Frank & Laurie's — Restaurant in Providence

Tasty, never going back. The flavor, 100% there, and although I am not sure it lives up to, for instance a $17 a la carte burger, the food doesn't disappoint. The entire dining experience, poor, and not worth the visit; best door-dashed if you wish, maybe for the hash-browns - the somewhat unique recipe. This restaurant is trying to be two things at once: a fine dining establishment, and a low-brow eatery, and it doesn't do a good job at either. The decor and design, lovely, and decent potential for a pleasant experience. The seating, crammed on to a bench right next to the A/C thoroughly freeze you, a communal table shared with half the restaurant, or if you are lucky a small table of your own (just bad). The food is likely to come out staggered (low-brow) in nonsensical order, a la carte (high-brow or trendy). Half the menu is premium priced finger food (low-brow acting high-brow), and this would be ok if you were given the right bits to eat it, for instance napkins beyond the fancy place setting, but no, again trying to look and price fancy without being so. Which comes to the service, in our case, it was actually awful. Take napkins, we hadn't seen our server in forever, and with my partner's fingers covered in finger-food residue, I actually had to stop another employee who promised to bring some, never happened. She wanted coffee during the meal, it was so long before we spoke to someone that she gave up. It got to the point where we were sitting there with empty plates and me starring into the restaurant to any employee who walked by, just to get someone to charge us and let us go. I get 100% better service at Denny's. Lastly, the owners actually lie about the price of the food. There are two valid models for how to pay employees: offload their wage to the customer by asking them to tip based on performance - charge less for food by less overhead, or pay your employees a fair wage, increase the cost of the food for overhead but accept the risk of the advertised cost on the menu. In special cases, party of 8 or more, require gratuity and make it clear ahead of time. These people cheat it all and basically false advertise your meal. As bad as this service was, I haven't considered tipping less than 20% since I can remember, but these people show you their already premium prices, and at the end of the meal hit you with a required 20% "gratuity" meaning the MEAL was 20% MORE EXPENSIVE than advertised regardless of rewarding good or bad service. If you want to pay your employees, GREAT, price the food accordingly. If you want to offload that cost to the customer based on performance like 90% of restaurants, FINE, we'll plan for that cost. Don't false advertise your food prices by forcing us to pay your employees gratis or otherwise. That's actually messed up, it's a cheat, it's false advertising, and you should be ashamed of yourselves. And while you're at it, maybe ask your employees to check with their table now and then. Some people are great cooks, but need...

I was very excited to try Frank & Laurie’s, but my experience turned out to be a major disappointment. Upon arrival, I was greeted and requested any table that was not the shared table, as I hoped to try multiple items from the menu and wanted room. The hostess informed me of a 25-minute wait time and added my name to the waitlist.

I waited over an hour, observing people coming and going from the restaurant from my car, as it was very hot outside and there were no indoor areas available for me to wait since the two seats were used. After the hour had passed, the hostess assured me that the delay was due to “no one leaving their tables.” However, this was clearly untrue, as I saw three parties who arrived I put my name in finishing their meals.

Once seated, the service was lackluster. The server was unfriendly, did not smile, and rarely checked in on my table. At times, I had to flag down another server for basic services such as a water refill. I regretted not leaving when I noticed an older regular couple being seated immediately, indicating preferential treatment.

The pancakes I ordered, which cost $20 with the added gratuity charge, were overly sweet and, in my opinion, not worth the price. I genuinely wanted to give this place a chance, but after this experience, it was clear that they did not even attempt to provide me with a good dining experience. I was particularly upset seeing the other tables finishing their meals while I was literally waiting to be seated. I even asked a nearby diner about their wait time, and they confirmed they were seated immediately, contrary to what the hostess had told me.

Overall, this experience was beyond frustrating, and I felt deceived. I won’t be returning to...

Ah, La Table de l'Ironie – a name that surely foreshadowed the dining experience awaiting us. Let's start with the good stuff: the service. In a world where great service is as rare as a unicorn sighting, these folks have somehow managed to capture the mythical beast. Attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable, the staff deserves a standing ovation. They know their craft and, quite frankly, are the true stars of the visit.

However, prepare yourself for a leisurely affair. The kitchen operates on what can only be described as "island time." If you're in a rush, you'd better realign your expectations or schedule a long siesta. It's the perfect opportunity to engage in some deep conversations or perhaps finish that novel you've been putting off.

Now, the unexpected twist – the food. I ordered the clams special with great anticipation, but it turns out the real surprise was how underwhelming it was. The presentation was colorful and Instagram-worthy, but that's where the excitement ended. The clams were as chewy as a well-worn rubber band, and the creative beans and greens sauce was about as flavorful as a glass of tap water. I couldn't help but think that any mom-and-pop shack would have done a better job.

In conclusion, La Table de l'Ironie lives up to its name. The service sets the bar high, only for the food to limbo under it effortlessly. If you're looking for stellar service and ample time to reflect on life's ironies, this is your place. Just don't expect the clams to...