Mimi's Cafe — Restaurant in Knoxville

Title: A Catastrophe at Mimi's Cafe - A One-Star Experience

In my extensive history of dining out, I have never been compelled to write such a harsh review until my visit to Mimi's Cafe, which was an absolute catastrophe from start to finish.

Our 4 PM arrival was the beginning of a series of unfortunate events. The service was excruciatingly slow, leaving us parched and repeatedly requesting water, which seemed to be an inconceivable task for the staff to remember. When we were presented with plates for bread, they were disgustingly dirty, as if they had only been given a cursory wipe from a previous patron's use.

As if the service wasn't disheartening enough, the food quality was on par with the dismal service. My husband's soup was unbearably spicy, a fact we politely brought to the server's attention. They offered to replace it with another option, and we decided on the tomato basil, hoping it would be a safer choice. Unfortunately, it was terrible—bland and unappetizing, and we just gave up on it. Our waitress, perhaps sensing our growing discontent, offered to remove it from our bill, a small consolation for the accumulating shortcomings.

However, even this small gesture was a false promise, as when the shift manager unceremoniously deposited our bill at the table, the soup was still listed. When we inquired about the discrepancy, she nonchalantly informed us that Mimi's Cafe does not comp for poor food quality or bad service. Really? It was a statement so shockingly blunt and unapologetic that it felt like a slap in the face.

To say that customer satisfaction is not a priority at Mimi's Cafe would be a gross understatement. It is clear that they do not value their patrons or the basic principles of hospitality. The shift manager's attitude was the rotten cherry on top of an already spoiled sundae.

I would warn any potential customers to avoid Mimi's Cafe at all costs. There is a fundamental flaw in an establishment that not only fails to meet the bare minimum standards for food and service but also refuses to acknowledge or rectify their failings when given the opportunity.

Save your money and your appetite for a restaurant that respects its customers and knows the...

Had a disappointing experience at Mimi’s Cafe. The place itself has a nice atmosphere, but the staff’s attitude completely ruined it. The hostess was rude for no reason right off the bat, and unfortunately, the waitress was just as bad. It felt like they didn’t want to be there, and their bad energy made the experience uncomfortable from the start.

Before we even got to the food, the service had already set a negative tone. One frustrating thing was the advertised “mimosa” – while there was a sign stating it was made with hard seltzer, calling it a mimosa is misleading. A true mimosa is made with champagne or Prosecco, neither of which they have here. They don’t serve hard liquor at all—only beer and hard seltzer—so if you’re expecting an actual mimosa, you won’t find it.

Then, when the manager brought out the food, even he had an attitude. No one checked on us to see if we needed anything, and they weren’t even busy. The waitress and manager both seemed like they couldn’t wait to get away from our table, and I noticed the same demeanor at other tables too.

Every interaction was rushed, and they made no effort to ask if we needed anything or take the time to listen to our requests. We had to speak quickly just to get our needs across before they left the table. It was an absolutely horrible experience with the entire staff. I’ve never been to a restaurant where every single person we dealt with had such a bad attitude.

To make things worse, when the check came, the waitress had the tip amounts highlighted, circled, and underlined. That kind of pressure is completely unnecessary and unprofessional—especially when she didn’t deserve a tip at all.

The food itself was okay, but the terrible service completely overshadowed it. This could be a great place, but the staff needs a serious attitude adjustment and overhaul. Until then, I...

Our overall experience here was not terrible, but there were definitely some areas that need attention. For one, the hostess that is supposed to seat you was awful in customer service. We waited over 5 minutes for her to even acknowledge us, then when we were about to leave and were at the door, we here someone gruffly say “how many?” We turned around and didn’t see anyone looking at us , but then from her menu station I saw her say again “how many?” She seemed more annoyed than welcoming. This same woman, while waiting for our food, got in a tiff with another male employee and was cursing and saying she didn’t care - I know people have bad days, but this should not have caused a scene in a public area in front of my children.

Our waitress, Vicky, was nice overall. At the end she did just put the receipt down on our table and left. We waited awhile before seeing her again to ask where we were supposed to pay, to which she replied she takes it. My husband said, oh ok- this is our first time here, so we weren’t sure. She said, “oh it’s your first time? You get free muffins”. Without asking customers this, how would you know? I just feel like maybe customer service in general needs to be addressed here.

The food was ok , except for the fact my French toast was not flipped when cooked, so I had soggy eggs on one side which was unappetizing. My kids food was in the shape of a cute puppy and they enjoyed it.

The muffins they sent us home with were actually quite delicious. Just wish the experience was...