Black Angus Steakhouse — Restaurant in El Cajon

We arrived for a late lunch to avoid the busy Valentine's day evening business. We got there a little before 3 and was told there was going to be a 15-20 min wait. No problem. We decided we would just wait for high top tables since everything else was a reservation. We sat down the first thing we noticed is the table is dirty and apparently it had been for quite some time because there was dried liquid and sticky stuff on the table. We ask the person sitting us if she could take care of it and she had to go get a rag to wipe it down ans still did a poor job. My boyfriend still had to wipe it down with his napkin. We ordered drinks, the sampler, and we each got a prime rib dinner. It took a long time to get our first order of drinks. Mind you it's not busy. While waiting they had seated about 3 or 4 tables who had already received their drinks. So dinks show up then the appetizer. And out of 4 sampler only 1 was really decent. The chicken tender were cold. The shrimp cocktail had a weird taste. At some point the server must notice my empty glass and asks if I wanted another drink. So I order one. It took a long time to come out too. So now I am starting to get a little hungry here. The server finally comes back tells us she that we have been waiting for over 35 min and was going to check on our food and get the manager. Food shows up from the lady who was the first hostess and sets our plates down and was about to bail when I pointed out I was missing a lobster tail. She was like "oh yeah let me get that" So now we have food and I am ready to dig in and its warm. Steaks was over cooked, not seasoned and dry as hell. I took a bite of my lobster tail and it was cold. Not happy. The server finally comes back over asked if we need boxes. Rhise cone out quickly. Server comes back finally with the check. $164 and some change. For that! Okay! Still have not seen the manager and I am now just pissed because my boyfriend tried to give me an amazing Valentine's day dinner and it went to shit. Still not busy one of the couples who was seated after us at the next table has already eaten and left. The manager, the person I least expect it to be comes and I go to tell him about out dinner experience but he is not listening to me. Instead he wants to tell me about how busy it is (which it was not) then try and tell me that the reason the other people left before us that were seated after us was because they didn't order an appetizer. Yes they did. So now I'm being gaslighted into believing that because it was "busy" that's why the service and food sucked. So my boyfriend steps in and just says hey what can you do for us. In my opinion comping one of the meals and drinks would have made me happy. But he didn't say what he was going to do. He just said he would take care of it. We get the check back he only take off 20% which only subtracted 38 bucks. I'm sorry but for a day like Valentine's Day, and to have the service from the moment we sat down til we paid be lackluster was worth more than a 38 dollar discount and an offer for free appetizer when we return. He didn't give us a card with that notated this or nothing. I really didn't care honestly because, I'm still pissed and know I won't be going back there anytime in the near or distant future to collect on this because we don't eat out like that. This was a special moment today. My boyfriend was happy to be taking me out only for us to one of the worst service and food experiences on a romantic holiday! This is why I don't like to eat out. I am almost always disappointed in the service or food. It should have been a great experience but when my service and food is better when I go through an In and Out drive through. I don't know if I want to waste my time or money trying this place again. We should have went to Outback! This place was not ready for Valentine's day or any day from the other reviews I read. Get...

