Rigsby's Smoked Burgers, Wings & Grill — Restaurant in Spartanburg

Update: So right after I posted my review I got a response from Rigsby's asking me to contact them directly. I thought this was really cool ya know like they do care and wanna make it right. Wrong. Apparently they do that for show. I did what they asked and that was months ago,they still have not responded. So I guess all those replies you see from Rigsby's on bad reviews seeming like they care are just bologna. First impressions: cool layout, nice atmosphere and a good vibe. I cannot give them any stars based on a full experience right now because I(unfortunately) was not able fully experience their dining. I roll up about 10:20 having just left work wanting to get a small bite to eat, maybe an appetizer, nothing serious. I walk over to the pavilion side of the entrance and wait to get the hostess' attention. As the hostess comes around the corner I signal to her seating for one making it obvious I wish to eat outside. She replies "as long as it's inside" which confused me, I mean it's only 10:20 and a group of people are leaving the area as I'm talking to her. So I ask defiantly and in disbelief, "I can't eat in the pavilion? " She replies unapologetically "No. Were too close to closing."I was stunned and still confused because I work at a restaurant with outdoor seating and we never turn anyone away based the time or where they want to sit in the restaurant. So I stand and wait for her to finish on a more friendly note but instead she just asked if Id like to eat inside. I replied with the same no she offered me when I asked a question, turned myslef around and walked out. I guess on this night one hungry man's business isn't worth the trouble for them 40 minutes before closing. Although I was denied service based on where I wanted to sit 40 minutes before the restaurant closes, it may very well have been a one-off. They may very well have a policy that says that that's not allowed, and they may very well expect their customers to know that. I highly doubt it. Still, I do believe in second chances and will be retur.ning to rigsby's to give em...

Been here three times (two takeout, one dine-in).

Dine-in: This place has potential but it just feels like it’s run poorly. We arrived, hostess was wholly unenthusiastic, were told it was a 30-45 min wait (totally fine), and we decided to go to the bar. The bar was busy and there was not enough people working behind it. It took about 15 min just to get their attention. Once we got a table, we ordered burgers, nothing spectacular. We got our food and they walked away before we could ask for napkins or silverware. So we had to wait. I personally got the Santa Fe burger and there’s a picture of it on the menu. I know the food isn’t going to look at the picture but when I got my burger there was a small quarter size amount of guac. There’s loads of guac in the picture. I asked for more guac and they gave me a tiny cup more. Still not much. We wanted to get some milkshakes but after getting our food they didn’t come back for 30 min and it was impossible to flag them down because the place was so chaotic. Even the shakes they brought out to others looked no where near like the pictures they have advertised. And it seemed like they just packed the place full but didn’t have enough servers. We ended up leaving without shakes because at that point, we had been there for 1hr 45min.

Take-outs: First time, food was okay. The fries don’t hold up over a 6 min drive home. Second time we intended to go inside to watch the NFL playoffs (last round, nfc championship) but they had a band playing. A band playing during one of the biggest football nights of the year. So we did takeout and left.

Overall, not impressed. They need to get it together and calm it down. Don’t pack the place full if you don’t have the staff. Pay attention to your food. If there’s a picture on the menu, at least make it look somewhat close. Use the right...

3 visits, same experience.

The Good: The food is very good and the place is clean. I want to like this place so much.

The Bad: They open at 11. I walked in at 11:01 following an employee. The employee looked like she hadn't slept recently. Turns out, she was the hostess. I stood near the front counter for a few minutes and no one spoke to me. The hostess put stuff away and chatted with a co-worker. A young man passed and I asked if they were open. He mumbled something about being open and continued towards the bar. After a couple of more minutes, the hostess grabbed some napkins and menus and disappeared around the wall, then looked back and said we could follow her. I had no idea she had even seen us.

The waitress was EXCELLENT and I tipped her appropriately. But the other employees seem to have little interest in projecting an organized and customer focussed image. Why are employees filling and placing ketchup bottles during the lunch? Couldn't that be done prior to opneing? This is the same impression we got when we first went when they first opened. Good food, but the staff seemed to have no training. We chaulked it up to a new restaurant with untrained workers, but it hasn't gotten better. Last April, we attempted to go, but they were allowing under-age teens who were in town for Spring Fling to hang out in the super nice outdoor bar area, and no one was interested in speaking to us or getting us a table, so we left.

I know good help is hard to find, but if they aren't trained on the basics (welcoming the customer, look them in the eye, speak clearly, acknowledging their presence) it seems like a management issue. I've worked in restaurants, these small things make a huge difference. In a world where customers are looking for something different, being treated like they matter is something...