O'Charley's Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Florence

This was the worst dining experience I've had in a long while. I feel like with chain restaurants such as these, you're going to get a somewhat consistent if a little underwhelming and overpriced meal and that it's usually accompanied by service that's pretty decent. What I got was significantly worse than I was expecting, however.

First, let me address the food. I ordered rare prime rib with "smashed" potatoes and rice with horseradish. My server asked if I wanted the creamy horseradish or the real stuff and I said the real stuff. Upon arrival I received the creamy and the real horseradish but hey, at least I got what I wanted even if it came with what I said I didn't. I'm not sure about the prime rib though, maybe it was overcooked? I can tell you it was tough, not pink, and had a bad flavor. I'm not expecting the best prime rib for $22, but I do expect it to taste like prime rib and not Salisbury steak. The potatoes had an odd flavor I can't place but the closest comparison my girlfriend and I could come up with was Jergens hand lotion. They were weird and while she'd say they were awful I'd just call them bad. The rice was fine if bland. She wasn't impressed with her food either.

Even when the food at a given place is a letdown the service generally is good so that you feel almost sorry for the server, after all she didn't cook the food. This was not to be as my girlfriend had beer spilled onto her by another server before the food arrived but accidents do happen. Our server, however, seemed to be moving things pretty fast. She brought us fresh drinks before either of us had taken any sips of our first ones. She asked if we "had room for dessert" before I was through even a third of my steak (and I had more than half of my rice and potatoes as well). She came back a bit later and asked if my girlfriend needed a box while she was obviously still eating. I've never been accused of being a slow eater and yes, it was a 16oz prime rib which isn't tiny but I really felt rushed. The first time I honestly thought it was a joke.

All in all it was probably my worst restaurant experience in recent memory and it's definitely the worst I've had in terms of dollars spent compared to the value returned. We've all had bad experiences at a busy fast food place but in a relatively slow big chain where you're spending $50 without alcohol I expect a basic level of service quality even if the food is subpar. I won't be returning and I'll admit I didn't complain (after all, I ate the food) but really it was just poor all...

HORRIBLE!!!

The server (Jeannie J- from receipt) was extremely rude. Came up to table to take order and didn't say a word, just stood there with paper and pen and looked at us. She called my granddaughter "him" several times, even after gently being corrected. Not sure if she was making fun of her short hair? My granddaughter had on a fluffy bright pink sweater, pants with pink flowers, and sparkly bright pink boots. Very obviously a girl. And if she wanted to be politically correct, she could have said "baby", "little one", "child" etc.. but chose to repeatedly say him.

The server brought my granddaughters food out well before ours. We did not want or ask for this. She was not restless or needing it. She was drawing on her menu and eating a piece of bread. Because of this, she was done eating well before we were, and then really was restless and ready to go. We had to pack most of our meal for home.

My friend ordered the chicken tender dinner, I ordered the combo appetizer as my meal, with a side salad. When our food came out he had nice, plump fresh chicken tenders. I had the days leftovers it seemed. Mine were tiny, over cooked, more breading than chicken, just gross. And one of my cheese triangles appeared to be missing a bite. I brought this up to server, she grabbed my plate and said she would get another. I'm pretty sure she just brought the same plate back out, because not much was changed.

When it came for the free Wednesday dessert, she ran through the options so fast we couldn't understand. I'm sure she has to repeat a lot, but was very obviously annoyed when we asked her to please say them again.

Another observation. We were sat in the back booth right by the to go (table 54- from receipt). No one was there, I saw several people stand there waiting to get food, or having to knock on kitchen door to get attention.

This was my friend's first time there. Not a good first impression. And I haven't been in a while, but used to love it and loved the chicken tenders. Now just a huge...

Man. This place was pretty bad.

I wanted to come here. My coworkers were discussing O'Charley's, I keep seeing commercials, etc. One Saturday afternoon, while out with my boyfriend, we got hungry. I suggested O'Charley's. He said he was up for whatever, so to O'Charley's we went.

The restaurant looks fine. Our table was clean enough. But I went to the restroom, where a giant chunk of potato was laying on the (super dirty) floor. Then, an employee was apparently in the stall next to me. She took of her apron and laid it on the floor. I certainly hope she was off work at that point and was planning to take her apron home to launder, because that's nasty, homie.

Then, back to the table where we place our orders. Our waitress is friendly enough, but she soon begins to rush us, in a not-very-busy restaurant. Refills come before we've had a chance to take more than two sips. We are offered dessert five minutes into our entrees. She offers me a box when we are clearly still far from done. Maybe she was just off her game that Saturday, or maybe they push the waitstaff to move you through like cattle in a slaughterhouse. I don't know, but it was not awesome.

The food was not good. At all. I ordered steak and chicken tenders. A coworker raved about how they were hand breaded on site, so I felt like I had to have them. Well, they were nasty. Granted, I order my steak well done, but this was the toughest, chewiest piece of meat I have ever eaten. The smashed potatoes had the weirdest flavor to them. Sad.

Finally, the elderly couple behind us were there to celebrate their 50th (or more, I don't remember) anniversary. The husband ordered a bottle of beer. Their waitress brought it over and dropped it on the ground, sending a fountain of beer into the air, raining down upon me and the couple at the table across the aisle. My hair was soaked. With beer. So I got to spend the rest of my meal with wet hair and the rest of my day smelling like a wino.

This was the worst way to spend $50 ever. At least it was good...