Denny's — Restaurant in Santee

I'll start on neutral.... The atmosphere at this Santee Denny's was like a roadside diner at 10pm, alongside a desert highway... Not busy, and the diners they did have were probably starving! Our table was the entertainment of the evening, by the way, we were there at 6pm on a Friday.

Moving to food... I'm sorry, it's not good news if you like Patty Melts or chicken tenders... I realized a long time ago that my favorite food from Denny's is their patty melt without onions. If you're a true fan, or cook, you know that a patty melt is a burger on rye, with grilled onions and Swiss... Our server took our orders, and I didn't even look at the menu, I knew what I wanted.. "I would like a patty melt with no onions please..." She repeated my request perfectly and wrote it down. 20 minutes later she passed our table and said, "your order is almost ready." Our group was celebrating a birthday and catching up with a family member whom we haven't seen in two years, and by the time our food came out, excitement and conversation had died down a lot... That took awhile for 5 of us! The restaurant wasn't that busy, remember, it seemed like a desert crowd. Everyone else got their food first... Salmon and rice, grilled cheese sammich and fries, French toast with eggs and sausage, blueberry hush puppies.... Everyone started eating, and my plate came about 5 minutes later! It wasn't a patty melt! It was something like a basic lettuce & tomato cheeseburger on white bread! WTH?! Sometimes I don't have a filter... I looked at it like a suspicious 2 year old and said, "eww! What's that?!" Our wonderful, sweet, patient server, Ana, said, "Oh, I'm sorry, we don't have patty melts anymore..." Well! That's disappointing! So I reluctantly looked at the menu and decided on chicken tenders... Our sister had French toast and she was wanting warm syrup to drizzle over it. I asked Ana if we could get some warm syrup and she gave me a look like she was about to deliver bad news... "Oh I'm sorry," she said, "We can't do that anymore..." WHAT? "You can't warm up a little syrup for her breakfast toast?" She told me that ever since the PANDEMIC they can't do that anymore... My lack of filter.... "Why? Do you have to breathe on it or sit on it to warm it up?" It didn't make sense to me, and she said that she would ask if they could. The answer was no... Warm syrup... Pandemic... ? Is this Denny's? Oh look! Chicken tenders! And they're hot! And I even got a spoonful of ranch dressing with them... I'll try not to waste any! By the time we left Benny's I had bubble guts from the chicken! I couldn't get home fast enough! A Patty Melt at Denny's wouldn't have caused that! As far as the rest of the food, I believe everyone enjoyed their meal, and I didn't hear of any other bubble gut issues.

Now to the best part of our visit... Ana! She was soft spoken, and altho her appearance struck me as timid, and possibly the type that couldn't deal with our weird bunch... She was awesome! She had great skills, she served us the best she could with what Benny's allowed her to serve, and she kept up with our weird sense of humor! Her tip was better than Benny's review! If anyone needs a great waitress, I suggest rescuing Ana...

First, the location was clean, and the food was good quality. The service was atrocious. It began with our order. I chose a build your own burger, and our server (a slightly heavy-set possibly Filipino female, I did not get her name) rudely ignored my order and asked what the other person would like to order. My partner spoke up and said, "excuse me, he's not done ordering" to which our server rolled her eyes and took the rest of my order, then took the other orders. The poor service continued throughout the meal, with the server ignoring me and only addressing her, until my wife surmised that perhaps the server had some kind of issue with men. It was very strange. I've never experienced such rude behavior from a Denny's waitress before.

And in the continuing saga of this review, now 4 months later, we went back into the restaurant for breakfast. There's a different server, male about 6 ft tall, long hair, mid 20s. He says he's worked there for only about three months. He's the only server in the restaurant, and there is only a single other guest in the entire restaurant. He told us we could sit anywhere, and went back to his conversation with the other guest. We selected a booth in sat down. After about 15 minutes passed, my wife finally got up and got her own menu. The server noticed and apologized, making the excuse that he was feeling a little bit off today. He took our drink order, which was coffee and water for both of us, brought us drinks, and went back to his conversation with the other customer. Another 15 minutes passed, and my wife had to get up and go get him to let him know we were ready to order. Instead of coming to the table and taking our order, he went to the register to punch the order in and just had us yell out the order to him across the restaurant. Realistically, he was probably about 25 feet away. The food was perfect, so the cook was fantastic. Server didn't even bother to bring us the chocolate shake we ordered, but he did go back to the conversation he was having with the other customer. We finished our food, paid, and left. During our meal we were listening to his conversation. Ironically, some of the conversation was about providing good service. We overheard the server saying he felt like he was doing his best, but somehow his tips weren't that great. Admittedly, we did not...

I want to take a moment to express my utmost admiration for Janette, who is undoubtedly the shining star at Denny's. Her unwavering commitment to excellence and her uplifting presence truly make her a standout among the staff. Janette goes above and beyond to ensure that everything within the restaurant is meticulously maintained, creating an atmosphere that is both inviting and well-kept.

Her attention to detail is truly remarkable, and it's evident that she takes pride in her work. Whether it's ensuring that tables are clean and organized, coordinating with the kitchen staff to ensure smooth operations, or simply being there for customers with a warm smile and friendly demeanor, Janette is always on top of her game.

Her positive energy is contagious and has a profound impact on both customers and fellow staff members alike. Janette's dedication to providing exceptional service is truly commendable, and it sets a high standard for everyone around her.

In a bustling environment like Denny's, having someone like Janette who can maintain such a high level of professionalism and friendliness is truly invaluable. She is a true asset to the team and a key contributor to the overall success of the restaurant.

If you haven't had the pleasure of experiencing Janette's exceptional service, I highly recommend visiting Denny's and witnessing her incredible work firsthand. Janette's commitment, creativity, and friendly disposition make her an absolute delight to interact with.

Thank you, Janette, for your unwavering dedication to excellence. Your efforts do not go unnoticed, and you truly make a positive difference in the dining experience at Denny's."

I hope this expanded review captures the essence of Janette's incredible contributions! Let me know if there's anything else I can...