Miller's Ale House — Restaurant in Dr. Phillips

A friend and I went to Miller's Alehouse on International Drive in Orlando for lunch. They offer a lunch menu with SOME special lunch options at a special $7.99 price. However the burgers offered on that special lunch menu, as well as other "lunch" options, are not offered at a discounted price at all. That wasn't readily recognizable on this menu because the food options offered that were not $7.99 failed to show the pricing for those "lunch" plates. Also, the way the coloring and fonts were put together on this menu made it easier for guests to miss the fact that items on that menu differed in price from the highlighted $7.99 offerings. Their basic burger and fries is normally priced at $10.99, which is a fair price for a 1/2 lb burger. However, aside from the $7.99 lunch entrees offered, the other items on the lunch menu DID NOT have the prices shown for them. My friend ordered the prime burger thinking it was a value lunch option that ended up being $16.99. That ended up being a pretty expensive burger for lunch. He did not intend to be purchasing lunch for slightly less than $20. I actually brought it to his attention during our meal as I was looking overvthe menus more closely. I believe the server knowing this was the case should have told us the price that was missing on that particular menu. Especially with that burger being a $9 difference from the other $7.99 options offered on that menu. BTW, in my opinion, what you get for that $6 difference between the "prime burger" and the "basic burger" is not worth it at all. Anyway, I believe that lunch menu was put together that way to encourage patrons to purchase higher priced options for lunch. Many patrons wouldn't readily recognize that the items offered on that menu were not special lunch items offered at a special price, but rather regular priced menu offerings. It's deceiving. The server fails to mention it because it increases the check which in turn increases the tip possibility.

The food ordered at this particular visit was good and wasn't the issue. However, my friend didn't really enjoy the "perks" that made the burger a "prime burger". I ordered the meatloaf, which was fine. It was the way the menu was put together and presented that is the issue here. A thought out marketing ploy customers don't appreciate. Because I had suggested Miller's for lunch I was the one burdened with paying for that $17 "lunch" burger. If it would have been the basis burger that had been ordered the issue wouldn't have been so dramatic.

I've ordered burgers at two different Miller's locations since that lunch experience. One visit being at the University Avenue location and the other at the Winter Park location. Both are located in the Orlando, Fl area. Both visits were after 5 pm. At my most recent visit in Winter Park I peaked at the lunch menu. I noticed it had changed. On the new lunch menu the prices for all the food plates being offered were now displayed. Apparently we weren't the only ones that had a problem and dislike for that...

We parked easily in the spacious parking lot and then entered the restaurant. The hostess greeted with a pleasant attitude. She was friendly and upbeat despite the amount of people waiting for tables. The waiting area inside was fairly spacious and there were people waiting outside as well. One of the servers was friendly and chatted with me a couple of times as he passed by while I was waiting with my friends for a table. A short while later, we were seated.

Matt was our server. He greeted us with a warm friendly smile and offered us appetizers and beverages to get started. We declined the appetizers but gave a drink order. The server took our order and made some recommendations to me. My friends knew what they wanted but I was unsure until the recommendations. I placed my order with great anticipation.

We were a very thirsty crowd. The first refills were offered but additional ones were requested by us, with the exception of the food runner offering my friend a refill.

A manager was seen walking past us and smiled, prior to our food arriving. Our food came and we had no utensils. The food runner graciously went and got them for us. My friends had no complaints about their meals. I found mine to be undesirable. The baked potato was far from fresh. I attempted two bites. The peach bbq chicken and ribs lacked sauce. It was barely present. When the server came back, he asked how everything was and my friends said fine and I said mine was extremely dry. He asked if I wanted him to get a manager and I said, “No, how about some bbq sauce?” He brought back some bbq after checking on his other tables. By this time, I became completely dissatisfied with my meal.

When the checks were brought, I needed to use ApplePay, so I had to follow the young man to the service area to process my payment. He brought the receipts back and asked how everything was. I’m not understanding why he didn’t remember that I was disappointed in my meal. I paid, provided a 20% tip and left with my friends. I’m never going to be one of those people who complain to get a free meal. I’d much rather share my experience, good or bad, and hope it helps someone else from having the same experience or makes a positive recommendation.

*I posted pix of my friends meals because they...

Edit* Following the response from Millers, which I appreciate. I didnt want to make my presence known as i didnt want any preferential treatment. Service was good food was good! I have one critism though. Please don't give the weekday specials menu out on a weekend when it isn't valid.

I usually adore Millers, and weeks before coming to orlando we start to look.at the menu and get excited. Last night though wasn't great. It was busy, which is awesome to see in the current economic state of everywhere atm. We had to wait 20 mins for a table, no problem sat outside and waited. Table was ready in about 8-10 mins, Bonus for.us as we were hungry. Server came over, mumbled his name, asked for our order. We ordered, with 1 adjustment to the one meal which was nothing too hard to do.i said to the hubby that I bet him the adjustment wouldn't be made because the server didn't seem to be listening. 1st round of soda finished. 2nd round of soda was there within minutes. 3rd round of soda was delivered to me as the server was talking to the table behind me. No communication from the server at all. There were 3 other servers chatting to their guests but nothing for us. None of his tables had any form of conversation with him. I think.he was hiding in the back. When he did speak it was rushed or mumbled so you didn't really hear what he was saying. After 53 mins of not getting our food and tables after us getting theirs I was getting agitated. He had told us it wouldn't be long just after hearing plates smash in the kitchen. I think we got to about 1hr 5 from being seated for the food to come to us but guess what, he hadn't put my adjustment on. So my food went back. Luckily it was only a cobb salad, which the table to my left had also ordered his with blue cheese and mine without. So I presume the swap was easy for them. By this time though I was done and didn't eat most of it. I think for the 1st time ever in coming over here I had a take out box. The food was meh! Normally I can't get enough but I think the whole experience just made it meh! I won't be rushing back, we normally eat there 5 or 6 times on a 2 week break but I'll stick to...