The Wild Plum Cafe — Restaurant in Monterey

I really hate leaving bad reviews and especially to small businesses but I had literally one of the most frustrating takeout experiences I've ever had:

I make my order using DoorDash and approximately 11:13am. Pick up says available at 11:41am. I get there earlier than the estimated pick up time around 11:35 just to see if they might be ready early. I wait at the cash register for 5 minutes and nobody helps me. No biggie I thought they must be busy. I return a little before 12 and I tell someone I'm here to pick up a DoorDash order. They go to the back and for over 20 minutes they don't return; during that time not one employee asked me if I needed helping. At around 12:20 someone finally offers some assistance only to find out that they are not even aware of my DoorDash pick up order! They said they'll work on it right away but of course it's 12:30 and I'm still here waiting. Other than a discrete apology, which should be expected, there was no other form of acknowledgment of this extremely frustrating error. Some % off, or even the entire meal ~ $80 worth would have been nice. But no, nothing. Haven't had the food yet but on service alone I would not recommend this place. I can see why this place does not have great reviews and it's clear it's not even the food- it's the obvious lack of organization and communication. The people here seem to be genuinely nice, but it's absolutely unacceptable to wait almost an hour (and counting since I'm still waiting) and a half for a pick up order. An extremely frustrating and disappointing experience; and this is coming from an out-of-towner. We want to support small business but we would have been better off ordering at Dennys.

Edit:

I was able to pick up the food shortly after 12:35ish. It came in a Trader Joe's bag and there was oil stains all over the food containers, HOWEVER, the food was exceptional. Upon checking out I asked the person helping (an older white lady who seemed to be in charge) if we can get any additional discounts for such a long wait. These were her comments:

"I didn't know what time you made your order" (order was made at 11:13am). "You've only been waiting 15 minutes" (I correct her and said I had been waiting to since 12- picked up at 12:35)

• "We did not see the order (on DoorDash" * She then proceeds to tell me that she can talk to DoorDash, which makes absolutely no sense. The staff here did not hear the DoorDash alert order- so what will talking to them (DoorDash) do? If there was not going to be no discount then at least some accountability would have been nice. If you "didn't see it hear it" that is no one's fault but your own. Yes an apology was made, followed by excuses mentioned above. Owner then proceeds to offer me some "pastries of my choice" but after waiting as long as we did we just wanted to get our food and go. Again, the food itself was good (will bump up to 3 stars) but the service and lack of accountability was disappointing.

Edit:

Owner responded. Hoping they can see this here since I can’t respond. The “rant” is not that I waited. The issue I have is that I stood around waiting for 20 minutes for absolutely no reason. As soon as I got in the door (a little before 12) I told a worker I was picking up an doordash order. They went to the back “to check”, but I did not hear from anyone until 12:20; only to be told that my order had not been received or input. Is there an excuse for that too? Did it really 20 minutes for someone to tell me that? And yes, from the time I was told my order would be made it then took 15 minutes to be given to me which was fine. And yes, the owner then proceeds to offer me desserts or drinks on the house but this is correct that I had no interest in that. I asked for a discount in which the owner CLEARLY denied that request. A delusional take as owner seems to be think that “we missed your order on the tablet” is acceptable. If you’re not going to give me a discount just apologize and save the excuses. I made my order at 11:13 and picked up at 12:35. No, I do not want free desert or...

So sad, I wanted to love this place but I was sadly disappointed 1) with the service 2) with my food. It was my first time here and unfortunately I don’t think this place will be on the top of my list. Ordered a breakfast burrito to-go on the phone 15 minutes before I showed up. The lady who answered the phone introduced herself as Pamela whom I later learned was the owner. I felt like I was being rushed off the phone when I was still asking questions about the burrito. (*Friendly Tip: If you are in a rush even if you call well in advance thinking you can just pick up your order fast, I would think about giving yourself extra time to wait in line to pick up your order. There were only 2 people in front of me in line and I saw my burrito sitting on the counter ready for pick up but the 2 people in front of me took over 10+ minutes. No fault to the owner or staff, I understand. The minus two stars are for the lack of customer service & transparency in pricing & the quality of the burrito) As the guests in front of me exited the store I waited patiently to be called to the register because I could tell they were occupied at the moment but sadly no greeting or recognition from any of the 2 staff behind the counter + the owner. Not even a smile or “Hi, we’ll be right with you.”)

