Ernie's Cafe & Steak House — Restaurant in Columbia Township

*Warning: long post but extremely important, please read and share publicly.

On Saturday, October 12th, Myself and two others were subjected to unprovoked and unfair treatment by Ernie's Cafe & Steak House when we went for breakfast, likely based on our race. From the beginning of our service, we were treated rudely by the staff. When we ordered something and it wasn't up to the usual standards and attempted, politely, to get it exchanged for something else, we were met with coldness and disrespect. We asked to speak to the owner, and were told that he wouldn't even come to our table, and that we had to go in the back where he was cooking to speak to him. We were accused, by him, of coming into the restaurant every week causing issues, and when we asked for evidence, were given none. We were then told that we were complaining, and when we tried to explain ourselves, were cut off by the owner and he walked away. We decided that we weren't going to put up with this behavior, and walked out, leaving our food and drinks untouched. We were followed out of the restaurant, called terrorists, had pictures taken of us, berated, and banned. Not only that, but we had the police called on us, as well as outright lies told to the police about our behavior. Furthermore, our female friend, due to being so upset by how we were being treated, left her phone in the restaurant, and after about 30 minutes of trying to locate it, with the restaurant claiming that they didn't have it, it was found outside in the back of the restaurant by their dumpster. We did not walk that way to get back to our car, so there was no way that she could have dropped it, and so it was deliberately placed there. Now we are in the Columbia Police Department system as potential trespassers, so if we ever go back into the restaurant, we will be arrested.

DO NOT EAT AT Ernie's Cafe & Steak House! They are racist, and do not deserve our business. They called the POLICE on three Black graduate students simply because we demanded to be treated better. No longer will we stand idly by and put up with these racist incidents. This was an honestly traumatizing experience, never in my life have I been treated in such a way or had the police called on me. The fear that I felt when the police pulled up and we found out that it was for us is something I can't quite explain. This is unfair and we will not...

I love the food at Ernie's but one of their servers overcharged me several times last year. I went to Ernie's 4 or 5 times in the span of 2 weeks and would always order the same thing--a 3 egg ham and cheese omelette with hash browns and sausage. Each time my bill would come out to $9 and change. Then one day a server I'd never seen before named Sandy served me and my bill came out to $12 and change. I told her I ordered the same meal just a few days earlier and it came out to $9 and change. She insisted she didn't overcharge me. I didn't want to have her call the cops on me for making a scene so I dropped it. I wish I had known that the owner was working in the kitchen. If I did I would have gone back and showed him my receipt and asked him why I was being charged more than $12 for a meal that was a little more than $9 a few days earlier.

Anyway, I went in there a few times after that and Sandy charged me 12-something for the same meal a few more times. Then I noticed that she would gradually lower the price in $1 increments. One day my bill would be 12-something. Then a few days later it would be 11-something. And then it went down to 10-something. But when another server took my order, my meal would be 9-something. So Sandy overcharged me and she knew it but she lied about it so she wouldn't get into trouble. Having her overcharge me was bad enough but having her know she did it and refuse to admit it and reimburse me or somehow make it up to me left a really bad taste in my mouth. I stopped going to Ernie's for a year. I went there a few days ago and Sandy was still working there. I ordered the same meal and she charged me $11.56. I went there several days later and another server charged me the same amount. Oh, well. I never got the $16 or so that she got for overcharging me last summer but at least she stopped ripping me off. I wish I could say my experiences at Ernie's were good because I love their food but, as I said, my experiences with this server have left a really bad taste...

These people are Grade-A! It's easy to overlook the experience and expertise with which Ernie's is most undeniably operating upon. Especially given the ease and fluidity with which it all goes without a hitch. Let's just say my party probably wasn't typical, nor without needing constant accommodation, not to mention the circumstances did tend to demand attention from fellow diners... But I wouldn't have noticed...In fact, I didn't. Instead I was able to lose myself in the hazy, warm, butter and maple syrup flash flood that delivered unto me a most perfect Belgium Waffle, and not having been made to feel any type of way about that except extremely satisfied....I also have to mention the charismatic and quite witty host, who seemed to usher all of us, cooks, dishwasher, fellow patrons, through the goings-on and cacophonous restaurant percussion safely through to the satiated after-glow and departure-- even though I'd have loved to stay. The server was professional and warm, not one coffee cup neglected and our orders were returned with no mistakes and all specifications happily met. A true gem, and I'm guessing a local favorite. If ever I return to Columbia, returning to Ernie's for breakfast Will be a...