McAlister's Deli — Restaurant in Knoxville

Why is it EVERY TIME I come here every employee looks like they HATE their job?

Lady in front of me: I’d like to order Valentines special; buy one get one 1/2 off entrée that is good for today only.

Three employees INCLUDING THE MANAGER: We have no idea what you’re talking about.

My cashier (too engrossed in her computer screen to look up to greet me properly): Hi

Me: (Refusing to respond until she acknowledges that I am standing in front of her cash register) I’d like an off menu item. A taco salad no dressing. An extra cup of chili. A plain potato. A bowl of chili. This is to go.

While waiting for my order I noticed an 8x10 sign ON THE CENTER REGISTER - “Buy one steakhouse entrée - get the second one half off”. I bring it to the aforementioned lady’s attention. She is as shock as I am that no one knew about a special that is clearly advertised on the countertop. She proceeds to take a picture so she can complain to corporate. She asked the cashier what time the restaurant opens only to be told “I don’t know “. I proceeded to explain to her that I have to check my order every time before I leave the restaurant because inevitably something is always left off. The cashier calls my name, I unpack my order on the counter and without disappointment I discover a cup of chili is missing from my order. To add insult to injury the cashier asked me if it was on my receipt to which I promptly pulled out the receipt and pointed out the extra charge.

This location needs to either fire everyone that works here and start with a fresh batch of employees that are properly trained in customer satisfaction and can read OR...

Very very poor . Curb side service ..our order was chicken club with three mashed potatoes and gravy and potatoe salad and 5 pickles .they cant read your order ....also didnt have what we ordered..didnt bother to tell me till I started to check the bag .tried to only give me half of my meal after she had already charged me for food she had walked away and heard me open the bag to check my order, which by the way was stapled shut lol..she came back to the truck said oh we dont have no chicken so she expected to me to drive off with out the sandwich origanally till she heard tear into the bag .she arrange for another sandwich i waited and waited and finally I get out make it to the door to check on food cause everything else was cold by then the manager meets me at the door we hooked u up extra bacon cookies and free meal on us and Turkey club sandwich get home no cookies no pickles one tiny slice of bacon .....this is not the first time we ordered one time went to pick it up it was something total different than what we order so we call they remake i go get it and it's the same thing so back to the store i go three times in one hour ...they fixed gave us a free meal we called it in 14 days later cause we wasn't going back ...got home and it was the wrong here we go again .....this place management and millenials they have working are gonna put schaad road Knoxville...

On the plus side, my club sandwich and potato salad were good. I also got a Brookie that was good and fresh. However, I got a dry, stale brownie. The reason I just gave 2 stars is that, prior to placing my order, I specifically talked to the young lady that took the order about only wanting fresh baked goods. The last time I ordered a baked good, it was their carrot cake, which is usually outstanding, but on that occasion it was super dry….dry cake and dry icing that fell off and tasted like dirty paper. I let it pass that time, since we have had more good experiences with that cake. But this dry, tasteless brownie was particularly bothersome, since I asked about freshness at the outset. This young lady told me that the brownies and cookies were made fresh daily. I have asked in the past how fresh the cookies and brownies are, and the young lady taking my order that day said she didn’t know and that no one else knew. I stayed away from McAlister’s for awhile, after the carrot cake issue and the reluctance on staff’s part to give information on the freshness of the other baked goods, but I decided to give them another try today. Well, I won’t be going back again…very...