Also, disappointed that this establishment would charge full price of $11+ for a burrito with just eggs and potatoes. I asked if there was anything they could add to the burrito since I was ordering the breakfast burrito w/ NO MEAT and NO Cheese. However the owner said no, anything I wanted to add would be extra. I wanted to get to work on time so I just said ok and thought I’d give it a try. Not a good idea! (*For future: If I knew I could order the breakfast burrito and sub the meat and cheese for some sort of veggie like spinach or bell peppers, maybe I’d be a regular customer 3 times a week just for when I need my usual breakfast burrito’s on the fly to work. I don’t know when a sprinkle of spinach or veggies became more expensive than meat & cheese put together?! I know avocado’s are out of the question but I know there are cheaper vegetable options. You would think if someone is not ordering meat or cheese in their burritos that they would have an option to sub for the 2 items they’re removing.) *Side note: just noticed on their website its $2 extra for meat so I guess $11+ is normal for an egg/potato burrito. Not really my style.

They had a specials list on their chalkboard hanging on the wall & their breakfast burrito WITH MEAT was listed for $8.75 (see attached photo) That price is very fair & reasonable. Considering their special pricing in-store: I ordered the breakfast burrito with NO MEAT and NO CHEESE and they rang me up for $11+ I brought this to the attention of the lady ringing me up at the cashier and she goes, “hmmm, you’re right that’s odd” and she proceeded to adjust the price. Customer service wasn’t bad, it just didn’t make me feel special enough to come back. Some things are understandable and excusable especially when places get super busy but they were not slammed. Customer service is everything to me and a simple greeting with eye contact and a “hello, we’ll be right with you” would have made a huge difference in my experience. That experience alone would be enough for me to excuse the bland burrito and come back to try something else on the menu but for now… I’m not that...

We discovered The Wild Plum earlier this week, the day before Thanksgiving. We went in for breakfast based on its serving mostly organic, local fare and on some great online reviews. We also were really appreciative of Chef/Owner Pamela Burns’ Mission Statement: At The Wild Plum everything is made with love and care. Our passion for food and sharing that passion with others is our reason for being. We strive to bring you the best of what is available as well as the best of ourselves. We love serving you with genuine warmth, enthusiasm and integrity. This is the kind of place we love to support, and we were not disappointed! The frittata was fantastic—delicately flavored, with a fine use of herbs, dried tomato, and cheese—and the house potatoes were also rich in flavor and cooked perfectly. The side of bread was not just a throw-in—it also was subtly flavored and had a beautiful texture. The order of pancakes was huge and delicious, and the crispy, still-moist bacon was done just right. At breakfast, we learned that Chef Burns offers everything for easy, take-home Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. With an extensive list of possibilities, we decided to give the take-home a try—some organic, free-range turkey, rosemary olive oil Yukon gold potatoes, cranberry sauce, traditional stuffing and gravy, as well as a pumpkin pie and a rustic fruit galette. This was a small sampling of what was available. We placed our take-home order the next morning, Thanksgiving Day, and had a wonderful breakfast again. We returned several hours later as things were being packaged for us. Chef Burns was so gracious and appreciative of our order, and it was hard to wait until we got home to taste it! We had an early lunch—the turkey was moist and flavorful, with none of the gaminess that turkey sometimes has; the stuffing was bursting with subtle flavors, and the carrots and celery in it cooked to perfection; the gravy was smooth and flavorful, and just right to enhance the already-delicious turkey; the cranberry sauce was not overly sweet or tart, and tasted amazingly fresh and piquant; the pumpkin pie was delicately flavored and textured, with decorative, crust-dough leaves on top; the apple galette was wonderfully seasoned with a light touch. We couldn’t have been happier with our first purchased Thanksgiving dinner, and it felt like a friend or family member had cooked it for us. We are so grateful for this meal, and for Chef Burns’ commitment. She says online that “My goal for each of my clients, whether an extravagant event or a simple meal is to give them a food experience they will treasure.”

We treasure our experience with The Wild Plum, and couldn’t recommend it...