Shade — Restaurant in Madison Township

It's unfortunate that I feel compelled to write this review. Our family has been going to Shades since they opened; we remember the joy when they were finally able to sell wings. For years, it was at least a weekly stop, so it is safe to say we've been in there hundreds of times. We've developed relationships with many of the servers, bartenders, and managers. It was always a pleasure to see the young people grow up, move on to bigger and better things, grow families, see picture of their kids, etc. Was nice to see some of our favorite comes back for summer break or part-time and hear about what they'd been up to. In short, we liked the place! The kitchen has always been hit or miss. But... it used to be that the servers were always advocates for their customers and willing to make things right. Not so much anymore... we have generally stopped going there because it's gone so down downhill and the last several visits have been such disasters! Now, it seems that corrective and constructive actions have been replaced by defensive aggression towards the customers. (Don't tell the customer that the pitiful, shriveled single piece of lettuce that's very clearly been sitting under a heat lamp so long it's turned black next to the one end slice of tomato on a BLT is "just the way they make". Crap like that should have NEVER walked out the door if anyone who had any pride had seen it!!) Instead of working together as a team as we have seen them do over the years, recently, there has been noticeable catty behavior between the servers that honestly creates a very negative and toxic environment. Have talked to multiple people who have worked there or know people who have worked there and the stories are not pretty or flattering. When your server comes to your table and tells the customer (as ours did yesterday), "I just want to cry, I can't wait to get out of here"... maybe there's a problem. There are lots of specific incidents/details I could relate, but in general, I don't patronize places where I'm repeatedly demeaning, insulted, and made to feel a nuisance!! Congratulations Shades on developing a solid culture of mediocrity where belittling your customers for YOUR shortcomings has not only become acceptable, but the pervasive norm!! This is not sustainable, and unless the ship is righted and pride in customer service and product are returned, your days are numbered! Shades is a staple and beloved in Canal. Please take this feedback as a gift as our family genuinely wants you to be successful. You made it 20 years, but I will be amazed if you make it another 5 unless...

FOOD POISONING!!! This is a long and tough review to leave because this was one of our favorite local restaurants. Staff always friendly, food always hot and fantastic, and so close to home. Lately we’ve been hit or miss eating here because the hours kept changing durning the pandemic, which is so understandable. But we went to eat on Sunday, our first meal of the day, and the service was quite terrible. Our server brought our starters and we didn’t see her again for 45 minutes. We were finally able to track her down and asked what the issue was because people who came after us had eaten and left already. She said she didn’t know and that it may be another 20 minutes. After 20 more minutes and no food we asked for the manager and explained everything. The food came out 15 minutes later and we never received a follow up from anyone! But just as the food arrived, we started feeling queasy so we packed up our hot food and left. By the time we got home we were VIOLENTLY ill. 4 days later and a combined 25 pounds lighter my husband and I are miserable from food poisoning. I called the restaurant to inform them we had gotten sick. We don’t want compensation but because we value our patronage to this place, we thought it would be best to let someone know what happened. I was taken back when we were called liars, and told that ‘food born illnesses only appear 24-48 hours after you eat so it couldn’t have been their restaurant’ by the female manager on duty. This is not true after I reviewed the FDA website, and found it can present itself within 30 minutes. Use your best judgement, but we will not be returning and we are sad at how the restaurant...

I’ll start by saying we have been Shades customers for 15 years. Have always enjoyed quality service and food. Probably have been there over 100 times. Until last night 11-24-21. My wife and i were enjoying out time together when a new group was seated behind us in the bar area high top tables. The young man behind me apparently could not get comfortable and kept pushing his chair against mine. Each time I would move forward until I could not move anymore. He then turns to me to tell me I needed to give him room. I politely told him he has more room then me and I understand it is crowded but I can not move anymore. We paid our bill and got up to leave. Once again bumping into the young man behind me. He immediately stood up and began yelling and cursing me a foot from my face. The female bartender that night escalated the situation by screaming. Not at him but my wife and I to get out?? I can only assume she knew this hot headed young man, knew someone at his table which included his Father, or had issue with us. We are a middle aged mixed race couple who had peacefully and quietly been sitting at our table for the prior two hours. Why would she assume we were the troublemakers? We are both professionals that also own a small business locally. To be kicked out of a crowded restaurant we frequent because of a hot headed kid was shamelessly embarrassing to us. As you can guess we won’t be back and we will share our story and encourage our many friends in the Canal Winchester and Pickerington to do the same. On the plus side we’re folks who wished us a Happy Thanksgiving as they knew we had done...