McAlister's Deli — Restaurant in Columbia

MORTIFIED!!!!! Tonight is likely my last visit to Columbia McAlister’s and possibly any McAlister’s in the future. We were essentially asked to leave for having kids. Our youngest, who is 19 months old, was throwing a minor tantrum. We were addressing him and trying to calm him down, which lasted no more than a minute or two. As he was calming back down, the manager came up to us and asked us to leave, starting multiple people had complained and left because of him. This was at 5pm on a Thursday with two other tables having people sitting at them, both of which arrived after us. Both tables sat in disbelief as we too were shocked at the request. The manager went back to the kitchen, where she had been, and all of the tables around us reassured us that they had no issue with us and that they too had kids at one time who had done that bad or worse before. We packed up our dinner, the front of the house staff repeatedly apologized for the request and our other two kids ate some of their food before feeling obligated to leave as well. There was very little traffic before the request and many other people showed up before we left. As paying patrons of the restaurant, being asked to leave for an early dinner, minor child tantrum is just plain unbelievable, inexcusable, insulting, and flat out embarrassing as a parent. So much for being a McAlister’s club member and regular patron.

Also, we got home and tried to continue our meal only to find mold in the fruit cup for our young one who got us...

I just stopped by to place a to-go order. Only 2 customers sitting in a booth in the entire place. When I approached the counter, there was a young girl from the back at the front counter talking to another young girl on the customer side. There was a guy who was at the register when I entered but left to go to the back as I approached the counter. No one acknowledged me. Not once. There was also a young girl cleaning tables the entire time. Both of the original counter folks entered and left yet again, with again no acknowledgement that I was waiting to order. I asked another young lady working in the back if there was a manager I could speak to and she said she would get someone. She was actually working and it wasn’t her place to take my order. The one who ignored me said “it wasn’t her job” when I asked her about it. All very unprofessional and very disappointing. I’m shocked they are able to staff that amount of team members (I saw 5 total) and stay open with such terrible customer service. I left. Never got to place an order but would not go back at this point. I called corporate and filed a complaint. Do better folks. Your jobs are not guaranteed. I am a chef and have an amazing staff but it’s because they want to work and they work hard. Everyone is held...

Went there on opening day with a friend around 7 o'clock; there were maybe 4 or 5 people eating inside. We got our food before a small rush of people came in. My friend had go everything included with his meal but the Black Angus spud I ordered was supposed to come with an au jus sauce. I asked the waitress if it was included on the potato (I couldn't see from the toppings) and she had said yes. When I cut into it the only sauce I could see was the protein leaking out of the beef making my cold potato soggy and tasteless.

The rest of our meal was just as bad, being that my sandwich was lukewarm and soggy, my macaroni and cheese being cold, and my friend's spud being only warmed near the top (assumedly from the chili). We didn't want to ask anything from the staff seeing as the girl that brought out our food didn't know what she was talking about and another employee was taking pictures of herself and texting at the registers for almost the whole time we were there. The only redeeming thing there right now for me is their lemonade.

Your best choice is to get better food and service from somewhere else until the restaurant either fixes its problems in the upcoming weeks/months or shuts down entirely from their disappointing...