Magpie Diner — Restaurant in Harrisonburg

I heard great things about this diner but was let down by the service on a Tuesday around 11:30 AM when JMU was not in session. I understand a small weekday brunch crowd can still be a busy day depending on staffing but I don't believe that's an excuse for the quality of service. This was the worst service I've had at a restaurant at this price point in recent memory.

Our party of 2 was seated outside with no wait and maybe being outside was the cause of what felt like a lack of attention from our server and confusion from several other servers who tried to give us food/drinks that we did not order.

Hopefully these items are simple and to the point such that management can take action to improve. I hope they can help their servers be of the same caliber as their cuisine (the food was great).

We ordered drinks and 10 minutes later our waiter came to apologize for a "mix up inside" and took our drinks order a second time since he hadn't written anything down the first time. We got our drinks in another 5 minutes. A few minutes after giving our drinks order (the first time) a server tried to give us food we had not ordered. We still had menus at our table. He seemed really lost on where to take the food, which says something about the organization inside. We didn't have our food order taken until after our drinks arrived (see #1)! While time does move differently when you're hungry, I'm pretty sure it took more than 15 minutes to get our food. This would've been acceptable if we had ordered food at the same time as drinks or when they should've arrived but due to the "mix up" we didn't have food until 30+ minutes after being seated. Our waiter stopped by to make sure everything was good with our food 15 minutes after serving us. I was 75% finished. Usually that check-in should happen a few minutes after serving. This made me wonder if he had any prior restaurant experience. After we were finished eating, a different server walked up to us with 2 drinks, set down one of them on the corner of our table, and walked away quickly to give the other drink to a different table without saying anything. We called to get her attention and eventually she returned for the drink and gave it to a different table. I'm not sure why she didn't take 2 seconds to say, "Hi. Iced coffee?" and make eye contact with one of us. We were very quick to say it wasn't ours but she was gone in a second! Our server never refilled our water cups. Normally not a big deal but the cups are small! Glad I didn't order something I expect refills on. Our server never asked if we wanted another drink (mimosa) or anything! He didn't try to sell us on dessert either. Not that I wanted another drink but it would've been a great segue to "no, but can I have some more water please?"

This was my first time here and I won't be rushing back, but if I do ever come back I hope the service improves. I really liked the...

Discrimination ! I wish best health to everyone!

Brief on occurred incident’s conclusion , by addressing it to hostess’s best health !

Long story short, this situation exposed the sad reality of people’s biases. While I can simply move on, find another restaurant, and let go of the incident after a few hours, the real tragedy lies with this woman. Her behavior reflects a deeper, troubling mindset. I hope she has access to a good insurance plan that covers mental health services because, in her late 30s, she still has time to address her issues and find a better path in life.

Sad, but real discriminated story , Here’s what happened:

The hostess, a white woman in her late 30s, refused to seat us—two men with facial hair and slightly darker skin tones than the “white” standard—even though there were available tables at the restaurant. One is legal resident and the other one is citizen of this amazing country , USA. Both of us are in supportive team of US government ! That much USA trusted us, but even tho our elegant looks unfortunately couldn’t convince this lady, to make that trust as her discrimination tried to lead over !

The lady, asked us to return in 30 minutes without even requesting our names or contact information. When I pointed out that a reservation typically requires at least a name, she reluctantly noted it down.

Upon our return 30 minutes later, with tables still available and an empty bar area, the same hostess again refused to seat us, asking us to wait outside—on December 22nd, in Harrisonburg (check the weather forecast for that date for context). Most notably, she directed us to another restaurant across the street, essentially communicating, “As the hostess of this establishment, I don’t want you here.”

When I asked for the manager, she initially claimed to be the manager on duty. However, moments later, a few other staff members arrived, and one of them introduced herself as the actual manager.

I wish the best health, to everyone. Happy Christmas ...

I recently visited Harrisonburg, VA, for the weekend to see a friend and explore the town’s Christmas decorations. Unfortunately, my experience at this restaurant left a lasting negative impression.

When we walked in for brunch, the host informed us there were no available tables, even though the restaurant was half-empty. She claimed there was a 30-minute wait and asked us to wait outside without taking our name or phone number until my friend insisted. She begrudgingly wrote down our contact information and suggested we check out a place across the street.

We waited 40 minutes without receiving a call. When we returned to the restaurant, the host acted as though she had never seen us before. We asked again about a table and were told we would need to wait another 30 minutes. Despite bar seating being visibly available, we were told we couldn’t wait inside and had to go back outside on a cold December day.

This treatment felt like blatant discrimination based on appearance, and when we questioned the host’s actions, she claimed to be the manager. The actual manager eventually came over but was dismissive and rude instead of resolving the issue.

This behavior was completely unacceptable and left us feeling humiliated. In a country as diverse and beautiful as the United States, no one should be subjected to such treatment in the 21st century. This experience ruined our Christmas mood and is a disgrace to hospitality.

I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant to anyone who values respect, decency, and...