he will handle everything because i shouldn’t have been treated this way especially with me being pregnant . Needless to say I ended up in the hospital because my throat started closing and i couldn’t breath they kept me overnight to monitor me because my condition was bad thank god my baby was okay but i would’ve waited any longer my baby would’ve started losing oxygen as well i don’t wish this on anyone because this was a very scary and...