Swift Creek Cafe — Restaurant in Montana

Really unfortunate seating process. We put our name on the waitlist over the phone. The hostess confirmed we’d been added and said to expect about a 30-minute wait. We showed up about 25 minutes later, waited a while, then checked in to see if there was any update. Turns out she hadn’t actually added us to the list. Frustrating, but okay, mistakes happen. The hostess assured us that she’d seat us next. We waited another 25 minutes while she seated several other parties, including two of the same size as ours, so we gave up and left. Long wait times are understandable and no fault of the restaurant, but why say someone’s on the waitlist when they’re not and then follow that up by saying they’ll be seated next when they won’t? Very strange. The extra star is because it smelled good as we stood outside with grumbling bellies and sinking spirits 🙃

Edit to owner response: Thanks for your note, and agreed, that is confusing! Whoever answered the phone told us the estimated wait time of 30 minutes, and when we said that was fine, she asked for our name and number of people in the party and said she “had us down,” so it seemed pretty clear. (I was surprised, actually, because you usually have to be there in person as you noted.) It was equally unambiguous when the hostess said we’d be seated next. She even pointed to the table where she was going to seat us and said it should be “less than 10 minutes” because the people there were visibly getting ready to leave. So anyway, not sure what happened, but this one was a fail. I’d love to come back sometime and try the food! Thanks again for...

We have traveled all over the country and never been treated so disrespectful. The most unfriendly, rude, self righteous staff I have ever encountered in my life. We came in to no line, with three table just leaving. We stood at the door until they bussed two of the tables. Three sets of people came in after us. When we were finally acknowledged (until then, not even a nod) we asked if we can have the window table, we were told no, they were saving for a bigger group. No problem, we sat at a two top, and we thanked the person. We then watched as they sat a four top a counter couple, another counter couple. They offered water, coffee and menus to everyone but us. One server walked by with a coffee pot (we had our cups turned over in the universal we would like coffee please) told us she would be with us in a moment and continued to fill everyone's coffee until the pot ran dry. Someone decided that he couple who asked for the counter was too tall to sit there, and moved the two people to the window seat. Not a big deal but after being ignored, stung a bit. Finally after everyone else had water, coffee and menus we were given some menus and coffee. The other server was taking orders for all the other tables. We decided to leave, and the lady screamed from the back of the dining room "if he wants to be rude, let them go". We crossed the street and we're immediately acknowledged, offered the counter, and offered coffee before we sat down. Maybe the staff should cross the street and learn how it...

As I write this review, I find myself baffled. The reviews I’ve read about this place were complete opposite from our experience. My wife and I arrived a little before 12pm, our food came out approx 45 minutes later, a little before 12:45. I ordered the quinoa, and she ordered a BLT, two dishes that should not require over a half hour. What is really pushing me to write this review however is the service, or lack there of. Across the 45 minutes of us waiting on our food, we were never updated on progress or how much longer til our food came out. I understand that kitchens get backed up and we did come during a busy lunch hour, but us feeling like a forgotten shadow in a corner wall of a restaurant was quite a discouraging feeling as we sat waiting for our food. Once our food arrived (after a couples food arrived before us who arrived at the restaurant after us) our server never stopped in once to ask us how our food was, or if we needed anything. The icing on the cake as I write the review (my quinoa was good) is my wife’s BLT the bread was very over toasted and difficult to eat, which we would’ve been able to politely let our server know if she bothered to check in on how our food tasted. As consumers or the business reads the review, my hope is you will take it as constructive and not vindictive, it is very possible our experience was a one off. The whole atmosphere of the restaurant during the time we were there was very disconnected and unbothered.

Thanks...