Arctic Circle — Restaurant in Magna

SNIDE AND CONDESCENDING

So I'd really like to start this review off by saying that when I showed up to this Arctic Circle drive thru tonight I was a bit tired, but not annoyed in the slightest. I wasn't cranky, and wasn't looking for a fight. That, however, QUICKLY changed when the girl I was talking to randomly offered to charge me for a side salad in lieu of just punching in my request to add tomato, and then put the lettuce and tomato on the side. Was she even serious? Why the EFF would I pay for a salad when I could pay $0.30 for a tomato, and they could just leave it off the sandwich along with the lettuce? The suggestion was nuts, so I most absolutely sounded both confused and mildly annoyed as I repeated it back into the microphone, thinking surely I'd misunderstood.

After I was assured I hadn't misunderstood, I, with a bit more annoyance, rejected the offer, and repeated what I just wrote above. Why on EARTH was I being offered a purchased side salad because I'd requested to add tomato and put it on the side?

So when I got up to the window I was still annoyed, though I did choose to take the situation no further. I handed the girl my card, didn't say much, and she did the same to me as she swiped it then handed it back. No biggie, right? At least I thought so, but then I waited...and waited... Finally after 5 minutes of being categorically ignored as I listened to the entire restaurant staff giggle and tell jokes, while standing around in clear view of the window, which they never so much as glanced toward, I realized they were ignoring me on purpose...

I finally honked my horn, and asked of I could either get my food, or a refund. I'm not going to go into the gritty details of the ensuing exchange, but I was confronted by no less than three snide, condescending girls, as they worked SO hard to let me know they couldn't possibly care less about the fact that they'd been ignoring me. In fact, it was around about the second girl that I realized they actually wanted me to know they'd deliberately kept me waiting.

And I did finally get my food, but as they also-snidely muttered that I could go on ahead and write this one star review, and then as they told me to have a good night in a sickening sweet sing-song voice... and as I listened to them laugh as I started to drive away... it took me all of 3 seconds to realize I didn't trust my food. I couldn't eat it. They did something that food, and if they didn't, then they DID do their level best to make me believe they had. And here's what I can say about that: in all the times I've gotten riled up at restaurants (which is many), and for all the times I've been annoyed/rude/snippy with the wait staff or tellers (also many), I have never once, not EVER sent my food back, because I couldn't trust the people who prepared it. Tonight was a first, and though the whole incident was several hours ago, I still haven't changed my mind about my instincts.

And with all of that out of the way, this is what it all boils down to, in case this Arctic Circle hasn't figured it out yet, as it appears they have not: The reason it's so important to pick employees that are capable of restraint when a customer acts annoyed at the drive thru window is because of situations exactly like this one. My hubby and I have been spending between $10-30 at this Arctic Circle almost every single week for the past 6 years. And long after those snide girls have had their laughs, and taught me a thing or two about daring to be annoyed when they offer to charge me for a side salad so they don't have to put my lettuce and tomato on the side... my hubby and I will still be living here, with busy lives and often too little energy, and we are still going to be driving up the street to choose the restaurant where we want to spend our money. And let me tell you, after tonight it will NOT be...

I wish I could give this place ZERO stars. I was in there the other day because I hadn’t eaten all day at work, so I was just grabbing something quick on the way home, and I got a lemon pepper chicken sandwich, chicken rings, and 2 drinks. They ended up charging me for 2 meals in addition to the stuff I ACTUALLY ordered, they took forever to get the food out then I got my chicken sandwich and I kid you not my chicken was so right it’s like they took the meat RIGHT of the chicken and put it in between two buns, I was sick the rest of the night and the following morning. Right when I saw that I took it into the restaurant and showed the guy at the register and he LAUGHED and said “I’ll be right back” the manager came back and just took it and said I’m sorry. Not being sincere AT the slightest, I asked her for a refund she said she couldn’t because they were closing so she just gave me a 20$ coupon for my next meal, I told her she was crazy if she ever think I was going back in here. I have photos of the receipt and the sand which and the coupon she gave me so I can show a doctor and if I have to sue to pay for any medical expenses they know it wasn’t BS . I wish there was a spot for me to post the pictures but i will not be deleting these...

Let me start by saying everyone at this Arctic Circle is awesome. I have not one bad thing to say about the employees. The crew is long term and they are always great. Also the food quality is as good as any Arctic Circle. But let’s be honest, the food is basic fast food. Their shakes are what everyone is after. The Lime Rickey’s are good (although they don’t add enough lime imo anymore). And my personal favorite is the tator tots and fry sauce. My real problem with Arctic Circle is how expensive they have gotten for fast food. I got a 3 piece fish meal, with a large Lime Ricky and ice cream cone. I am not kidding when I tell you the total was a few cents under $25! For a single person fast food meal that isn’t even that big or filling. I am choosing to not patronize places flat out ripping us off with prices like this anymore. $25 for a 3 piece fish, fries, drink and ice cream cone is abusrd! I can have a 3 course sit down steak dinner for that! Sorry, but Arctic Circle is absolutely overpriced for middling fast food. It is definitely not the top tier fast food. Again, my gripe is with the company pricing for what it is. Not for the Magna crew. They...