Rogue Island Local Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in Providence

General manager is incredibly rude and not accommodating. The server with red hair is also rude and tells people she’s hard of hearing and they speak too softly. (Why insult someone?)

My waffle came out with bacon, I have a pork allergy. I ask for a replacement waffle, the GM proceeds to stand up and tell me I should have told the server of my allergy and it’s my responsibility when I eat out, and I should better read the menu. Ok fine, I ask for the replacement waffle that they proceed to charge me for $8 lol, fine, GM tells me it MIGHT be able to be remade but I’ll be charged for BOTH ENTREES but he’s checking with the chef, pretty certain the GM decides what goes through but a scapegoat nonetheless. GM then proceeds to sit at the table and tell me the chef will not be remaking anything for me and they will bring my food back out (that they had in the kitchen, who knows what they did to it). And I’ll still be charged for it all. Weirdness, all I needed was a replacement waffle, overall staff (specifically the GM) here need training, to run a restaurant and lack such professionalism it’s insane. All this over a 50 cent waffle, god forbid you needed a protein replaced.

Also they never brought out the waffle but attempted to charge another person in my party for it, wild.

In response to owner: I absolutely never asked for anything for free, I asked for a plain waffle and the sauce that came on the original waffle, my bill was paid in full all $50 of something I didn’t consume, along with everyone else at the table. You certainly weren’t black mailed, and were not threatened. I’d look up the definition of that. After your GM created a mockery out of the situation, and proceeded to tell me it’s unlikely the chef will remake anything but he would go check, I let him know that’s fine and my review would reflect that. Reviews come with businesses, if that bothered you, you should have remedied the situation, which was simply replacing a waffle and the sauce, whether I was charged for it or not wasn’t my point at all and the cost of things never came up on my end, your GM made it a point nothing was being replaced and only the entire meal MIGHT be remade but I’d be charged for both. You wouldn’t know that because you sat in the kitchen the entire time and never took the time to come speak to me, yet sent your GM (with no professionalism) back and forth to deliver messages. Not to mention your GM proceeds to take my food from me for about 5-10min to take back to the kitchen (if there was no intention to remake the food or replace what was wrong, why take it????) just to return it to me, and think I would eat something that you disappeared with for no reason. Bizarre, unprofessional, and not safe.

There was nothing for Sammy to handle at this table, we were polite and respectful to everyone we interacted with regardless of the service we received. Bills were paid in full and we moved on, left a review reflective of our experience but everyone was respectful. You wouldn’t know as you conveniently stayed in the kitchen and avoided discussing anything with me.

My advice to you and your staff would be, learn some professionalism. As I apparently didn’t read the menu, your server/and or GM conveniently didn’t check/read the check and attempted to charge someone for a waffle that they did not order and was never received. This aligns perfectly with the other negative reviews of extra charges that are...

ALLERGY FOLKS BE AWARE

Wanted to love this place- but the atmosphere is loud and management is incapable of accommodating simple food allergies. Upon ordering a nut-free dish, we kindly informed the server of a food allergy and asked they simply let the kitchen know- very standard practice for both allergy individuals and restaurants.

However, the server returned to our table to let us know that the kitchen had "nuts everywhere", and that they could not accommodate an allergy. The server went back and forth between us and the kitchen with each clarifying question we asked. At no point did a chef or manager intervene or visit our table. At one point, the KITCHEN sent the server back out to let us know they were "UNAWARE" as to what TYPE of flour they use in their INGREDIENTS- almond, baking, etc... they said they do not know what ingredients each dish calls for.

Unfortunately the end result being that management sent the server along back to our table with a crude and simple CONTRACT, in which the items the allergy individual ordered were listed in a table with a date, REQUIRING a SIGNATURE from the individual WAVING ALL RESPONSIBILITY of the establishment and following up verbally with we would have no liability or right in the event of an allergy. The contract looked like a generic print out from Google Images... no branding or management on it or with it.

We decided not to sign as it was not legally advisable to do so. The allergy individual was the only one to not eat, and the one who the meal was in celebration of. Management never addressed the issue with us. Furthermore, signs stating outside food/drink was not allowed. This is the first restaurant this poor treatment and mishandling I have ever experienced.

In the end, they also almost forgot to remove the required reservation deposit off the bill- luckily, we caught and fought it saving the table hundreds.

Management never addressed the issue and the entire situation was poorly mishandled. In 2025, allergies are a common occurrence and properly organized, trained, and responsive kitchens are the bare minimum. Chefs should be aware as to what ingredients they are using, and management should be addressing allergy concerns of this level in-person rather than hiding behind a desk. Furthermore, a contract from Google Images is a pathetic response to an allergy as a restaurant owner.

Do better. We will not...

A very cute and must try spot if you live in or are visiting PVD. The service and staff are great, and it’s nestled in America’s first indoor shopping mall, the Arcade. Their appreciation and love of Providence and local RI food culture is evident as you walk in the door. They sell locally made jams, vinegars, and other goodies. I also appreciate that their menu has locally sourced and seasonal produce. I will say their waiting area being on the other side of the restaurant’s host desk was a bit awkward, but I think it’s a choice they had to make to maximize the usage of their space. It also gave me a good excuse to talk to the other diners to let them know they have to check-in at the host desk around the corner. 😄 Their food was good, but had some missed points here and there, hence the loss of a star on food. The tater tot poutine was tasty, but the tots were salty when you took a bite of a tot with gravy and a cheese curd. I’d say if they don’t salt the tots, and pickle the onions they use on top as a garnish a bit more, it’d be perfect. I ordered the short-rib Benedict, because the flavors they had combined were interesting, but again, the execution could’ve been better. The short rib needed to be hotter, the eggs poached a few seconds longer, and mixing the fig jam and blue cheese as a spread instead of blue cheese crumbles as topping would’ve broken down some of the sweetness of the entire dish. The flavors were spot on, just way they were served could be tweaked. I also ordered Knead donuts for the table, because who doesn’t love a glazed donut as a brunch appetizer?! Knead 🍩s are never bad, but if they warmed them up before serving, they could’ve been a 10000/10, instead of 10/10. Overall, a highly recommend and will return spot 👌🏽 Also, they had a lovely server who let me take a video of her adorably chic haircut for inspo—what a doll!!! The entire staff was lovely, from the host addressing me by name every time he interacted with me, to our server who was funny and on her game, and the lovely server who saw me admiring the old photos of the Arcade, and recommended I check out the photo mural wall in the bathroom! Note to the owners, please make sure your staff is very well paid,...