Ember — Restaurant in Houston

There are no physical menus available at this restaurant, so the daughter of the elderly couple sitting next to me had to hover over them, helping explain the choices and place their order. She should get half the tip that you are required to leave before placing your order. I'm normally a 20% tipper, but since they suggested 18%, that's what they got.

Providing the tip before receiving any service basically removes the incentive to provide basic service. No one asks if you need anything or how your meal is. You have to flag someone down and hope they’re not walking out of the restaurant to talk on their phone.

I ordered an appetizer but it was delivered at the same time as my meal. What sense does that make? I asked for no sauce on the appetizer, but they included it anyway. One of the people delivering food is also taking out trash (disgusting) and one of the cooks with a hairnet on also appears to be delivering food, but no one seems to be in charge of clearing tables.

I ordered two burgers, two orders of fries and an order of sweet potato fries and was given three thimbles of ketchup and had to flag someone down to get more. I asked for a refill on my water and they refilled my lemonade glass. They never did ask me if I wanted a refill on my $5 glass of lemonade.

They didn't forget that I ordered a piece of chocolate cake, because no one took my order. When the employee (can't really call anyone "wait" staff) finally asked if I'd like my water glass refilled a second time, I asked for my chocolate cake. It’s a good thing I wasn’t in a hurry to catch a connecting flight. The first several bites of chocolate cake had a salty taste to them, because they didn't bring me a clean fork and I had to use the same fork that I used on my appetizer. The long line at the Wendy's next door makes sense now. Even Waffle House consistently provides better service than this place.

Now I'll wait for the manager to come in and post some canned apology with a promise to share my feedback with the staff, as they've posted dozens of times before on their other negative reviews. Those responses alone tell you everything you need to know about this establishment. If they had to depend on regular customers for business instead of transient travelers, they'd be out of...

Disappointing Service Experience at Houston Bush International Airport

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Today,  I had a deeply unsatisfactory visit to a airport restaurant named EMBER which is the one located in the middle of terminal C by gate 5, Wendy's,  Pandora, at Houston Bush International Airport. The service I received fell far below expectations, highlighting the crucial importance of efficiency in such establishments.

Despite the restaurant's occupancy being relatively low, it took an incredibly frustrating 30 minutes to receive a simple carne asada order. The grill staff seemed more interested in socializing than fulfilling their responsibilities. To make matters worse, I noticed the manager handling food without wearing a hair net and in regular clothes, raising significant concerns about hygiene practices.

Adding insult to injury, my soda was never brought to my table, leaving me further disappointed. When I inquired about this oversight, the staff's explanation was utterly absurd. They attempted to justify their incompetence by blaming delayed flights and claiming to be overwhelmed with the resulting influx of customers. Such a feeble excuse is unacceptable and fails to account for the basic expectations of timely service, cleanliness and expensive prices.

This experience at Houston Bush International Airport was a disheartening one, and I have decided not to revisit this particular restaurant. I urge fellow travelers to exercise caution when considering dining options at the airport, as efficient and prompt service is essential in accommodating time constraints. Unfortunately, this establishment failed to meet even the most basic expectations, leaving me frustrated and dissatisfied.

I strongly advise individuals to explore alternative dining options within the airport that prioritize customer satisfaction, adhere to hygiene standards, and recognize the importance of...

STAY AWAY This is the worst service in the airport. I’ve made the mistake of eating here twice. This place tries to pretend it’s high end, but be prepared to be met with of those little touch pads where you have to enter your entire order plus tip before even being acknowledged by a server.

The first time I paid over 70$ with an 18% tip and waited over 10 minutes for my Diet Coke. I finally walked up to the bartender, who could not have cared less, as he looked at his POS system and said, yea I see your drink order. 5 minutes later he tells me they are out of diet coke…. I ask can it be taken off the bill? He disappears and never acknowledges me again… never taken off my bill. The food’s delivered to you by a random waiter who disappears before you can ask for utensils. I get better service using the touch screens at Dunkin’ Donuts and McDonald’s

The second time I came here I sat at the bar thinking that would give me better service - wrong. At 8 pm on a Friday night the bar was an absolute mess. Again, I order food and my drink - still putting on an 18% tip before ever interacting with anyone. I was given a single Diet Coke, no chance to order a water because the bartender never looked at me again, even if he was able to see beyond the rows of empty dirty glasses on the bar. Someone eventually came over and gave me my order and disappeared. I ate without silverware and used the leftover napkins from the previous person - the area had not been cleaned, but nowhere had been so what could I do? I ate in silent defeat as I remember I had already tipped 18%

This whole entire time remember, this place tries to act like it’s a high end restaurant and tries to charge you like it too. ...