We used to love Phil’s when they were in Moss Landing. Today is our first visit to the new Castroville location and it is a big disappointment, because of the awful service and the downhill food quality.

We ordered 4 dishes including one kids meal and when I looked at the receipt, they charge me $160. I immediately think there is something wrong, it can not be this much. And indeed they order one extra dish for us (which I hope that was just an accident…) and that dish is $44.95 which is more expensive than any other dishes we ordered. So I talked to the front desk, they did not apologize at all and just go ahead refund me. But when I looked the refund receipt, it is just $31? So I waited again until they served another group of people, and talked to the front desk. This time she spent some time calculating how much to refund me, she pay me back $13. I did not think too much and went back to the table. After a minute, wait, didn’t I get charge $44.95+$3.x tax, why you only refund me $44 total? At this point I did not want to go back for the third time and asked them again. So I gave up and just want to enjoy my meal.

But the bad thing did not end here. My kid ordered a salmon dish, and the waitress brought her a fish dish. She did not think too much and started to dig in. When she cut the first piece of fish and the fish was still on her fork, the waitress came again to my kid saying “oh it was a wrong fish…you already ate it?” Then she just took her plate and including her fork from her hand because that wrong fish was still on her fork!!? No apology, and she acted as if cutting that wrong fish is our fault. WOW, i can’t believe this is how Phil’s treats the guests. At this point, we don’t really have any appetite for the rest of the meal.

To be honest, keeping the bad service aside, the overall food quality degrades a lot compared to Moss Landing location, especially cioppino. The whole soup has no seafood flavor, only the taste of tomato. It was not like that before. Not sure if they change the recipe or what. The ahi tuna taco is good.

I am sad to say we will not never be back to Phil’s again. We used to love it so much and now it is time to say so long good bye.