Dame's Chicken & Waffles — Restaurant in Durham

I ordered 2 entrees and a side for takeout at the Downtown Durham location. I had to wait and stand about 45mins. I was asked to move from my seat at the bar where the host had directed me to sit and place my order. I was told by a manager type with condescension that seat was for dine in only even though the host seated me there and asked the waitress to take my order. As I was standing, other walk in customers who dined in, came in well after me were seated and served after they signed in at a self-sign in type station. I was asked 2xs for my name so my order could be checked on. I was told my sides were ready but the entrees were not. My entree orders were 1 chicken n waffle and 1 shrimp n grits. I saw plate after plate after plate with chicken served to tables. Finally, after 45 minutes of standing, I asked for a refund. I was told by the host a manager would come talk to me then I was told a manager wasn’t available. I was told their policy was to take care of dine in customers first. I replied to the host that my policy was not to pay for poor customer service. I wanted a refund. That policy was also relayed to a customer who walked in to pick up an order she had placed online. She had to wait for the seated dine in customers to be served first. She did not have to wait as long as I did (maybe 20 minutes) but we talked about the policy and shared our disbelief about any reputable business having that policy and bragging about it. After I stated my policy, my order was brought to me. The host then said it took awhile because my order was so big and had he known he would have told me it was going to take awhile…Seriously- 2 entrees-sides that accompanied them and 3 wings!!! We went home and opened up the to-go boxes. The grits had cooled and congealed to a soft grit cake. That dish apparently had been sitting for awhile. The chicken’s batter was so hard it fell off when I tried to use a knife and fork on it. The taste was dry and overcooked. Was this intentional I wondered. The irony is that my family and I placed in person orders at several restaurants this weekend to gauge customer service, efficiency, and quality of food. This was the only one that was an absolute failure. We are planning a brunch style meal for a special friends n family event in Dec. My family waits in the car while I go in as we shop for a caterer at several places. I bring the food out and we make comparisons. If you can’t pass this test reasonably, you will never be our caterer. Maybe we should have gone in there as dine in customers and asked for to go boxes after we were served. This restaurant has catered several occasions at my previous employer and has worked with several acquaintances so imagine my shock at this experience. When others came in to place a take out order they were told to scan the QR code because they were not taking any in person to go orders. A customer quietly explained he tried to scan and was getting an unavailable error message. He kept trying. I paid and tipped to stand 45 mins not because there were many orders in front of me but because my order was takeout and all dine in orders were a priority over mine. I can only imagine how much longer I would have waited had I not spoken up….until the entire restaurant was served first? I have visited Dames several times many years ago at their old Durham location. No problems. My son had his engagement party catered by the Duke campus location. No problems. What happened? BTW the owner was there. I could see him standing and looking out at the dining room. No apologies were ever given. They obviously feel extremely confident in their success and reviews to turn customers away and discourage patronage with their arrogant, rude and unprofessional practices. There...

Unfortunately, I would like to share positive feedback and experience, but not in this case. Because this is a second incident within months of each other, as the company owner, you need to be informed.

Today’s most recent incident, like the previous in February 2022, is unacceptable. As the customer, I am not familiar with the company’s ordering process nor any nuisances your company is aware of. Let me explain. As the customer I expect when ordering online to be giving clear instructions and to be able to order and pick up food without incident. First, there are too many ordering options. I pick one, order, arrive with the ordering timeframe, and assume that’s all that is expected of me. Instead, upon arrival I am told “because you ordered thru Door Dash, the order technically has not been started yet AND you have to wait now for us to start your order because we just don’t start orders until an hour after opening. I don’t know why Door Dash or other options let you all order so early in advance like that.” Verbatim from staff. No way was I informed about an additional wait until I arrived to pick up my food, over an hour after I had already placed the order. I’m pregnant and another hour of waiting for orders that’s already confirmed and should have been started is just not right. There were other customers waiting just like me in the same exact pick up ordering situation. I feel sorry for the one lady because she arrived with her newborn. So, we all stood outside near the curb to wait because we had no food, no choice. There is no room for standing inside the restaurant. Sad to see all the happy eating customers while we waited. This leaves me to feeling like my patronage and money is not valued and no one frankly seems to care because business continues to thrive. However, I plan personally to stop being part of oncoming company sales. Especially, if the customer just isn’t kept in mind and prioritized throughout the dining experience.

I hope this feedback is taken seriously. I never complain and truly value the restaurant and hoped for a better turnaround. But, I just will not continue being a customer of Dame's Chicken and...

During our visit to Dames Chicken and Waffles in Durham, NC, we were initially excited to explore the flavors of a familiar establishment, having enjoyed previous visits to the Greensboro location. However, our experience took an unexpected turn from the moment we walked in. The initial cold greeting from a Hispanic young lady with dark hair left us questioning the vibe of the place, but we decided to give the benefit of the doubt, assuming it might have been a rough day for the staff.

Fortunately, we were soon seated by an attentive Asian young lady who efficiently handled our drink orders and took our food requests. The ordering process went smoothly, and we eagerly awaited the arrival of our meals. However, our anticipation turned to disappointment when we noticed the same staff member who had taken our order eating a lemon and not properly sanitizing her hands afterward. It was only after I brought it to her attention that she sanitized her hands, creating an unsettling moment for us.

As we waited, I decided to order coffee, only to find that it had a distinct burnt taste. I politely requested a replacement, but to my dismay, the issue wasn't addressed, and the manager, whom the staff member had gone to fetch, never appeared to address the concerns I raised.

Adding to the overall unpleasant ambiance, we overheard a conversation from the kitchen where the cook, an African American male, expressed dissatisfaction with his pay and voiced frustrations about various matters. This not only affected the atmosphere but also raised concerns about the overall morale of the staff.

Regrettably, when our food finally arrived, we found that the chicken was overcooked, and the waffles were undercooked, creating a rather unappetizing encounter, particularly for my young boys aged 4 and 10. This disappointing experience at Dames Chicken and Waffles in Durham left us questioning the consistency of quality and service across...