Vera Mae's Bistro — Restaurant in Muncie

Well my first place I am critiquing would be Vera Mae's. It was overall absolutely fabulous. Every single part of the entire experience was an amazing one. My waitress was very, very kind and informative. Her name was Alivia and she said that she had been there but a month and a half and I was very surprised at how well she did her job. The atmosphere was very pleasing and laid back, yet formal and fancy feeling. The art on the wall was beautiful as well. I thought that it was really cool that the art was on the wall but not hanging on nails. The art was on a string like thing and was hanging there that way so not to damage the wall. We sat right next to the fire place and even though it wasn’t being used, it was still really nice to look at and comfortable to sit by. And speaking of comfortable, the chairs were so nice! We were there from 7 to about 8:30 and I was okay sitting there that long. It was relieving for sure. I thought the food came out at an appropriate time, and to start off the meal I got a salad with blue cheese dressing and french onion soup. The scissors for the cheese that came with the french onion soup was very cute and handy. It really helped to not get messy while eating the meal. The blue cheese was homemade and it was really quite good actually. Next, for my entree I got Sea Scallops that came with grits and the vegetable du jour which was asparagus. The sauce was a bacon gravy kind I believe. It all went together really well and it tasted soooo good! My boyfriend got a peach bacon new york strip I believe. His steak was cooked perfectly and was just as good tasting. For dessert I had banana fosters and I was expecting that it would be cooked in the kitchen and brought to me, but instead it was my server who did it! I was like, whoa this place just got even better! The only thing that was a flaw that happened was that Jacy’s desert still had the plastic wrap around the tiramisu to keep it fresh. She seemed embarrassed but we thought it was okay because mistakes happen and she’s new and she did a good job the whole time, so one mistake isn’t a big deal. At the end of my meal, the entire experience was so good that I told the owner how special Vera Mae's made my one year anniversary. So clean, such great food, basically amazing customer service in every way! It wasn't too loud, pleasant view, and my glass would never get below half full. Which is a big pet peeve of mine so that was even better. Remarkable place! I hope to go back as...

I would give Vera Mae's, my favorite restaurant, a 5 star rating...but unfortunately the unpredictable happened last evening 😢 My husband & I are regular customers, having spent numerous birthdays and even our wedding night dinner, October 18th 2019, was spent here at Vera Mae's ❤ So, last evening (Friday, May 15th) my husband and I ordered takeout again because it was soooo delicious when we ordered it just one week ago back on Friday May 8th. I ordered the bucatini and my husband ordered the duck. We ordered the same exact dishes as the previous week on May 8th because, again, it was just sooooo good! That chef on that day really knew what he/she was doing! However, last night was a different story. My bucatini did not taste fresh and it tasted as if it were made with canned tomatoes 🤢 🤮 The noodles were also not "al dente" as they should be. The bucatini on May 8th tasted so fresh and authentic. I was really disappointed. My husband's duck was also really oily and overcooked compared to the one on May 8th. This was just 1 week ago! I don't know what happened or if a chef called in, but whoever was in charge last night needs some extra training. Not to be mean, but we were just so disappointed especially after having stayed up late (we are 3rd shifters) just to order takeout right when they opened. Dear owners, I have loved coming here every time, since this has been our "special occasion" restaurant for years. I understand people have bad days. But I want to keep coming back here. I have faith that your chefs will be up to speed next time...whenever that will be. Thanks for all the memories...

I sent this text to the owners directly last week on May 4th. I received no reply.....

In lieu of posting a one-star review on Google, we decided to contact you guys directly. Tonight was a rough night for your establishment. I've worked in the restaurant industry for over a decade, and someone needs to know how bad things were. The first noticeable problem was that the place had a significant haze of smoke in both parts of the restaurant. Apparently, there is a problem with your hoods. It's bad timing for that, considering its graduation weekend for Ball State. Your staff were doing the best they could, but everything, and I mean everything (drinks, salads, apps, entrees) took for f ing ever. The food was marginal at best. The best thing I ate there tonight were the rolls. That is sad for what you guys charge for entrees. I love a good Ribeye!! But not a $50 Ribeye that was worse than what I could get at a grocery store. There was no flavor, and it was chewier than a diner steak. I'm not an expert at finer dining, but it looks like you booked too many tables, and the place was falling apart. Your staff was trying the best they could, but it was obvious that they were stressed because they knew that people were not happy. Again, I didn't want to go public with this review and actively discourage people from coming to your establishment because I know that everyone can have a bad night. BUT! For the amount you charge for food and drinks, you need to do better.

Apparently the French Onion Soup is amazing! I wouldn't know because you guys ran out of it...