The Woods — Restaurant in South Lake Tahoe

Very disappointing.

Dedicated parking in back with no obvious way to the front of the restaurant. No signs mentioning a hostess, nothing. Walked upstairs to find a bartender near the door; rude an unresponsive when asking where we should sit until I raised my voice louder to get his attention; he sent us downstairs to a hostess. Fortunately, the hostess was walking up the stairs and spotted us. She was very nice and accommodating.

Server was just ok. Didn't request temps for anything, so it was a guess as to what we'd get. The Ribeye steak was like dry shoe leather on one end and a medium well on the other, unseasoned (though it was described as marinated) without even salt, smothered in a very acidic sauce; didn't finish it. The sides were decent. The BBQ burger was over/unevenly cooked for what was supposed to be wagyu beef and very plain tasting. The bun was good. The salad tasted like someone had sprayed perfume around it, didn't finish.

No salt shakers, so when requesting salt, server gets a cup of rim-salt from the bar which you then have to pinch onto the food.

No utensils were delivered; the food runner noticed we didn't have any, so he went to get some. His gloves were dirty, so my napkin had food on it when he gave it to me. When he was trying to return with our silver, the bar tender pulled him aside to discuss rearranging the dining room. We sat with our food watching the conversation occur before the runner finally came with the utensils.

The final insult was the checkout process. The server presents a credit card machine to you rather than a check book with your check. While they stand there looking over you trying to figure out this new piece of equipment, they proceed through to the tip screen with 20% selected while watching everything going on. There is no privacy from the table nor the server. This is extremely tacky and very...

If you're thinking of dining at The Woods, consider this a heads-up. We were charged an additional $20 if we paid with a credit card. While we were aware of this fee, it definitely adds a premium to your meal that, in our experience, was completely unjustified by what followed.

Our visit was plagued by unacceptable service that felt far from earning the mandatory 20% tip automatically included on our bill. We endured an agonizing wait of an hour for our food, with no one checking on us or offering an explanation. When our dishes finally arrived, we were genuinely surprised by how small the portion sizes were – certainly not enough to be satisfying, especially given the prices.

Our server seemed to actively avoid our table, never once returning to offer a second drink or ensure we had everything we needed. We felt utterly neglected and like an afterthought. The lack of care, combined with an unfriendly attitude, made what should have been an enjoyable meal a stressful ordeal. And for anyone needing it, the elevator was out of order.

It's disheartening to pay a premium, including a card fee and a mandatory tip, for an experience where you feel ignored, are served insubstantial portions, and receive such poor service. Based on our frustrating and subpar experience, I strongly recommend looking for a restaurant that truly values its customers and provides...

I came here about a year ago, and it was at least a 4.5 star. The place was always packed, food was delish, and the menu had many items on it. Now, there is only 3 other people in here, and the menu has changed(not a good change). We ordered a hamburger, Ceasar wrap, and spinach and artichoke dip. They were all pretty priciey. And they were all nasty. The hamburger had no flavor, the wrap was tasteless, and the dip was tiny and not that flavourful and had croutons as the chips. We also got calamari, and they came like fish sticks, and they tasted horrible. I don't wanna be all negative, but at this place, it's almost hard not to be because of how bad it got in less than a year. Our water seemed like he was in a rush all the time, even though we were his only table. The restaurant itself is very comfortable to be in. It looks like a very high-end place. While we were here, 2 families came in and asked to see the menu. Around seconds later, they all walked out. It was...