Big Al's Pizza — Restaurant in La Crosse

My friend and I went in on 5/13/21 to make a reservation for 5/14/21. We were told by the hostess, they don't take reservations. Alright, that isn't all to uncommon. We asked about having a larger group (8-10)- could we even have that many people due to COVID and if they didn't take reservations was it ok for us to come in at about 7pm. The hostess ensured us that a group that large was fine and that we would be seated although there might be a wait. Ok, not a huge issue. We have a larger group it could take awhile to seat us. All of this reasonable and understood. Friday night. I arrive at Big Al's at 7 pm. I went to talk to the hostess. I inform her how many are in our group (again, 8-10) . She tells me it will be about an hour. Ok, we are a larger group, this isn't an issue. I ask if we can put our name on the wait list, the hostess says yes and takes down my information. I didn't plan on standing around the restaurant for an hour, so I ask about getting a text or something when our group can be seated. I was informed they don't have that type of system in place. Ok fine, not a huge issue. My group goes next door to Christos to grab a drink. I go back over to check the status of our table at about 7:45. I was told it would be about another 20 minutes because the group at the table they were waiting to clear for us was still eating. Ok, again not a huge issue, I get it. I come back about about 8:10. The table still isn't ready however the hostess informed me this time that "the kitchen was backed up so it was taking a while to get stuff out". Ok, I get it I work customer service and understand a backed up kitchen. I asked for a time estimate. The hostess said "20-30 minutes" . It is now pushing 8:45, I go to check again and am informed again that the table still isn't ready......The kitchen is backed up and people are not leaving is what I was told this time around. I go and inform my group of this, and needless to say some people are upset. Also it should be noted, we are pushing 9 pm at this point and our options for alternatives are becoming limited. The group decides to go eat elsewhere however I am unhappy and would like to speak to manager at Big Al's at this point. (We had waited basically 2 hours). I tell my group to go and eat while I go back into Big Al's to ask to speak to manager. I get snide response from the hostess about the "manager being behind the bar and it might be a while". I tell her I will wait. I move to the side and wait for the manager. Meanwhile, the hostess never informs the person behind the bar that I want to speak with him and I would assume talks negatively about me to a waitress as evidenced by the hostess pointing in my direction and nodding her head at me. As I write this review at 1:08 am on 5/15/21 I do plan on going in later today when they open and speaking with a manager. Maybe I will be given a better explanation than " our kitchen is backed up and the group won't leave" for why our group was unable to be seated .

Listen, I get being understaffed and busy. I do. I work customer service. In no way were either myself or my group being unreasonable but a 2 HOUR wait for a group of 8-10 is ridiculous. If they couldn't seat us, I would have just rather been told that upfront then getting the run around. This experience is extremely disappointing because the food and service is usually so good. Due to poor management and lack luster borderline rude service by the hostess tonight no one in my group is planning on patronaging Big Al's anytime soon. This restaurant not only lost a sale plus tips tonight, they lost potential business...

Tonight's experience at Big Al's tops the list of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. And Jason is also at the top of the list of the worst server's I've ever encountered. We ordered nachos & mozzarella bread to come out before our pizza. They came out 5 minutes before our pizza. The nachos were cold & the meat on it looked like it was road kill that had been driven over 5 time's & reheated 4 time's before making it's way atop our delightful mound of soggy chips. 1 person in our group ordered a drink, our pizza came out, which wasn't the thick crust we ordered (he had a 50/50 shot) & we asked for silverware & reminded Jason for the third time we were still waiting on a drink & now all of our glasses were empty & all wanted another round of drinks. Jason walked by several time's & delivered pizza to the table next to us (after he asked what kind of pizza they ordered because he wanted to make sure they got the right pizza 😳). He delivered the wrong item's to at least 3 table's that we noticed. About 15 minutes after we received our pizza we still didn't have silverware or our drinks. I flagged Jason down from the table next to us & asked for silverware. Jason said there wasn't any clean silverware "what do you want me to do?" I told him we were thirsty & wanted our drinks. He said there were only 2 bartenders. The bar had 3 patrons sitting at it & 2 employees holding up 1 end with their elbows! He then asked us if we were there to critique him & looking for him to lose his job. Nope, just want my drinks & silverware. I don't think that's too much to ask for when I'm visiting your establishment, that their sole function is serving food & drinks. Jason managed to find silverware on the unoccupied table next to us, slammed them down on the table & asked if we were happy now. He was there to make us happy! I went to the bar & asked a bartender to speak to a manager. She went to the manager & told her there was a customer that wanted to speak to her, the manager said she was too busy. Huh?! The manager who was too busy to speak to her customer's that are currently keeping her employed, was walking by so I flagged her down. We gave her a brief back story about Jason's conduct and ask for our bill and boxes for our food because we just wanted to leave at that point. She was unapologetic & a didn't show an ounce of concern about our complaints. With 1/2 a pizza left, Jason brought us a small Styrofoam container. We had to ask for a pizza box, for our pizza. He couldn't quite grasp the thought of us requesting a pizza box, FOR OUR PIZZA!!! Go figure!!! - Jason, with your snarky/rude attitude & lack of ability to coexist with the general public, perhaps you would be better suited in another field. A mortician sounds lovely & right up your alley! Lucky for you I'm not a critic & my review will only show up here instead of the local paper. The service industry will be just fine...

So family of 7 go In for dinner on a graduation weekend first tip off should have been it wasn't busy. Waitress got to the table, we ordered she only talked to one person pretty much at the table so I guess she made him the captain of the table even though it would be 3 different bills. 2 pizzas had been ordered and 3 calzones. Only asked part of the group had been asked if they wanted an appetizer ignored the rest of the table. We waited for almost an hour and 15 mins then came out to inform us they screwed our order up they made the 3 calzones into 3 different large pizzas, I said since we have been waiting for so long, can you just charge the price of the pizza to calzones that would be fine, we have been here for so long and hungry. The waitress informed us that nope they would not do that and they will make calzones and make us wait another half hour. So my sister asked so rather then trying to make this right and just letting us pay the calzone price you would rather throw them in the trash? Waitress said yeah basicaly. We asked will all the tables food come out at the same time? Yep she said, yeah no that didn't happen, the 2 pizzas came out no calzones she said it will be 5 more mins 10 goes by she brings one said it would be another 5 for the other 2. It was 20 mins later. Ask to speak to the manager she said she told her we wanted to speak with her she never said a word to the manager. My brother in law gets up and goes to the manager she comes to the table as we are telling her everything that has happened. And the waitress walks over and I asked her Infront of the manager did you or did you not ask the manager to come speak to us? Because you told us you did and she's saying you never did. She said i was gonna ask her, We then asked to speak to the owner who was sitting at the end of the bar, they refused to speak to us. At this point we had been there for over 2 Hours and half still hadn't eatin anything. I said to the manager you are gonna comp this meal or make it right? Half didn't even eat, she said the owner will only let me take $10 off to split for 3 bills. at this point we are hungry been lied to 3 times from the waitress, management didn't know what to do and the owner is a coward who wouldn't even face us. We didn't take the $10 we felt the owner must need it more, the way they were tipping them back at the end of the bar laughing at us. left the food on the table. But before we left I did get photos of rat and mouse droppings, and dead ants and spiders. Have photos and video. And will be calling the health department. I would post photos but this won't...