The Hangry Goose — Restaurant in Old Lyme

Here is the objective exchange between your employee and your customer because your employee is lying to you. My friend and I were seated at 11:16 (check exact time on your records, please!). Moments after being seated, your waitress asked us if we would be ordering breakfast, to which we said yes. Then she stared at us until we confusedly asked for water because we had just sat down and had only 2 minutes to look at the menu. Your waitress then returned at 11:20 where we order one (1) blueberry pancake and one (1) chicken quesadilla. Then, my friend said something along the lines of “is that okay?” Your waitress then exclaimed “Nope!” Shockingly loud which jarred both me and my friend. She explained that she thought we were ordering breakfast and the chicken quesadilla was not a breakfast item. We then apologized and paused for a few moments before deciding we would only order the one (1) blueberry pancake. Then, your employee aggressively pressured us to order the chicken quesadilla. She told us she could put in the order directly at 11:30, when the lunch menu moment. She told us, and I quote, “its 11:20 now, so I can put the order in the pipe right now and they will get it as soon as the kitchen opens.” She continued to explain that she would bring out the pancake first, and then then the chicken would come later. Then, right after, to clarify, I explained that we had a train to catch that would allow us to leave at 11:40 the latest. I asked explicitly if we could order the quesadilla and get it in that time frame. Your employee responded, again I quote, “Well its just a quesadilla, it doesn’t take that long.” At that point we ordered the one pancake and one chicken quesadilla. A logical customer would take this conversation to believe that both orders would be ready before at 11:40. Or, as the very least, we would get the one pancake we ordered within 20 minutes of ordering it. What followed next was being ignored by the staff for the next 18 minutes. While we tried to call out to the waitress for a time check or the bill, we were vehemently ignored. At one moment, the waitress who had been ignored us went to a white, male customer sitting at the stool just feet across from us. My friend and I noticed an insanely opposite demeanor toward the man than us by your waitress. Sweetly, she asked the white man about his meal and how he was doing. Not once had she spoken to us in that tone, instead using a tone and aggression, pressure, and stress toward us. It does not matter how many People of Color were allegedly present as staff, one racist employee is still racist. At 11:38, 18 minutes after we ordered, an employee finally gave us attention. We did not ask your waitress a single question instead she spoke to us before we could even open our mouths. She said, and I quote, “he’s bringing your food out right now”. Please emphasize that your employee said “right now”. At that moment she quickly explained we were to receive our one pancake and one chicken quesadilla. So, we waited. A minute passed, then two, and it was 11:40, the time that I told the waitress we needed to leave at when we first arrived. My friend and I were both left confused as your employee saying “right now” indicated that the food was to come in that moment, or at least minute. Then we saw your employee at the corner of the room, about 20 feet from us. She was standing there. I couldn’t tell you for certain what she doing but I do know she stood there for several minutes in the same position. Finally, at 11:42, we resolved we could not wait any longer or I would miss my train. No one brought food in those last 4-5 minutes nor did any one check in on us....

The Goose isn’t the only one HANGRY!

A few of us were visiting from out of town as some of our other friends were running in the new London race. The runners having just run 13 miles wanted some protein and some eggs. Having a summer cottage in old Lyme, one of them suggested we go to the Hangry goose because they have outside seating. My friend having her support dog with her thought that was a great idea. Myself and another friend arrived at the establishment at 11:20. A few minutes later, we were inside at the register waiting to be seated. There was two small parties of 3 ahead of us. The hostess asks each of these parties if they are having “breakfast or lunch?” The sign on the door indicates that breakfast is discontinued at 12.

When it came our turn to be seated, I told the hostess that we would need both breakfast and lunch menus. She then proceeds to tell us that breakfast is no longer being served. This response had me quite perplexed since it was literally five seconds after she just asked the previous party if they were having “breakfast or lunch?” Huh??

Having driven over from New London myself and my other friend opted to just grab the table outside and wait for our other friends to arrive with the dog. Moments later they arrived and we informed them they were no longer serving breakfast. This was disappointing to my friends as they really wanted some eggs. Since one of them is a waitress, she figured she would ask the waitress if there was any exception that could be made. The waitress said there was nothing they could do because it was a Kitchen policy.

We all decided just to have lunch instead since we were already there and because we had already driven 20 minutes to eat. While perusing the lunch menu we noticed a few things. 1) it said NOWHERE the time that they stop serving breakfast 2) they serve a brunch burger with a fried EGG 3) a goose burger with BACON. So the kitchen was unwilling to put an egg or two, and a side of bacon on a plate because that is considered “breakfast” yet they can still cook said items for topping for burgers for lunch.

I was dumbfounded. Not only is this establishments breakfast time schedule extremely lax and unclear but the staff/kitchen/management apparently isn’t willing to make exceptions to their policies which as I stated before were already unclear and confusing. The food was ok. It wasn’t fantastic. But we repeatedly had to ask for things including drinks and dressing. The amount of French fries that came on the plate with the sandwiches and burgers you could fit in your eye and honestly the whole experience was now tarnished. And to add insult to injury our check was $122.00 for a lunch that we didn’t really want on food that was mediocre at best and. The view was nice.

Our waitress had zero personality and it was obvious to us all that she really wasn’t in the game. There were no pleasantries exchanged no friendly banter, just that breakfast couldn’t be served.

All in all this experience kinda sucked. I should have asked to talk to Teddy Kanaras the owner. I know he was onsite. In the end I believe they wouldn’t serve us breakfast; 1) they make more money on lunch 2) they knew we weren’t local or regular customers. But one thing I do know, my friends and I will never be returning to the “Hangry Goose” when we visit the Connecticut shoreline again because none of us should have left “Hangry.”

*A REMINDER WE ENTERED AT 11:20AM. VERIFIABLE BY ANY SECURITY CAMERAS ON SITE….THE SIGNAGE ON YOUR DOOR STATES “BREAKFAST...

Nice place. Poor service- just one waitress. Asked when breakfast ended and she said she could get an order in right now, but since I had not had a chance to review the menu yet I looked at the lunch side but husband chose a breakfast item. His order was out fast, within 5 minutes, delivered by a different waitress.. The original waitress NEVER came back to ask about my order, but when my husband’s meal was served I asked that waitress to order the BLT wrap, she said it would be a few minutes. The original waitress NEVER came back to check on things, NEVER offered a coffee refill- maybe they don’t offer coffee refills in CT? After 30 minutes, my husband had finished his meal a while ago, we waived down the table cleaner and asked for the check. She waived to the original waitress. We asked for the check; she said she didn’t understand because I had not had my meal yet, I said right, but we are ready to go. She said she didn’t understand and asked if I wanted it to go, I just said I was ready to go. She said it takes a while to get changed over from breakfast to lunch. She walked off. Another waitress brought out the food in a take out box and our check and was really nice. No one offered coffee refills. This was our first time in CT, and our first and only stop on the way through. Sad it ended so poorly, gave us a sour taste of the hospitality here. The food was good, the place looked really nice, and the other staff seemed nice...