Buffalo Wild Wings — Restaurant in Gardendale

My mother and I came here for lunch, and we took our own drinks inside (water). We have done this many times before, even took food inside for my daughter on several occasions from a different place. Never had issues. Today, when the waitress came to the table to get our drink orders, my mother asked what they had caffeine and sugar free. She couldn’t think of anything, besides WATER! And let’s face it, the water at restaurants is gross. It just tastes bad. She proceeds to say that they don’t allow outside drinks. My mother explained that she was diabetic and had some other health issues and she couldn’t drink what they had, which is why she had her own bottled water with her. I had water in a tumbler that I brought in. They saw me holding my cup when I walked in the door, and didn’t say anything then. So the girl still says they don’t allow outside drinks. I asked how they can say that to people who are diabetic, or whatever other reason. She then said “well I didn’t know she was diabetic before I said that, I guess it’s fine.” I was going to put my water aside and just order soda, for the sake of any issues. So we’re waiting on my drink and a cup of ice for my mother, and the host came over and told us the same thing, that they don’t allow outside drinks. I told him that the waitress already told us that, and I ordered a soda. I told him it was just water in my cup, and my mother’s, and it was shocking to me how far they were going over someone bringing in WATER. He repeated the same thing, almost like a robot. I said ok we will just leave, since he was making it clear that either we needed to physically get rid of our drinks or leave. When we got to the front, my mother asked his name and at first he didn’t want to tell her. She asked again and he told her with an attitude. I asked who the manager was, and he walked infront of me and said his name again. I asked who was over him, because I wanted to get to the bottom of this issue since it’s never been enforced ever before. He wouldn’t tell me who the owner was, or who was over him. To me, that sounds like someone who doesn’t want to get in trouble for being WRONG. I told him that was fine and I’d call corporate. This was absolutely appalling, to be treated so rudely and for the employees to be so inconsiderate. We come here all the time, like I said, and have always had outside food/drinks for my child because she’s a picky eater, and not one person has ever said anything about it. Suddenly today, it’s a problem? And then when the health issues were explained, they still don’t care. And don’t even offer a detailed explanation as to why, but just state we can’t have them, period. This is wrong. Nowhere are their signs stating this in the restaurant nor on the website that I could find. Never in my life have I been to a restaurant or any food place that said I couldn’t bring in a bottle of water! Never had issues here either and we came often but will NOT be back. And yes, I filed a complaint on the...

Server saw me standing at the front for over 5 minutes while she sat down at a booth directly behind me talking to her friends. After I spoke to another waiter, it took her another 10 minutes to actually get up from her personal conversation and take my order.

Edit: manager came over without me asking to speak to someone. He said I understand you aren't too happy about your service here. I explained how the staff was staring at me while I was waiting and hanging with their friends for 10 minutes, with her arm around her friends not working. He said she was taking an order for that ten minutes, I said what about the other 3 servers that looked me in the eye and ignored me? He started getting really combative saying you are the one who seated yourself so we couldn't see you. I said half BWW are seat yourself dining rooms, if you see me seat myself you saw me waiting for another 10 minutes. I told him if he wasn't willing to hear my experience that I didn't want to talk to him and he stood there trying to get me to fight back with him. I said I just want to eat my food and leave and he stood there asking, so should we get you your food to go? What are you upset about? I'm trying to help. For the THIRD time I asked him to leave me alone in the restaurant and he stared at me for another few moments before walking away into the kitchen. Do not come here, for your own safety...

People don't order pick-up so they can go in the store and sit for half an hour. play the reason pick up orders exist is so people don't have to sit in the restaurant. When you order online the light gets to where it tells you that the order is ready and the last three times we have gone after the light has said it's ready driven all the way there and then still had to sit in the restaurant for half an hour. This is the third time this has happened and I have now been in here for 25 minutes past the "order ready for pickup" time was lit up and flashing. the last couple times I was on a weekend so we chalked it up to that but it's a freaking Monday nighthalf the dining room's empty and I can't get two kids meals in a buffalo chicken wrap in less than an hour in 15 minutes. Buffalo wild wings needs to fix their online order status updates and if this is something that the employees are pushing through than they need to be aware that they're pushing orders through to keep up with times being set by corporate even when the orders aren't actually ready. whatever it is next time we'll go to eat somewhere else because I've never had to wait that long for fried food anywhere much less a restaurant...