Quill's Canteen — Restaurant in Fontana Dam

First, let me start by saying that I have been vacationing at Fontana with my family since I was 10 years old. The setting, history, and real down home southern hospitality is what brought my family back to the Blue Ridge mtns and Fontana (no matter where we lived, including as far away as MIAMI, FL and the DMV) going on FIVE decades! Unfortunately that family tradition will not be happening at Fontana resort ever again under the current management team. Thankfully, this review is not about the resort, lodge and marina complex which is under separate ownership from the Wildwood Grill and bar. FYI, you should avoid the resort and marina at any cost if you value your family's health and safety!!!!!! The safer place to stay would be to tie raw meat ALL over your body and find the nearest bear den! Seriously, BUYER BEWARE!!!!!!!! However, this review is of the management and staff of the Wildwood Grill and Bar. As the stars say, as bad as my experience was at the resort and marina, the Wildwood is a beacon of what Fontana could be like if properly managed and staffed!!! Absolutely top notch, they made me feel like part of the family before I was even seated at a table. The wait staff were attentive to the level of service each guest required and responded appropriately. The pit master and executive chief is on point with the smoke. If he smokes it trust me, put it in your face, you'll thank me. The Saturday night prime rib is worth the drive up the mountain on any day, but add live music on the porch that includes artists as talented as Sarah Williams!!! Who I personally wish would do more shows near me (myrtle Beach area come on out Sarah....) because she is worth buying a ticket to hear sing and perform! Amazing. So that covers food and service, let's talk atmosphere, very laid back. No pretentiousness, just a back porch of your own home feel in the outdoor dining area. With views of a parking lot with everything from beautiful motorcycles, sports and super cars of all ilk, or even a giant red Laramie on a monster lift kit that sounds like a straight up Nascar stock car with a rumble you can feel in your chest. Anyone who loves the smell of high octane will be happy with the scenery. Which is absolutely incredible all around you in the Blue Ridge, you just have to elevate your line of sight alittle! Add in the experience of who you just might run into at the Wildwood and it's a wrap on a 5 star review!!! My first night was Saturday with Sarah Williams (again worth paying to hear) but also Mr. Ronnie Milsap music legend and western North Carolina native. Who was obviously still in birthday celebrations with his family, so I didn't interject with my personal ego to interrupt his family time with a pic or "introducing myself" to him, but many others did and he was gracious with each and everyone of them. The second night was even more incredible, as I had the privilege of meeting and speaking to Captain Dominic Addario. If you don't know the name, Google him. The discoverer of the San Miguel....I was in shock at first but soon realized it was in fact the man the myth the legend!!! Not only that but he allowed me to buy him and his wife drinks and chat. We then had an hour plus conversation that was on a level most could not even appreciate...thank you sir and madame. Thank you to the Wildwood management team, including the profoundly talented and seriously overlooked Dawnie Burchfield. If the ownership really wants to return Fontana to what is should be they'd put Dawnie in charge! (My humble opinion) I would also thank the wait staff who served me. They are fantastically educated, two masters degrees among them....wow. And some are performing exceptionally, but could add entirely new streams of income to the ownership of the entire resort not just the Wildwood Grill. Keep working on those ideas Rob LeGalley! Long story short, the Wildwood IS the draw to Fontana!!! No matter if you are biking, hiking, camping, motorcycling or just sightseeing in your favorite car through the Blue Ridge, go to Wildwood...

My husband and I had one of the worst examples of customer service I have ever experienced.

We were seated on the patio at Quills Canteen.

A young lady with long dark hair came to the table to help us (only to later find out she was new and not a server).

My husband ordered a Salad with trout bites and I ordered a grilled cheese with tomato on it which comes with tomato soup.

The young lady came back to the table after 5 minutes and told us they do not have any trout bites. My husband asked for chicken on the salad instead of the trout bites.

After 10 minutes the salad came out with no meat on it at all. My husband then requested chicken for the salad for the second time.

My grilled cheese had no tomatoe (which i did not even mention) and I was told they had no soup. She replaced the soup with potatoe salad.

About 10 minutes later the young lady came back with my husbands salad with only a sprinkle of chicken on top.

We then called over the other waiter (large man with a beard) we showed him the salad and he said "Okay i'll bring you more chicken". We also expressed our concern about the female server not getting our order correct. He then told us that she was new and was not even a server and seemed confused as to why she had been serving us.

The male server never returned with the additional chicken for the salad that he had promised. We sat waiting for the check. That is when we called Lindsay the manager of the restaurant over (a lady with blond hair). This is when it got very disturbing...

We explained to her what bad service we had received.  She in a huff blurted out "you do not need to pay the bill, i will comp your bill and you can just go". Then she got very combatative. She said she could refuse service to anyone and started making excuses explaining why all these things had happened.

My husband had had a bad experience at this restaurant 2 nights prior as well with a conversation with Lindsay.

My husband said "as the manager it is your responsibility to make sure things go as expected here". That was when things got really ugly. She started scolding us and speaking loudly in front of all the other customers.  She said " the days of people speaking poorly to the staff are over.  We don't need to serve you or put up with it."

We had not been combatative prior to this point (she had been).

She then proceed to verbally attack me when I said "she doesn't need to make excuses she simply needs to appologize and that she needed to work on her customer service skills". I had said very little prior to this point.

She yelled at me and told me (us) never to come back.

At this point other customers starting clapping and telling her "good job".

No one else was truly aware of what really had happening.

She seemed so proud of herself.

Worst experience, getting abused by the restaurant staff.

She really seemed to think we should be happy she was working at all.

You should be aware of how the staff at Quills treats...

I stayed at the lodge for quite a while and there aren't many dining options so you get familiar with the few that are available.

The good of the Wildwood Grill... The staff is generally nice. The outdoor seating is quite, particularly after or during a rain storm. A couple of the food items I had were good. The BBQ sandwich was decent as we're the burgers.

I order and three pizzas during my time there and they got progressively worse. Starting with an OK pepperoni and then onto an edible veggie and finishing with, what you'd think would have been the best, the "every dam thing" pizza. I actually ending up throwing half of it out and I can only say that I ate the first few pieces trying to convince myself that it wasn't terrible. The kitchen here cooks like they know they are cooking for a captive audience and they are.

The biggest disappointment came when one of my orders was done wrong and I didn't discover it until I was back up at the lodge. And I'm not being picky like they forget to toast the nun or something. They had completely forgotten to put all the toppings on my BBQ sandwich. I called down and they said they would fix it. So I walked it down and handed it over. The manager (I'm assuming he was the manager) offered me a beer. I don't drink so that was wasted on me. He and I discussed a few of the shortcomings of my experience at the lodge and he seemed genuinely concerned and interested. He asked me what room I was staying in now. He asked me what room that I had stayed in that in rough shape and had broken furniture and bugs. I really thought he was going to do something. He didn't. I didn't even get a break on my dinner they had messed up and that I had to walk back to the restaurant to get fixed. Honestly, I'd rather you not do anything at all for me rather than pretend you're going to and then you don't. The honest route is less insulting.

So, this place gets 2 stars only because of a couple.of decent meals and a nice, but overall slow, staff.

If you have to go here, and you probably do since there aren't many options, is avoid the pizza like the plague.

Do yourself a favor and go to the general store and buy a couple burritos and nuke them there and sit on their porch. That was a better meal than anything I had at the Wildwood Grill.

It could and should be such a great place but...