Virgil's Real BBQ - NYC — Restaurant in New York

I am embarrassed that I too come from this industry after the experience I had at this establishment. Upon arrival, I was greeted properly, but after requesting to sit upstairs, I had to wait a few minutes, which wasn't an issue. While waiting, a guest fell from the second floor to the bottom of the stairs on the first floor, which got the attention of several staff and guest, just to make sure she was ok. This is normal, but that's not my service issue.

Upon being seated, there were guest complaining about the service from the server, Livia. After hearing of their dissatisfaction, I was hoping that she wouldn't be my server. I should have rolled the dice and prayed, but she ended up being my server. I waited for 7 minutes just to be greeted. (Same issues from the table next to me and her not checking on them. They actually took pictures, which signified their disgust). Ms. Livia was not very friendly, didn't smile and appeared to be overwhelmed just looking at the tables that she had and hearing of their issues. None of my request were honored and they were just simple (sugar packets since she said the lemonade was very tart and some bread). I asked the busser a question about the menu and he shrugged his shoulders and said he didn't know. Clearly there wasn't a menu test in place since he couldn't answer a simple question. A food runner brought my food and you guessed it, Livia had not visited my table to check on me or bring anything to the table. All of her tables had the expression of disgust except one. Clearly she was overwhelmed and couldn't handle her tables. After waiting a while, I requested to go containers. I refused to eat in the restaurant and experience such poor service. I ended up asking a question to Livia about my service and she swatted her hand and walked off. That's what did it for me. I typically wouldn't write a review being in the industry, but it's this type of service that needs to be brought to the attention of management so that it can be addressed. Livia should be thankful that I am not the General Manager Or Owner of this establishment because she would have been asked to clock out and pick up her last check at the end of the week. Well, I would have given her a 2-table section if this was her first infraction. I walked back to my hotel to eat my food because I didn't want to sit there and be mistreated. The unsung heroes in this matter is the manager Austin who assisted in bringing to go containers and offering support for my experience and also, Lauren who was the manager who closed out the ticket and extended an invite to return to give them another try and assured me that this is not their standard. This restaurant came highly recommended by the hotel and a friend who frequents the area. Well, being in the industry I do encourage guest to give restaurants another opportunity to correct the matter. If Livia was trained, she didn't retain the information and just industry standards or properly greeting guest timely, offering menu suggestions, two bites and back to the table to check on guest concept, etc was omitted in her 5-star service standard. My purpose for writing is not to deter guest, but a coaching moment for those who are in the industry and to as for guest patience when possible. As I always say, this is the hospitality industry and not the hostility industry. My dear Livia, let's take a moment to review your actions and ensure going forward that your goals align with company standards and move forward with providing excellent service to guest. As I sit in my room eating the food, it is good and I do recommend a visit to enjoy the fish, ribs, baked beans and the lemonade. Respectfully...

WORST experience at any restaurant we have ever had. Finally let my hand recover after they BURNED me so to sum it up:

Original waiter leaves mid shift The restaurant burned us by handing a 1000 degree cast iron pan and didn't say a word about it to warn us. A large portion of my right hand had blistered as a result. Assistant manager provided burn cream while making suggestively racial comments saying it was our fault for not listening even though there was ZERO warning, saying we're from Brooklyn and she had seen us around. The comments had the intention that we do this a lot to their restaurant for free meals or something and we had to explain ourselves, even though this was our first time going. Even after giving us a severe blistering burn from their negligence they still CHARGED us for the meal and only took $30 off When they packed up our food they intentionally removed the chicken and the corn bread that was part of our order so there goes that $30.

