Big Al's — Restaurant in Milpitas

I was in San Jose with a group of friends and we decided on going to Big Al's. I didnt know that this place does not accept cash, which is very wierd to me as the corona virus is no longer a factor.

We decided on getting some food before having some drinks. We were taken to a table for 7. I ordered a chicken chopped salad. It was ok, the salad was very dry and was not provided much dressing. We all ordered drinks, I had a vodka & red bull which was really good and they provided the whole red bull can which was very much appreciated as most places will not normally do that. After we all ate our food I asked for the bill as I was going to treat everyone, however when they brought the bill I pulled out some cash which is still legal tender in the united states of america and was told they do not accept cash. My immediate reaction was, how are you a business in California and are not accepting federal reserve notes. I personally don't trust banks, nor do I like using credit cards, so I prefer to use cash for everything since those numbers in your bank account equate to US Dollars in real life. Yet the answer I received was we do not accept cash, we have signs posted all over the place. I obviously did not see any signage before I sat down at the table or I never would have sat down and ordered any food. Regardless of the matter, I had to look dumb for a bit as I did not bring my debit or credit cards with me. Luckily one of my friends had his card on him, but the situation was rather bothersome and uncomfortable. To not be able to use cash at an establishment like this in California seems very foreign to me. As a small business owner myself, I dont understand denying a customer the opportunity to pay with cash. This did not sit well with me, and I will not be returning to Big Al's ever. If my friends ever bring this place up again, ill definitely shoot that option down immediately, just like they shot my cash...

We arrived pre-game and seating was self-serve, quick, and easy. Food and drinks are ordered from your mobile. (Just scan the unique QR code at your table to begin ordering on their menu website and they'll know where to bring it.) Drinks can also be ordered directly from the bar. Note that your mobile order will be fully pre-paid, so this means you'll be paying and tipping before actually receiving any service.

Chicken tenders we ordered came out plain and without any of the seasoning we selected, but we were hungry and let it slide. Nachos and tater tots were good. Sauces/ketchup are self-serve at a station next to the bar.

We got 3 of 4 drinks and our food pretty quickly, so I flagged our server down and asked about the 4th drink about 10 minutes later. Was told it's probably being made. Eventually, we decided to just ask for a status update directly at the bar since our server was busy and we were sitting in front of the bar anyway. Turned out that it was missed and needed to be made, so we finally got it about 20 minutes after everyone else in our group got theirs. Our second and third round of drinks came without any issues.

The facility itself is nice and clean. A good amount of large projector screens and TVs throughout. Bathrooms are maintained and there was a person regularly making rounds with a cart to wheel off cups and plates from tables. There's also a bowling alley and small arcade with video games and air...

This was a good place to eat but not a quick bite to eat. I want to have lunch here and when we go to the outdoor dining area, we then had to scan a QR code so that we could access the menu. Once we got access to the menu, we ordered and then did not know how we were to get our food? Did we have to get it ourselves or would it be delivered to our table? I had never been here so I didn't know how it worked? I learned that the QR code was specific for each table and a server would bring our food to us. I then found out that we had to retrieve our drinks from the bar which I didn't know. When our food came, we had to ask the sever for napkins and utensils as we did not have any. I want with four people and when the food came out, my meal wasn't delivered and I had to show the sever my receipt to show him that my meal was missing. The server was very nice but the delivery process was somewhat disorganized. Other than this, the food was pretty good and the outdoor dining area was very open and not cramped at all. Overall, it wasn't a bad experience and I will go back now that I know how the food ordering service works. This place has a few bowling areas that looked nice along with a gaming area that looked very inviting. I did not bowl or visit the gaming area so I have no opinion about these options that are available. Not a bad...