The Preston — Restaurant in St. Louis

It's been a while since I felt the need to post. As always, I am going to preface what I am going to say with my resume. I am a 20-year restaurant vet and spent most of that time in executive management/ operations, so excuse me if I seem like a know it all. Today is Christmas '23, and like a lot of us nowadays, we (my wife and I) decided to stay local. I spent weeks looking online for a restaurant open on Christmas day, and the options were actually pretty varied. We ended up choosing the Preston. We made a reszo for 5:00PM and were a little early.

The hostess, who was sweet, but dressed like an events server or cat burglar (all black tee, and black leggings)...not really the kind of outfit that instills confidence in service, at that price point ($35-$70 ppa). As she was seating us, she had a side bar with a server who was at another table, asking him if he was capable of serving us, and he said yes.

13 minutes, with no water or server, later the hostess returned to ask had we been helped. I said no, and she apologized and almost stated that it was because of reservations.....I stated, "we were a reservation...ima need to see a manager."

In our 13-minute journey, my wife and I had planned a very special meal. Wine, beef cheeks, and mussels... a second course of soup and salad...2 entrees...dessert....but we had waited so long that our confidence in their ability to execute what would have been a pretty expensive meal was lost. Fast forward to the managers' arrival (tall gentlemen in a blue suit)... I recognized him as the guy I made eye contact with several times during my 13-minute wait...plot twist. He touches the table and offers the quietest apology ever...which is fine not our first wait at a table but stares at me deafly as I explained that we lived in the neighborhood, the CWE....we have money....we are looking to spend it.....his response..."can I get you a beverage other than water"....at that moment we decided spending any ridiculous amount of money here would be a lost cause...I wouldn't trust them with doing the sidework at some of the restaurants I've worked at.

We ordered the burger (good burger...bun wasn't toasted, though). I turned to my wife and apologized. I promised her a great meal for Christmas, but instead, we were let down by our neighborhood's "classy spot." I also said, "I bet he takes care of the burgers." And like the ending to a bad movie...he took care of the burgers lol like that's how you handle experienced diners. He also never returned to the table. So, he unceremoniously comped our check and said "job well done"

We would have walked out, but it was Christmas, and trying to find dining after 5PM. would have been a nightmare. In conclusion, I know it seems like minor issues that prompted our dissatisfaction, but do 2 things for me after you read this. Sit in absolutely silence for a full minute...just complete quiet 🤫 and then multiply that by 13, and that was our experience here. The second thing is look at your banking statement after you've dined out and check the charge, look at the check amount and recall how much you tipped (which would hit your account a couple of days later) and ask yourself " was that experience worth that amount of money?" Menu price, service, and atmosphere...and anyway you slice it...The Preston has not instilled that confidence in us though we didn't spend anything.

Maybe try Yellowbelly...

Came for brunch. This is a lot so I'll start by saying that the food itself was pretty well done. The chef was back there rocking out lovely food quickly. The decor is nice as it's inside the Chase Park Plaza hotel. That being said, it wasn't busy at all, mostly open booths but still had to wait 15 minutes to be seated. I've worked as wait staff before so I understand the need to trickle sometimes, no problem at all, only even being mentioned because of the overall experience. After being sat, our order was taken fairly quickly and our drinks were delivered, after that, we didn't see our waitress again. Others delivered our meal and didn't provide everything we needed, for us specifically it was as simple but important as syrup for our waffle and french toast... and as I said, the waitress never returned, nor did anyone else, leaving us to choose to eat them dry, which my partner did. I did not, assuming she'd return at some point. We sat there for another 45 minutes, finished with what food we could eat and our drinks for more than 30 minutes before she did finally noticed us again; now back from waiting on her one and only other table that I do recognize was larger roughly an 8 top and we were a 2 top. I'm not exaggerating though, when she finally walked back to the table she was giggling awkwardly and mumbled "sorry", then again mumbled if everything was okay... My partner stated that I didn't eat my meal because we never got syrup and she removed my meal from the check but gave little other acknowledgment that the situation occurred. The worst part was that the entire restaurant was mostly empty and the remainder of the employees continued to walk around cleaning and waiting on their couple small tables, including the manager on duty, as well as the host, and we were absolutely looking around intently for interaction but received none. I chose not to get up in the middle of the restaurant and walk up to the bar to ask for service, so we waited. I've never in my life thought of walking out of a restaurant without receiving a check or paying before. This really pushed the limits. The "atmosphere" does not make up for the lack of interpersonal skills of the staff or the neglectful management, especially when it's slow. If it was even remotely busy, I'd be less inclined to even be upset. Much better service and management at the Waffle House even, and far cheaper, maybe the Preston should do a job fair there and get a...

My family and I came here for Thanksgiving lunch. They were one of the few places that had reasonable prices along with reservations. Upon arrival we were offered a table or booth. We opted for a booth and got a great, cozy half circle booth. The restaurant was not very crowded but busy enough to not feel weird.

Our server was Alexandria. They were polite, professional, and gave great suggestions for the food. They made sure to give us space for our family to enjoy our time together, waited patiently to ask if everything was okay if we were in conversation, and made sure we were never in need of anything. Their passion for the food and the creativity of the chefs at the hotel was evident whenever they made a recommendation. Alexandria was one of the best servers I've experienced and appreciate all they did.

The food was outstanding. So much so I only got a picture of the pumpkin cheesecake. My wife and I had the Thanksgiving special which featured a salad, soup, main dish, and dessert. I had the Caesar salad (unique prsentation with hald a head of romaine and delicious), the Lobster bisque (rich, creamy, flavorful, but not overpowering) and the pork chop (cooked to perfection with amazing spices and sweet sauce that complimented splendidly). The pumpkin cheesecake was delightfully light and not to sweet or rich. The candied pumpkin seeds were a combination I never knew I needed. My wife had the beat salad, butternut squash bisque (like a liquefied pie, possibly even better than the lobster bisque) and the pork. My kids had a cheeseburger with Mac and cheese (both were arguably the best I've ever experienced and I raise my own beef!) and the chicken tenders. The bread that was served in between courses was baked to perfection, and the cheese and herb spread was a taste sensation.

All in all, the Preston gave us a safe, cozy space for our family to enjoy our time together, reflect on the previous year, and hope for the future. All the staff was professional, friendly, and upbeat. The food was marvelous and superb. I'd highly recommend the Preston and would...