Black Mountain Grill — Restaurant in Henderson

I recently had a disheartening experience at Black Mountain Grill (BMG) that compelled me to share my thoughts after much contemplation. As a longtime customer of nearly 10 years and a regular in the past five years due to my affinity for video poker, I had always enjoyed the welcoming atmosphere at BMG. My twin boys, who are now 16, often accompanied me, finding comfort in the familiarity of the place and the friendly staff who knew them by name, what they liked to eat and drink, and made them feel at home.

In April, we visited BMG to celebrate my boys' 16th birthday with three of their friends. We found a suitable table for them to enjoy themselves while I headed to the bar, allowing them to have their own "friend's party." However, my experience took an unexpected turn when I was approached by Kyle, the manager from Tommy Rockers who was training the new manager at BMG. He introduced himself, along with the new manager, and informed me of a problem. To my surprise, the server assigned to my boys' table had been instructed not to serve them any drinks or food. I was informed that my boys were not allowed to sit in the restaurant unaccompanied while I was in the bar.

I expressed my confusion, as I had been following this routine for years without encountering any issues. Unfortunately, Kyle responded rudely, suggesting that if I wanted to visit BMG, I should leave my 16-year-olds at home. Two servers from Tuscany Grill, who happened to be present, were taken aback by his behavior. I shared with Kyle that just the week before, I had been sitting at the bar next to the owners, and they made no mention of any restrictions regarding my boys being in the restaurant. When I suggested that if they did not want my business, they should inform me, Kyle replied with a dismissive comment implying that my patronage was inconsequential.

Infuriated by this treatment, I asked the bartender to text the owner, but I received no response. I later learned that the owner, Donna, had allegedly lost her phone. I reached out to Kelly, the manager, a few days later, seeking a resolution. She assured me that she would leave a note for Donna to call me, but no call ever materialized. After a week of silence, I texted again, expressing my desire to visit that night but not if I would face further harassment. Kelly eventually called me back, only to reiterate that I was not permitted to sit in the bar if my boys were in the restaurant. It is essential to note that I primarily consume water, and on the rare occasions I do drink, I have a maximum of two drinks. I do not become intoxicated or even tipsy. Kelly claimed that Donna had promised to call me, yet she failed to do so. Furthermore, Kelly explained that they did not want 16-year-olds in the restaurant consuming fries and soda while occupying space. She even alleged that there had been a complaint about my boys, which contradicts the feedback I typically receive regarding their exemplary behavior and manners. Additionally, we always visited during off-peak hours, ensuring that ample seating was available for other patrons.

It deeply saddens me as I hold genuine affection for most of the bartenders and servers at BMG, and our visits were always enjoyable. I hosted company lunches there and often brought in friends and family to partake in the food, drinks, and gambling. I will genuinely miss the bartenders and Lauren and Paul from the restaurant. During the COVID-19 shutdown, we supported BMG by placing weekly to-go orders worth $100, providing assistance during uncertain times. We took care of the bartenders and servers, and our interactions were always pleasant. Our orders were simple, consisting of bottles of water for me and sodas, pepperoni pizza, and ice cream for my boys. We were always polite and respectful to the staff. Therefore, to be treated in such a manner is truly disheartening.

Continued in an...

Unfortunately, our last visit to Black Mountain Grill will be our final visit. After several previous visits where our “Black Mountain Burgers” were undercooked, we decided to give this relaxed & comfortable, non-smoking venue (with good service) another chance. Ordered a “Black Mountain Burger,” and a “Monterey Chicken Sandwich.”

The burger was ordered medium well, which most establishments will serve with just a bit of pink in the center. I stressed to our waitress ‘medium well,’ and she noted that when the order was taken. It arrived cut in half (so the kitchen staff could see the hamburger which was being served) grilled on the outside, but almost completely pink in the inside.

Our waitress responded very professionally to our pointing out that the hamburger was undercooked. She used her smartphone light to look at the hamburger. Yes, it was ‘rare,’ and it was ordered ‘medium well.’ After explaining we had this experience several times before, and here we were again - same experience, she cheerfully asked us “What can I do to make you happy?” A great response, and evidence of an experienced, customer-focused server. We were not about to send a hamburger cut in half back to the kitchen, so we finished our meal as served and left (after leaving our server a generous gratuity).

The Monterey chicken sandwich? It was dry and overcooked. Go figure.

During previous visits to Black Mountain Grill, on one occasion we had been served one hamburger which was so undercooked, the center was not ‘rare,’ it was simply raw. Of course, it was removed from our bill. On other occasions, we’ve pointed out this problem of meat being undercooked to servers or ‘the manager’ who is on duty at that time. We were even told once that there was soon to be a new ‘chef’ on staff, so we followed up with a couple more visits. (We’ve been coming to Black Mountain Grill since 2015).

Order our “Black Mountain Burgers” well done? Ordering any type of grilled meat ‘well done’ is never an option for us. Most reputable restaurants do not advise this and will not take responsibility for the results.

Since it’s near our home, when we drive by (to another new ‘favorite’ restaurant), we note that the Black Mountain Grill parking lot appears to be full, and business is good. But for us, since we like hamburgers and other grilled meats, we’ll be going...

Decided to try this place for the first time. I was in the area. I walked in and took a seat at the bar. My thought was to see their happy hour menu and do some sampling. There was Phol and a female bartender. I am unsure if Phil understands the roll of bartending. I sat in a seat that did not have a game in front of me and so my spot was pretty empty. The place was fairly busy, but people were not demanding attention. I sat there for about 10 min, watching the bartender Phil make conversation with a couple 3 chairs down from me. He chatted a few more min and walked off doing "busy" cleaning. Still sitting there observing where and what was so important that waiting on a customer was so more important. Finally, I caught the female's attention and got served. That is all I wanted especially since that was my intent all along. Finally after about an hour, I asked Phil if I had done something wrong for him not to acknowledge me let alone totally ignore and not wait on me. He said he was busy. As he was saying that, he was "busy" opening wine bottles and putting them back on the shelf. He did not apologize for his lack of customer care since he was in a customer service industry. He instead provided a flippant remark and continued opening wine bottles.

Not only am I writing this review which I am sure managers will do nothing about, but the story does not end here. I finished my appetizers and headed for the door... not in any hurry. There was a narrow pathway that o ly one person could get by and an empty handed waitress barreled her way through without the slightest concern who might be more than halfway into that area. In most nice places the staff allows patrons to pass first.

The staff who brought out the food and my food to go were polite, courteous and helpful. Seems like management should do some job shuffling to keep business coming in.

Unfortunately I will not be back and for anyone who wants friendly service, there are many choices... go...