Update: Got the Campfire Feast for two (now $5 more expensive) and paid an extra $4 for the Wagon Wheel Sampler appetizer. Unfortunately some of the regular sidekicks are now defined as premium for an extra charge. The Wagon Wheel Sampler is about half the previous size with smaller portions. Update: Prices have increased a few dollars again. Ok, if you have a coupon for one of the special offers. Update: We used today's coupon code to get a lobster tail with any steak entree. The lobster tail was small as expected, but the sirloin steak was good. The disappointment came when we noticed on the bill that a baked potato with everything on it that used to be counted as a classic side, is now an additional $2.25 charge. The baked potato was overcooked and dry, so I had to use the leftover butter that came with the lobster. So I won't be getting a baked potato in the future. Update: Our best experience ever at this location, totally due to our amazing server Julia D.! She was very friendly, enthusiastic, super fast, and actually told us that she loves her job. It really showed. She should be promoted to a supervisor to train all of the other servers. We got the email special of steak, lobster, and fried shrimp. All were very good. Update: Got the Lamb special entrees. There was very little meat on each of the 3 pieces, mostly bone and fat. The taste was just ok. We would not order it again. Update: Got the BOGO steak special of two Ribeyes. Both were tender, juicy, and flavorful. Also got a Peach Tea mock tail, it was excellent. Update: Got the BOGO steak special of two Ribeyes. Both were tender, juicy, and flavorful. However, this time there was a lot of fat and white connective tissue in each steak. Hopefully this was just a one time occurrence, and not a cost cutting measure of lower quality meat. Update: Got the BOGO steak special of two 14oz. NY Steaks. One of the steaks was very good and the other had a lot of white connective tissue, similar to the Ribeye steaks last time. This is leading us to believe that lower quality meat is being served as a cost cutting measure. Update: Got the BOGO steak special of two 14oz. NY Steaks. This time both steaks were very good and only one had a bit of excessive fat and white connective tissue. Update: Got the lobster, shrimp, and steak trio specials. Both steaks were cooked perfectly medium rare, tender, and juicy. Kudos to Chef Alex! Update: Got two porterhouse steaks. Both were excellent! Update: Got the lobster, shrimp, steak trio. Everything was very good, but the steaks were excellent! Even better than before. Amazing steaks! Update: Got the steak, shrimp, and lobster trio. It was excellent! Update: Got two 12oz. NY Strip Steaks. They were excellent. Update: Got the 2 for 1 special with two 12oz. NY Strip Steaks. This time the steaks were very fatty with lots of unchewable connective tissue. Update: Got the Trio Steak, Lobster and Shrimp special. Everything was very good, except the rice pilaf side. It had an odd texture, almost slimy. We asked for it to be replaced with broccoli, which was good. Update: Got the Trio (Steak, Lobster and Shrimp) special. Everything...

I try not to give bad reviews, especially when I've eaten at a place multiple times without an issue. So maybe this review is an isolated incident. Either way, I was pissed off enough to write this. It's Valentine's Day, and I know a restaurant like this is going to be busy. I didn't go there to eat. Only to get a single creme Brule to-go to accompany my home cooked Valentine's dinner. I started by trying to order ahead online, which never went through. So I figured since I work only 3 blocks away, I would just stop by and order with the hostesses. I walk in, and it's busy, as expected. I hear the hostesses telling some of the walk-ins that it's almost a 3 hour wait. I ordered the single creme Brule, and there's a $2 packaging fee on a single $8 item. That didn't bother me at the time. 30 minutes go by, and I'm starting to wonder what's taking so long for a dessert that's probably already pre-made. I wait another 10 minutes and walk up to the hostesses and ask about the status of my order, and one of them, quite possibly the manager, says she'll go check. Well, she never returned for the rest of my time there. Another 25 minutes goes by, I'm now over an hour waiting for 1 CREME BRULE. I walk back up to the hostess desk and check with the girl who took my order. She can't believe I haven't received it yet and runs off to check. A few minutes went by, and she rushed over to me with my order. She hands it to me and apologizes. To which I replied, "This is ridiculous!". She also agreed that it was ridiculous, and I walked out.

After I got home and actually looked at the dessert, I could see that they didn't even torch the top to crisp up the sugar. All that waiting for a creme Brule, and they didn't even do what makes it creme Brule. Now it's just custard!

Also, this is a good example of why someone should not tip until service is received. Sadly tipped at the time of purchase.

There was no compensation or anything to make me, as a customer, to feel better about the wait or the subpar purchase I made. Even if the threw in a squaw bread it would have eased my nerves.

I don't know if this place just missed my order or what. Busy or not, no one should wait over an hour for a mostly pre-made dessert.

I don't go to black Angus much but I'm sure I'll be back and hopefully have a better review for another occasion.

One other thing, the guy standing next to me in the waiting area had placed his order from home around the time of mine and drove 30 miles to pick it up. He didn't get his till sometime after mine, as he was still there...