Shoney's — Restaurant in Louisville

We stopped here for the first time after arriving from a flight at the Louisville Airport. They took some time to sit us down and I understand we are short staffed everywhere so that's not the problem. After we waited the waitress decided to take another party that had just recently arrived instead of asking who was there first. The man in that party tells her that we were first then she the proceeds to sit us. She took our drinks brought them and never came back to check on us except one time where my fiancee asked her to please get us some pancakes as there were none on the buffet and we had overheard the table behind us request them. She made a face as she was annoyed by his request and left the table. No acknowledgment or anything. Mind you she was all smiles when the party behind us made the same request. When they bring us the pancakes there are just distorted pieces of pancakes not all round and fluffly like the ones they brought to the table behind us. (See picture for reference) I honestly don't know why they gave us that like we were nobodies. We were PAYING CUSTOMERS, we were not eating there for free. The waitress job is to make sure that whatever she is bringing to the table at least looks presentably its the least she can do. She never came back to check if we needed refills to our drinks or not. But she sure refilled the table behind us. It was impossible to get her attention as she just passed the tables as if she had somewhere better to be at. I don't know if they are racist here or what but this is NOT how you treat customers that are bringing BUSINESS to you. And the food wasn't that good either to at least say "well the food is good" but not the case. Needless to say we will not be back or recommend...

Went for the "all you can eat steak and crab legs" advertised online. No crab legs. Okay no big deal, website is wrong.

Half the buffet was empty, what's there isn't labeled. Fine, I'll avoid the questionable-looking casserole thingies and only eat things I recognize. Annoying but whatever.

Server gets our drink orders wrong (five sodas, nothing crazy) and reveals that she's normally the cashier and has never served before a day in her life. I wonder where the manager is and why they aren't helping this poor lady.

Three of us order steaks. Two medium rare one medium. They take forever. They are TINY. Like 3 inches by 2 inches and no more than half an inch thick. Two of them are medium, one is VERY rare. We eat them anyway because hey, it's all you can eat, we'll order more in ten minutes, no big deal.

Server finally comes back. Still seems freaked out and overwhelmed. We are the only table in the restaurant at 6pm. We order round 2 of steak -- two rare, one medium well. Server becomes inexplicably agitated about changing the order. Twenty minutes later we have three more miniature steaks -- one medium, one burnt, and another practically raw.

Sever never returns. We didn't want round 3 anyway. One of us goes on an expedition to locate server, aquire check, and request a final soda refill to wash down all the regret. Never saw a manager. As we left I peeked at the kitchen, saw no one. I'm not entirely convinced that our server wasn't secretly the only other person in the building.

Shoney's must only be delicious in nostalgia-tinted childhood memories and the fictional cartoon world of...

That's a real treat! Ordered chicken fried and eggs with grits and a biscuit. Got chicken fry and eggs with potatoes and toast. I asked the server what came with it and she had to read the menu with me. And after reading that it clearly said it came with a biscuit she still brought toast. Finally got the food and one cup of coffee. Had to flag someone down for a 2nd cup. That's the last time I seen the server. Then had to finally go get butter for myself (because she never came back to check on me) for my now cold grits. Walks by sees the butter in the bowl unmelted because they're cold now and says nothing. I asked the clerk if she was new and she said "no she's been here about 4 months now." So I paid for cold food and no service at all and yes I still tipped her 20%. I don't regret tipping and don't fault the server. It's not her fault that there is obviously no training structure there as well as an obvious lack of management skills. If those things were in place I'm sure she would have done a better job.

So bottom line, if you're looking for cold food, no drink, and to get your condiments yourself Shoney's is the...