Went to this place as a celebration dinner, since we saw some good reviews online about it. We sat down and were greeted by the waiter who left halfway through and replaced by a waitress. We ordered our meal and once it came the waiter or waitress did not give any warning as to the temperature of the pan serving the fries. The person who placed it down faced the handle toward me that hovered over my plate, so I tried turning it away. I put my hand on it for less than a second and that was enough for my hand to be absolutely burnt. I started getting blisters pretty much all over my fingers and some on my palm. Took about 5 minutes to get the waitress attention since she was busy elsewhere and she called the assistant manager over. The assistant manager came over and apologized giving us burn cream and ice in a rubber glove. Then she started making comments that the waiters/waitresses are taught to warn about the heat from the plates/skillets. She said WE didn't hear them when we mentioned they never said anything as a warning.

Let's examine this for a second: the waiters/waitresses are 2 inches from the table. There is no way you would be able to mention that and us not to hear it. There is also two people there, the waitress and a waiter bringing the food. How would two people mention the skillet is hot and we wouldn't hear it? Lastly, isnt it the employee responsibility to make sure we know that the pan they bring us can give us a severe burn? Why would it even be a question that we didn't hear them in the first place?

Then she started claiming we were from brooklyn and that we had been there before after claiming it was our fault (basically insinuating we do this a lot to their restaurant to get free meals). Again this was our first time ever going, and who would burn themselves intentionally to get out of paying a $60 meal? Seriously?

They ended up marking $30 off the meal and packed up the food and we left so I can get more medicine for my burn. When we got home, we found out they had intentionally removed literally a quarter of the meal (the 1/2 chicken and the cornbread side we ordered from the feeds two meal).

This was definitely the WORST experience I've ever had at a restaurant and I would highly advise you stay AWAY from here.

Edit: Removed waitress name from receipt picture. Not sure if this is the original waitress but if so she was very nice and got the manager once she found out...

Update- Came back for another visit after 1st bad experience. This time was seated upstairs, server came right away she was fantastic. Food came out really quick. The trash ribs app came out cold & the manager took it off the bill. We were also celebrating my upcoming birthday, so they sang happy birthday & gave a free ice cream dessert. Much better experience this time around. **1st Review -Stopped here to get a bowl of chili & a beer. It was mid afternoon, they really weren’t that busy. Was by myself, so was told to sit at the bar or they had a high top table by the door. The upstairs was nearly empty with just a few tables being used. My waitress was also the bartender. Ordered a bowl of chili & a beer. The table I was sitting at was right next to where the servers put the orders in. While my waitress was still putting in orders after taking mine, the chili already came out. Didn’t even get my beer yet. Every time the front door opened, I got a blast of cold wind. The waitress told me , “You have the worst seat in the house”. There was a table across from me in the corner that was empty, except for a glass of that was 90% empty. I asked if I could move there, she I’ll see if I can move you or if the outer doors could be closed since there was 2 sets of front doors. The manager passed by & she ask if the outer doors could be closed, he said “ no why who complaining”. She said he is as she was still standing next to me putting in orders. He said I can close 1 door, if we close both it will create to many people waiting in between the doors. He closed one door but it made a little difference. She came back with my beer & that was it, I never seen her again. After I finished went back upstairs to use the bathroom came back down & waited for the check. The waitress was nowhere in sight. They weren’t under staff because they had 3 young girls as hostesses, that were doing nothing but laughing & joking around the entire time I was there. I stood up & put my jacket on & continued to wait for the waitress to comeback. Finally about 15 minutes later she appeared, & asked me if I wanted another beer. I’m standing up with my jacket on, does it look like I want another beer. She gave me the check, & I already had my credit card in my hand , she put the check down & I immediately put the credit card on top of it but she just walked away. There was another couple also standing up with there check book in there hand waiting for there waitress to comeback. She came back took the credit card swiped it in the machine then walked away to the back with my credit card in her hand when another worker called her. Another waitress came over to the order/ checkout machine & started typing something in with the people that where standing & waiting with there check. My waitress came back & told her “she was using the machine” ??? She gave me back my check & card, then walked away again. A new waitress then came over to get the check & tip. The chili was good the service the...