Denny's — Restaurant in Show Low

Okay, I have been to A LOT of diners in my life, all over the United States, and let’s face it. Denny’s is Denny’s. Decent food, and okay prices, but there are usually better or faster places to eat, depending on your needs. So, Denny’s is not usually where I go to eat. It’s only after 9pm and everywhere else is closed that Denny’s has really been an option for me in the past. Denny’s has been the best of what’s left.

Well apparently, here in Show Low, that is a mistake, because my wife and I went out just to have a little time to ourselves and it was after 9pm. Hmmm, where to go? Denny’s. (Ehhh. Okay.)

We stopped in around 9:30pm and was seated fairly quickly. Booth was okay, no duct tape on the cushions but a little small for my taste. Not great, but good. Our waitress, Jen. Stopped by after we were seated, took our drink order and gave us our menus, giving us a few to look them over. She came back with our drinks, and asked if we were ready to order. We gave an appetizer order, which she took giving us a bit more time to peruse the menu.

We ordered, and about 7 minutes later, our appetizer was out. About 10 minutes after that, our food was out.

Jen was friendly, courteous, prompt, and efficient, but not interrupting, or over bearing. She kept our drink glasses full, and made sure we were enjoying ourselves and the food, while letting my wife and I enjoy our conversation.

The food? It was great. Really. It was. Some of the best diner food I have ever had, and much better than a typical Denny’s. Hot, flavorful, and actually looked like the picture on the menu. (That rarely happens anywhere. So, that’s new. )

Well, maybe that was a fluke. Could be, but this afternoon, My wife and I decided to test that theory, and we took my elderly father with us this time.

Different manager on duty. Different hostess, waitress, and cook. We ordered different foods. (Except the for the pancake puppies, I mean let’s not get crazy, we HAD to have those again.)

So, how was it? It was great… I mean it. The consistency of the quality of service that Anna provided was comparable to the service Jen provided, as was the flavor and quality of the foods served on both visits. Couple that with the teamwork I both witnessed and experienced on my second visit, is a REAL testament to the standards and leadership of the management team, and the exceptional personal they have hired and trained, as well as the personal values of their respective shift crews. WELL DONE!!

Denny’s of Show Low, You have changed my mind concerning Denny’s Restaurants in the future....

We were so disappointed by the service we received from our initial server, Toni, during our visit around 10 a.m. on a Monday. My kids were thrilled to finally go out to eat for the first time this summer, but the experience was soured right from the start.

When Toni asked for our drink orders, my 8-year-old was still deciding. She seemed annoyed and abruptly walked off to the kitchen with the rest of the drinks, cutting him off mid-thought. When she returned, he asked for hot chocolate, and she said they didn’t have any. He was flustered and trying to pick something else, but before he could even finish his sentence—maybe 15 seconds later—she turned and walked away again.

I asked the hostess for a different server, as it was clear Toni wasn’t interested in patiently serving a child. The hostess kindly assigned us to Joann. However, Toni then loudly told Joann, within earshot of the kitchen and our table, that our child was “very indecisive.” It was embarrassing and unnecessary. If we had to continue being served by her, we honestly would have left.

We appreciated Joann's kindness and professionalism, but this experience left a negative impression. If we return, we will definitely be requesting a different server. Management may want to consider additional training on respectful, patient service—especially when interacting with families...

I last visited this Denny's location about 15 years ago... today, I found myself with a 4 hour downtime from 8 to noon.

I thought to myself, "hey, it's been a while... might be able to find breakfast and a place to kill some time..."

Soon, I found myself remembering that there are only 2 kinds of people that actually eat at a Denny's:

1. drunk people at 2 am that really don't care about the quality of the food in relation to the alcohol in their system, and,
2. people that freely choose to punish their gastrointestinal tract and seem to enjoy the gassy, bloating cramps.

Sadly, today I wasn't drinking, so I guess I get what I deserved...

The food was served cold on delivery to the table, and my omelet had the consistency of overly moist play dough... I suspect the vegetables in the omelet were glazed in a buttery mix of artificial flavoring and Cosmoline grease.

The coffee wasn't terrible, and fortunately, the server was able to ensure my cup was always full...

Which was the only pleasant part of the visit: the service.

I will commend my server... she was prompt to seat me, Johnny on the spot for delivering coffee and taking the order, and was pleasant to speak to during the short episodes of table talk.

So bask in the glory of 5-star service in a 1-star...