Flame — Restaurant in New York

This review is for the management, not the food. I unfortunately did not get a chance to try the food. I hate giving bad reviews on Yelp, and consider myself a pretty flexible customer. That being said, the experience I had with the management at Flame was incredibly rude, dismissive, and scolding.

TL;DR: Was not able to physically get to the restaurant in time for my reservation because of holiday street closures/police blockages, and was charged a no-show fee of $140. After three tries of trying to get a manager to call me back, she rudely told me it was my fault for not canceling the reservation or making it in time for the reservation, even though I had called the host.

I had a reservation for 7 people the night before Thanksgiving. Flame's reservation policy is no shows will be charged at $20 per person. When I made the reservation there was no indication from the restaurant that I should allow extra time to get there because of road blockages.

Flame is right by the Museum of Natural History, so on Thanksgiving Eve police had blocked off all roads and walkways because of the crowds coming to see the balloons be blown up for the Thanksgiving Day Parade. We could not PHYSICALLY CROSS THE STREET TO GET TO THE RESTAURANT. The only way to get across the street would be to walk all the way down to 72nd St and come back up.

I called the host about 30 minutes before our reservation to let them know we are having trouble getting to the restaurant because of the street closures. The host was very understanding, telling me that he himself was late to work because of the all the blockages. Unfortunately he could only hold the table for 15 minutes, which would not be enough time for us to make it. I asked if I could cancel the reservation and he said he would try.

The day after Thanksgiving, I was charged a no-show fee of $140 ($20 per person). I immediately called the restaurant to see if the charges could be dropped. I spoke to a hostess, who was very understanding but ultimately could do nothing. She told me she would leave a message for the manager who would call me back. I didn't receive a call back.

I called again two days later, and happened to speak to the same hostess. She was surprised I called again because she thought that the manager had called me back. She again took my number and told me she would leave a message for the manager. I didn't receive a call back.

I called again some days later and finally spoke to the manager. I explained the unusual situation and how I tried my best to make the reservation on time. She was detached, immediately dismissive, and NOT understanding at all. She BLAMED ME, telling me I should have canceled the reservation if I wasn't going to make it, (even though I called and tried) and said it was restaurant policy to charge for no-shows. She dismissed how hard it was to get to the restaurant that day. She denied knowing about other times I called and DIDN'T EVEN LOOK UP MY RESERVATION to confirm any of the details.

I called Yelp Reservations, and they told me that I have to take it up with the restaurant. I tried filing a dispute with my credit card, but because the reservation was made through Yelp Reservations, my credit card spoke to Yelp and not the restaurant. I now have to pay $140 for an...

I came in with high expectations after a strong recommendation from ChatGPT, that was my first mistake. I couldn’t remember the name of the hibachi place I like in the Bronx, and since I had to travel to Manhattan, I figured this would be a good choice, especially because ChatGPT said it was better than Benihana.

When I arrived, I was told I needed a reservation. I made one on the spot and was told I’d get a text when my table was ready. My reservation was supposed to be for 8:30 PM, but I never received the text. I ended up waiting an hour and a half in total. I eventually went back to the restaurant to check, and only then did they seat us.

I had chosen this place to celebrate my 8-year-old son’s birthday so he could be surprised with a birthday song and some entertainment. When I made the reservation, I gave them my son’s name and mentioned I wanted them to sing to him.

Once seated, the waiter was helpful and the hibachi chef was very nice and fun, but the entertainment felt rushed, forced, and short-lived. Even though I had mentioned it earlier, during the show the chef asked if it was someone’s birthday, and I had to say it again.

Some of our appetizers were missing, and the ice cream that came with my son’s meal never arrived. After the show ended, we were given time to eat. Soon after, the waiter started clearing plates and getting ready to bring the bill. I quietly asked one of the servers if they could sing to my son (I didn’t want to say it out loud to keep the surprise). She nodded, then returned with a bowl of ice cream with a sparkler candle, set it down over the grill, and walked away. Me and two family members ended up singing “Happy Birthday” to him ourselves.

The food was delicious but the portions were small. For the amount of money I paid, I left feeling disappointed and regretting my choice. To top it off, hours after we had already left, I finally received a text saying my table was ready —...

Stay away from this place if you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies. Flame is not safe.

I have Celiac disease and my symptoms include excruciating spasms that can make it difficult to walk. When I arrived at Flame, I had high hopes. I shared with the hostess that I had Celiac disease, and she assured me it would be safe to eat there. I then shared this with a very courteous waitress who informed me that I would be fine with the sushi as long as I avoided those that were fried or crispy. She even told me they had gf soy sauce. Feeling comfortable, I then put in my drink order. It did not take long for that impression to drastically change.

After about 15 minutes, a male waiter approached my table to take my food order. I selected a roll based on what the female waitress told me was safe. Again, I shared that I have Celiac disease. However, this time I was greeted with what seemed to be contempt. After telling him which roll I was interested in, I requested that he check with the kitchen to make sure it would be safe for me, but he refused. Instead he told me that I should just order something simple. Neither simplicity nor complexity were my issues. Honestly, at that point, I was just hungry. I didn’t care what I ate as long as I could confirm it to be safe. When I asked whether their chef could confirm what was safe, he said that he wasn’t going to go check with the chef for every dish I was considering. At that point, I asked him to cancel my drink order, and I left.

Before ordering, I always ask that they check that my order is safe because I am not a fan of being in pain. I’ve avoided some painful incidents this way, and I’m always grateful for the staff’s honesty and diligence, even when they tell me that the food isn’t safe for me. This was the first time I came across an establishment that flat out...