Ioanni's Grill — Restaurant in Morehead City

One of THE worst “dining” experiences of my life. As someone with over 20 years in the service industry, I give an over indulgent amount of leeway when I dine out. On our first night of vacation, we arrived late and realized that all takeout places closed at 9pm. We were recommended to Ioanni’s Griil, as they were open late. When we got there we were told that if we sat outside(because we had our puppy with us) there was no service, but we could order our food and drinks at the bar and eat outside. That was great with us. The gentleman who told us this, was very nice and even offered to bring us our food. We ordered 3 beers, 2 BLT’s on “Texas toast” a salad with Ahi tuna med rare, and fried calamari as an appetizer at the bar and took our beers back outside to wait for our food. 40 minutes went by before I went in and asked both the bartender we ordered from and the employee we originally spoke to on our arrival about our food. The conversation, body language and subsequent actions on their part made it obvious the food order had never made it to the kitchen. I’ve seen this situation countless times in my experience in this industry. They made excuses to us about it and said the kitchen was in the weeds and it would be out in 5 minutes. I had not only watched a 10 top come in after us and get their food, but many tables come, eat and go as we waited. 20 minutes later, my husband went in to get 2 more beers and question where our food was. 10 minutes later, our cold calamari, way too spicy tuna, and BLT’s on white bread arrived with an assurance that the bartender had stood by the window desperately waiting to get it to us as quickly as possible. Another stretch of the truth because obviously our calamari wouldn’t have been cold had he been there to grab it out of the fryer. Biting into my well done tuna that was so spicy my mouth was on fire was my last straw. I asked to see a manager which an employee could not seem to find. Expressing my dismay, the original employee said that animosity was not necessary. I did not reply, instead started to speak to the manager when she approached me. As I was telling her what was occurring, that same employee stood feet away from me, and interrupted me as I tried to explain, to which I put up my hand and asked him to please let me speak. That employee went out and threatened my husband who was still sitting with my daughter at our outside table. After speaking to the extremely apologetic manager, the bartender brought us our check which was discounted, yet charged us for an extra beer. When I questioned the added beer, he told me that’s why they don’t serve outside, to which I replied no one had asked them to serve us outside. We had every intention of coming to get our food ourselves.... At the end of the experience our card was charged twice, the void of the second charge was lost in a misfed register tape and I will be disputing my card should a second charge appear. If I could give this place a grade of minus stars, I would. And I would think twice about ever spending money here, go elsewhere. I have NEVER left a review like this in my life....

Response: The staff seamlessly connected with the lively local crowd, with our server initially displaying a spirited demeanor. However, her approach softened noticeably when she learned of the medical condition of one of our female companions. Nevertheless, my review remains an authentic reflection of my experience, and I believe that upholding a higher level of professionalism might have prevented me from revising my feedback. If the response from you had been more positive, I would have been inclined to amend my review accordingly.

Additionally, it's worth noting that if your establishment is comfortable with such an environment, it might be advisable not to advertise as kid-friendly to manage customer expectations better.

Response: We often visit similar places back home, yet I've never experienced such discomfort as I did here. We had a teenager with us, as we were informed it was permissible, allowing us to grab a bite on our way home when not many other options were available. However, the moment we began ordering, it felt like a hostel environment. We were exhausted and famished, but thankfully, the food was exceptional. Accompanying us were two prior military members who also has PTSD, whom I had to reassure due to the unsettling atmosphere. On a side note, I'd like to mention that people weren't being rowdy over the game. The initial response from the owner hints at what I was referring to in my original review. Consequently, I adjusted my rating to one star due to how the establishment handled my review and upon revisiting their reviews, noticing a consistent pattern of a hostile environment in other customer feedback.

Original review: This local spot seemed promising, but I couldn't help but notice that sometimes locals can be unwelcoming to newcomers, as I've seen on "Bar Rescue." While the food was undeniably fantastic, the overall environment left much to be desired. On a Wednesday night when our options were limited, we hoped for a more pleasant experience. Although it's advertised as both a bar and a grill, this place lacked the chill and good-vibe atmosphere we expected from similar spots near home. After a long day, all we wanted was some good food on our way home. Unfortunately, the rowdy crowd deterred us, and it's unlikely we'll return. Nevertheless, it's worth noting that the food was truly...

I am a local that has tried to dine at this restaurant since we moved here several years ago. The first terrible customer service was when we were told that the wait was going to be 2 hours or more. However, I was there when others walked up, gave them their names and soon was seated. We waited as long as we could and watched this a couple of times and finally left. The next time was during COVID. I somewhat blame this on the ridiculous rules during this time, but it was very cold outside and we had small children that they would not accommodate allowing them to stay warm. Then we went a third and last time. I gave the person my name and party number. We were told 30-45 minutes. I said no problem and went outside. After nearly an hour, my daughter walked in and asked about the wait and she was told that people were done eating but socializing and so she couldn’t give her a time. A family walked up with a little more in their party about 15-20 minutes after I had checked in. 10 minutes later, the host walked out and spoke to the people and said they could seat them but it may be two tables. Never asking if we would mind the same scenario. Moments later, the family got up and walked in and was seated. By this time we had sat there for more than an hour and not once were were informed of the issue or any compassion for having to wait so long. Another group of 6 walked up, gave their name and walked back outside next to where I was sitting. Within 3-5 minutes, the host walked out and called one of them by their first name as if she knew them and walked them in. I followed them in and questioned the host as to why she continues to seat people and not even recognize we are waiting. She replied, “Can’t you see the amount of people in here? Where would you like for me to seat you?” I stated that two to three groups have come and have been seated and we even asked earlier about our wait time. I happened to be by the notebook where they write down the names of the parties and my name was crossed out and there were 4 names after that had already been seated. I told her that this was a bit ridiculous and don’t understand and all she said was, “Bye!” I will never return and I will continue to make this customer...