This has managed to be my worst service experience anywhere. The occasion was my friends birthday and she had never experienced a true steak house or fine dining experience. I was more than excited to introduce her to what was, to me the best steakhouse in CT. When we arrived for our 7:45 at 7:47, we were not actually seated until 8:00-8:05. We sat without a greeting or water for another 5 minutes. When our server came to greet the table we had already been given waters but were more than ready to give our drink order. We asked for a glass of wine and an espresso martini. As we could see by our location in the lounge the bar was busy and they were truly swamped with orders. But as we watched others drink orders come out we figured it would be any moment. It would end up taking us 25 minutes to get our drinks from the bar to our table. During this wait time our server asked us if we would like to place our food order. I saw this advantageous as we could perhaps get our food when our drinks would finally come. This would prove to not be the case. The server apologizes for the drinks and says they’ve been taken off the bill for which I am appreciative and understand the duress the restaurant may be under at this moment.

The entrees came (ordered medium and medium rare) over 58 minutes after the time we ordered them. The medium was medium rare and the medium rare was rare. My friend at this point had to either rush to eat in order to get home at a reasonable time or box her food. At this point I’ve asked for a manager who is no where to be seen. I ask another employee now to find the manager, still no resolve. The server at this point has caught wind of my displeasure and comes to us with a scoop of ice cream with one candle in it as the manager approaches me. As the manager steps away to “investigate” the cause of these shortcomings in service, the server quite literally drops down the one scoop of ice cream with no Happy Birthday nor positive affirmation. As she chases the manager to the POS computer system where he is looking further into how this all came into play. My friend is now crying as this has easily for both of us became the worst dining experience I’ve had in all forms of dining. When the manager returns I explain the lack of professionalism and respect we had seen in our experience and that I had never complained nor asked to speak with someone at this capacity. I explained that I’ve worked fine dining for over 10 years and that between the hospitality and the overall timing that there were serious flaws that I thought needed to be addressed if not questions in an attempt to recognize who fell short in this instance. His response was that of a typical FOH manager, “we appreciate your feedback” “thank you for your service” but only after he begrudgingly interrupts me by asking “Well, where do YOU work?” I did respond and explained the CT magazine best rated restaurant in southern CT to which he wrote it off as something pompous and continued to his managerial script. I never thought I would actually put a full play by play for how this overall evening would go. Because I never truly thought every piece of the experience would actually become tainted all the way down to the disingenuous apology from the young “well versed” FOH manager. And a quick slice of cake (which my friend cannot eat due to allergy/dietary restrictions) to appease me and keep my frustration if not anger at bay handed to us silently in a brown paper bag.

With regard to the restaurant as they read this. You underwrote who sat in your restaurant, I have a long standing record of coming in and tipping more than 30% each experience, I planned to order 2-3 more rounds of drinks that would’ve in turn upped sales over all. And I did indeed plan to do a dessert and aperitif. But instead I left with 1 glass of wine, a $60 meal in a plastic box, a piece of chocolate cake we threw out, and an unwarranted and unwelcoming melting scoop of ice cream and for the first time ever. A tip of $15 on $110 after drinks we had comped.