The Downtown Chief — Restaurant in Gadsden

Another update! My husband and I decided to give Downtown Chief another chance. We went for lunch and it was much better than in the past. Looks like things are better again but since there has been ups and downs with this restaurant I have a difficult time in knowing if it will last. I didn't order a salad because I refuse to eat iceburge lettuce and didn't want to deal with sending my meal back if my mixed greens came to me as iceburge. So, not assured with ordering. My fried green tomatoes were good and my husband's order wasn't exactly what he ordered but we were in a hurry so he didn't say anything. Overall, good food. Could be better.

Since I wrote the below review I'm not sure what has happened to this restaurant. The past three times we had the opportunity to eat there it has not been as it once was ☹️. The wait staff was excellent on two occasions, on the third and last occasion I was told by my wait staff that my salad ( which I have had on other occasions with beautiful mixed greens) was never served with mixed greens only plain lettuce and if it were it would have some spinach mixed into the plain lettuce. The menu also plainly states mixed greens. This is only the beginning of a horrible evening. So sad to see a good restaurant go bad!

Downtown Chief is one of my favorite places to eat in Gadsden. They have wonderful vegetables with real flavor! I am not a big meat eater but my husband does enjoy their chicken fingers, he has commented that it is hit and miss with getting good ones...I think there's usually such a crowd that the fingers get forgotten on occasion and instead of tossing them they serve them up burned and tough. If you're lucky enough to get the ones that are cooked like they're supposed to be cooked, you're in for a wonderful treat! This is a place where they can improve 😉 The one other thing I've noticed is they use instant potatoes and it's obvious! I never eat anything like that at home and I don't expect to get it at a restaurant, step up guys! You're better than that!!! Everything else is so excellent it's almost embarrassing that you're serving that boxed cheese potato casserole and mashed potatoes! Your black pepper cabbage is the bomb! Reminds me of my grandmother's back in Ohio, the little bacon and hot pepper in the background is just heavenly. Polish food yummy 😋. I don't know where your recipes come from but keep up the good work and fill the spaces that need improvement, you guys can be the best in town with a little work on a few...

Place needs better organization and service. Walk in wait to be seated only two tables occupied at this time so not busy yet no one there to greet you as you walk in or there to seat you. Get seated give drink orders look over menu as first time here. Once ordered food which was an order of wings with a side salad (wanted salad as appetizer) because you don't eat cold food with hot food just doesn't sit right when one is with a fork and the other hand held ,you would be leaving your wings cold while you ate the salad or leaving the salad to wilt while you eat the wings. And a chicken tender basket with cheese fries. While waiting on food the server is gossiping and eating so had to ask another server to replace drink as the sweet tea was not good at all, tasted like a one bag no sugar brew. After a bit ask the original server how long would the salad be as another table had already received their "cooked" appetizer and they had ordered after us by a good ten mins. She comes back with all of the food defeating the purpose of the salad appetizer. Needed more sauce but our server not only had time to chat with fellow employees but eat her own lunch and step outside for a break, I get breaks but when not busy like that service should take priority and I shouldn't be able to watch you eat while waiting on my own food. The table we were sat at was super sticky and killed the vibe. Would train employees better. Star goes to the cook only. Salad portion was great value, fry portion was short for the value, tenders were overcooked and lacked seasoning, the wings were slightly on the smaller side but taste was good. The attitude of the staff was not welcoming facial expressions show more than their words did. And not just our server another table had to get their own napkins because at one time the entire staff was missing from view. I feel for the 25 top planning to come by later because if they can't handle 2 two tops that party is going to be disappointed. Did I mention we could hear the complaints of the server to attend said party. Would...

We just picked up a $70 carryout order. We were never greeted, only stared at blankly...We asked the hostess where to pick up our order and she pointed us to the bar. One bartender called to the hostess to go fill all 5 drink orders (3 sweet teas and 2 grape milkshakes) because they had forgotten. We waited well over 10 minutes for the drinks. The hostess finally came back with the drinks full to the brim with no lids. I asked if we could have the lids considering they were for carryout and it would be a huge mess to drive home with 5 full, open cups. She then informed me that they were completely out of lids. I understand that sometimes, restaurants run out of supplies, but why wait until it's an inconvenience to the customer? The hostess rushed to help another patron leaving us hanging to figure out what to do next. We go back to the bar to ask if there is anything we could use as a lid to make it home. The second bartender made it very obvious that she was ignoring us and never attempted to help. The first bartender came back with small ice cream cups that did not fit. We asked the second bar tender for some French fry boats just to try and cover them, but before we got out the door, the milkshakes were already melting over and spilling everywhere. We abandoned all 5 drinks and left without compensation for the drinks. What a waste. I am very supportive of being understanding and kind to all serving staff, but this was totally...