Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews — Restaurant in La Quinta

My wife and I have been dining at Red Robin in La Quinta for years. It is always a fun experience, and it is our 'cheer-up' place with all of our favorite 'comfort foods.'

Please bear with my story, as there is a point to this: On Wednesday, January 3, 2024, just after midnight, our house caught fire. We were awakened by an explosion and the house was already fully engulfed. We barely made it out with our lives. After staying in a hotel for two weeks, with our pets being kept at the pound, we were devastated. To add to the problem, my wife slipped in the shower the first night we were in a hotel, and hit her tailbone and head and sustained a very painful injury.

Wednesday, January 17, 2024, two weeks after the fire, we were finally well enough to go out to eat and we chose what used to be our favorite place in La Quinta - Red Robin. Normally, we sit in the bar area because there is no waiting, but due to my wife's injury, and not being able to climb the stairs, we asked to be seated on the main floor.

Juanita, the hostess, quickly seated us very close to the hostess stand which was wonderful. However, a few moments later, she came back to our table and said, "I'm sorry, we do not currently have a server for this area, so I am going to have to move you." My wife said, "I have an injury, I can barely walk." Juanita LAUGHED at her. My wife said, "Are you saying we CAN'T stay here, because I can barely walk." Juanita LAUGHED at her a second time. Juanita would not ANSWER my wife's question and just kept laughing. My wife started to cry and said, "You're LAUGHING AT ME!" Juanita replied, "I know," and continued to stand there, smiling and waiting for us to move. I told her to find the restaurant manager and send her over.

My wife was crying so hard she was shaking. The General Manager, Vanessa, came to our table and asked very gruffly, "Is there a problem?" Through tears my wife explained what had just happened. The manager asserted that Juanita, "is not that type of person, and would never do that." My wife said, "Well, she DID!" Vanessa said, "There must be a misunderstanding." My wife said, "How is it a MISUNDERSTANDING if your employee laughed at me when I told her I had an injury, I'm in pain, and I don't want to move?" Vanessa insisted that we must have misunderstood something, and left without so much as an apology.

Another server was assigned to us. She apologized profusely, offered us free dessert, and said she wanted to comp our entire meal, but was not permitted to do so without the General Manager's approval.

The server assigned to our table was amazing for the rest of our visit. It was just like the experiences we have had in the past. Neither Juanita nor the Manager EVER came back to us to apologize.

We were shocked to see a chain restaurant with a work environment so hostile and toxic that the customers can SEE it right out in the open. My wife got over being laughed at, but we are hoping a corporate head will see this review and conduct the necessary retraining or discipline that needs to take place at this restaurant. As long as Vanessa is the general manager, we...

I haven't written a review in quite some time. As I've said before its much easier to tear someone down than it is to give high praise. So let me begin by saying that part of the dining experience is the service. And tonight the service left a lot to be desired. My companion and I bypassed the dining room to eat at the bar. We were looking forward to drinks before dinner. Not to mention that there was a wait for dine in tables. We sat ourselves down and Dillon promptly came over to take our drink order. This is about the only good thing I can say about the service. We hadn't had a chance to read the menu and asked for a minute. He came back a short time later and we placed our order. I think this was the last time he came around. Someone else brought our food and no one bothered to bring our appetizers. It seemed like a lot of food and I thought I'll wait for the waiter to mention this, but he never came. Luckily for us there was a roll of paper towels on the table because half way through our meal he brought utensils. And halfway through our fries I realized these were the bottom of the basket small and burnt. See photo. So food was mediocre, service was unavailable, one out of two drinks were undrinkable and those appetizers, gone...

Absolutely delightful afternoon spent at this fantastic restaurant. Nicole, the waitress, was amazingly great. She greeted us cheerfully; she served us quickly and ensured all of our food was cooked to perfection. She made us great iced tea and lemonade cups to go. Nicole was extremely attentive and you could see that she really loves her job because she goes above and beyond. She made us feel extremely welcome and very happy. The food was wonderful. We especially enjoyed the pretzel appetizer and the hamburgers were outstanding. This restaurant has nice upbeat music and it was very clean and tidy. We were also fortunate to meet Cynthia, one of the mangers, and she was very kind and gracious. She made us feel very comfortable and was she was fun to talk to about many things. Staff opened doors for us and greeted us with care and kindness. There are ample parking spaces and many handicapped spots available here. If you want to have a marvelous lunch, please go to this Red Robin and be sure to ask for Nicole as she will make your stay here absolutely terrific! I will come back here very soon for the warm and welcoming environment and the perfectly cooked food. Best...