Pimento Jamaican Kitchen & Rum Bar — Restaurant in Minneapolis

Pimento - It's time to get serious about managing your front-of-the-house operations in a way that is on par with your food. I waited in line for 25 minutes for an online order that was already bagged and ready for pick up due to poor customer routing and customer management in your restaurant.

Details - After having both eaten inside (ahead of the pandemic) and ordering the delivery services, the food has always been fantastic. However today I had an unacceptable experience:

1. I ordered and paid via their website at 4:45 for a 6:00 pickup.
2. When I arrived at the restaurant at 6:00 there was a single line with one person being waited on and four people ahead of me with one person behind the counter.
3. After several minutes another employee arrived and started helping but the pace didn't pick up.
4. After ten or fifteen minutes in this single line there was an announcement for people waiting for online orders to move to the left while the line on the right was for walk-ins.
5. In this online order line I was the second in line. Observing the walk-in line it kept moving and being served while the online order line was standing still.
6. While standing in the online line, a person walked in, didn't realize there were two separate lines, moved to the counter/cash register area and was helped immediately ahead of everyone else.
7. Similarly, a person with an online order arrived after the lines were split and, not knowing the purpose of the two lines, was able to pick up their food almost immediately from the walk in line.
8. I waited 25 minutes (6:00 - 6:25) for food that was already bagged and waiting when I arrived. There we no announcements - "Order for Kevin is ready. Is Kevin here for a 6:00 order?"

Summary - Its time to get serious about running a well coordinated front-of-house operation. Having spent 10 years in the restaurant business (front and back of house), what was clear to me is that the problem wasn't a lack of staffing - the two team members behind the counter stepped all over each other and several trips back and forth to the kitchen. The problem is a lack of clear responsibilities of team members, lack of order processing/food handling workflow, and a lack of clear/organized customer flow through the restaurant with appropriate signage and instructions.

I love the food at Pimento but unfortunately will...

I love a great Jamaican food spot..This wasn't it. I wanted to like it so bad, my husband told me about the place. But my experience wasn't great. We walked in, the atmosphere was nice, there was a huge walk through wall open to the street. But when I got to the counter I saw that it was cafeteria style service. The food wasn't covered and there were flies flying around the food. The server behind the counter didn't come off very pleasant. He rushed through my order so fast that I was trying to ask him if I could have some oxtail gravy over my peas and rice. He had already thrown everything in the small carton. So I asked for an extra side of peas and rice with the gravy. My husband ordered wings. 9 wings for $15 sheesh. $5 for a single beef patty smh. We got home and I opened the small carton of food and seen that the Jerk chicken I ordered was SO small. It honestly looked like pigeon pieces. Decent flavor they just need average size chicken pieces. As for the peas and rice, it seems more like an after thought. No flavor, needed salt and definitely needed the gravy. I believe they were going for Coleslaw maybe, but the coleslaw had no dressing. It was just dry cabbage slaw mix, like what you buy at the store in a bag and you have to add the dressing. They plop that on top. Dry coleslaw mix. Hmm. The plantains were usual, good but like all other plantains I've had. But they were good. The sauces were nice. I will give them that very good sauce. Overall, I'd suggest: If you're going to serve European sized portions (small) then the price should reflect that. Season your peas and rice. Serve fried cabbage as a side or add coleslaw dressing to the plain dry coleslaw mix. I mean honestly that was disrespectful. Cold dry coleslaw mix. No seasoning no dressing? Really guys? Cover your food if you're going to serve it cafeteria style. Find a different vendor for your chicken. The chicken resembled NYC pigeons. Hire employees that take pride in the food they are serving the public, we are paying for the food AND the experience. If you want return customers fix the issues. I may try your establishment again in the future and hope for some changes to be made. Or at least a smile...

My experience at Pimentos was decent up until I went on customer appreciation day and I was confronted by the owner. I was in the bathroom with my wife because people be pushing the door open and doing weird stuff around the bathroom area which I don't understand why they don't have security in that area in the 1st place. Any way while in the bathroom with my wife using the bathroom I heard a police knock on the bathroom door I opened it to a women in screaming at me telling me that only 1 person in the bathroom at a time I get it people do drugs get high etc... in bathrooms when I came out and told her I'm out and I understand the rules now she continued to scream and yell at the top of her lungs at me I was asking can she please calm down and stop talking to me like that she told me this is my sh☆☆ then she proceeded to tell me to shut up talking about it. Then I'm still waiting on my wife to get out the bathroom she stood at the bathroom entrance and watched me like as if I was going to sneak back in the bathroom I just laugh it off like I'm a paying customer and on customer appreciation day this is how you treat your customers. Meanwhile there were other women that was 2 in a bathroom stall my friend tells them yall screaming at me 2 to a bathroom but didn't beat down the bathroom the other women was in. Then the owner goes around the restaurant telling security and staff and people she know what happened all while staring at me from across the room I will not be heading back to this...