Pampas Steakhouse — Restaurant in Johns Creek

I've been a regular at Pampas for over a decade, dining there 34 times, and I understand the difficulties restaurants face post-pandemic. I genuinely enjoy the food here and often recommend it, with the caveat that, since the pandemic, service quality can be inconsistent. Unfortunately, last night's experience left a lot to be desired.

The food itself, as always, shined in many ways. The Porterhouse was outstanding—the best strip and filet we've had, with great sides, especially the basil fried corn. But a few items didn’t quite meet expectations. The Provoleta, usually served as a firm slice with thoughtful garnishes, arrived more like a cheese dip, overly oily and somewhat bland. The Mollejas were still flavorful but came in a smaller portion with chimichurri pre-applied and no lemon, a bit different from what we were used to.

The main issue, however, was the service. From the start, it felt hurried and, at times, dismissive. We received an eye-roll when we asked for sparkling water instead of still, and the server was notably impatient while we looked over the wine list, coming back repeatedly for our drink orders before we’d had a chance to decide. Drinks took a while to arrive, and one cocktail was incorrect, which led to an awkward moment while the runner double-checked our request.

The meat presentation, a highlight for many, was rushed. The server held the platter high and spoke so quickly that only someone familiar with the process could follow. When asked to lower the platter so we could see, his curt response was disappointing. Throughout the evening, there was a sense of being rushed at each stage, from the initial drink order to taking our meal choices, which the server asked for several times before we’d had a chance to look over the menu.

When it came time for the check, the server disappeared for an extended period, leaving us to wait for about half an hour before anyone could take our payment. It was a sour end to an otherwise enjoyable meal.

While I generally tip well for good service, the experience here last night merited a more modest tip. I hope this feedback is constructive for the management, as Pampas used to, and still has the potential to offer a consistently wonderful dining experience across all...

Tonight was my first bad experience at Pampas. I've been going regularly since I moved to the area about four years ago. My party had an 8pm reservation at the bar hightop tables. All initially went well with the service from Eric and Erin. Eric promptly took our drink orders and these came in no-time from the bar. Erin followed up with our appetizers and entrée orders. This is where the service hit a major speed-bump. By about 8:35pm our appetizers came and it did not take long to finish these. My guest ordered the fried lobster and I had the Fritto Misto. My dish left a lot to be desired. It was mostly a flavorless clump of fried seafood. We finished and waited for our entrées. We waited and waited and waited and waited some more. Around 9:20pm I was more than a little irate. Despite the lengthy delay, neither of the servers stopped to explain or apologize for what seemed to be an abnormal amount of time. I stopped Eric and told him that I would like to cancel my order. It was just so late and there seemed to be no deliver in sight for our meals. He hurriedly went away and explained this to who I will assume was the concierge or manager. Instead of being sympathetic to my request, he tried to gaslight us and tell me that I had only finished up my appetizers 5 minutes ago. This was not true and it was closer to 40 minutes and I instantly became irate. Being a young Black man, I often to do receive the same level of service that other Caucasian patrons would and I certainly felt that the way the gentleman handled my situation was inappropriate. I did not want the meal due to the bad service, nothing more, nothing less. It was almost 10pm and I just wanted to go home. I did not want to get a meal for free or anything else, I was just disturbed and upset by the bad service and extended wait. The "manager" hurriedly went away when I rebuffed his claims. He did not seem to care and Eric badgered me into taking my order home so the restaurant could charge for the lamb chops that I ordered. No apologies, no sorry, no forgive us or anytime of acknowledgement of the terrible experience. In the grand scheme of things I do not matter to the establishment but I will not be going back. The whole night left a bad taste...

What an incredible experience we had! I was looking for a fine dining steakhouse to take my friend for her birthday. She enjoys a great steak every one in a while so, I thought, let's go all out. I am so happy that I chose this place to try. When asked by the GM how our experience was, my only response was, OH My God!

From the time we walked into the restaurant until we left, the dining experience was BEYOND what I could have imagined. From the lobster bisque, to the rolls and the assortment of spreads or sauces to the main entrees.... amazing! I had the scallops over the mushroom risotto. The scallops were seared to perfection and melted in my mouth. They complimented the risotto perfectly. My friend had her steak, and I wish I could remember what cut of meat it was but I can't, and it too was cooked to perfection. She'd cut a slice and it was like cutting into bread it was so soft. I am not a steak eater, nor am I a big meat eater but, when she cut me a slither of the steak to try, it melted in my mouth it was so tender.

The wait staff!!! We were waited on by Jon and Kiarra. The combination of the two was incredible. Not one detailed was missed... From water to the meat presentation to recommendations on food, drinks and appetizers. The attention to detail and the attention to the table was incredible. They truly made the dining experience worth every single penny spent.

We were also shocked by the cake that was presented to my friend at the end for her birthday. We were already stuffed from the yummy food we'd eaten earlier and they bring us this huge slice of cake which looked to be the entire cake to our table. They had a birthday card at the table for her and everything. I was truly amazed at the detail that goes in to each individual person, party, table. In an era where service appears to be lacking and greed has become much more apparent, Pampas gave us so more than we could have ever expected when it comes to customer service.

Thank you for a PHENOMENAL experience!! It was so great that she and I talked about it most of the ride home. I will be sure to venture...