Smokey Bones Cheektowaga — Restaurant in Town of Cheektowaga

Edit: Since this review had two more awful experiences. This location has a habit of running out of items and giving you “whatever” without checking if you’re okay with it or you can even eat it. Or mixing a side that was for another person in your other entree’s container meant for another person and covering it with barbecue sauce and meat. Also If you can’t eat what they choose to substitute- oh well.

This picture was from 8/11 and apparently the chicken dinner.

It is my fault for giving this place another chance. I don’t know what has happened to it but its gone way downhill between food quality and customer service (who accuses a customer of calling a “scam number” that identified themselves as the restaurant and took your order when being directed from the website ordering system?) ——-

I've reviewed here before a while back but wanted to update my review and it wouldn't let me edit.

This location seems to have a bizarre range of experiences... from great to awful.

Last night, 7/28, I tried to place an online pickup order through the website. It wouldn't let me and said I had to call it in, and the submission button turned to a button to call, including the number, which was the restaurants. I call and am on hold a while, which is fine. Someone answers and it sounds more like a call center, again, that's find. I place my order, the $14.99 special that includes and appetizer and meal. It's set for pickup at 10:35PM.

When I arrive, there is confusion. My order isn't ready. Actually, there is no order. I don't want to blame initial staff because she was new and trying. She said it didn't exist. I explained to her and showed her (I had the windows open on my browser) and she suggested I called a "scam number." So I pull up your google information and show it's the restaurant phone. She says she'll go check with a manager and disappears in the kitchen.

When she returns she tells me that the call center messed up and this is the second time today this happened. That the special no longer exists according to the manager. I ask why my order was taken by the main restaurant call center then and I wasn't told the promotion ended, I asked why it was still on the website then and listed to running through 7/31. She didn't know and that they "mess up." I'm told I can order something else though. A server comes over and helps, she hears me mention the special and says "that's still running." She helps place the order, assures me it'll be "right up" and also mentions a discount or something extra for the inconvenience.

I get the order. It's fine. I'm not given a discount or anything extra. I'm not saying mistakes don't happen but it was a really awkward situation. The manager was nowhere to be seen, yet making new employees engage in situations like this and passing wrong information to them, potential escalating the situation, instead of handling it.... like a manager. I've been in customer service, including management for over 20 years and this is not how you diffuse or handle a situation like this when it's on the restaurant or company's end. Also to promise a discount or item for the situation then just not include it.... it would be better not to say anything.

There was another guy there waiting and had some kind of issue I overheard. Staff came out with an item stating whatever he ordered was out so they replaced it with something else.... without asking him if that was okay. It was pretty odd and he was equally confused about his experience, making a comment to me when we were both waiting.

Also, just a thought. When packaging meals, it would be nice not to throw things like cornbread in a container mixed with a bunch of other items and sauces. Some people don't mind the mix but others don't, or can't, or it might be meant for later. It was pretty gross and inedible as it absorbed a bunch of liquid and got...

I have never written a negative Google review before, so I hope the fact that I’m taking time to write one now will carry some weight

This was my first experience at a Smokey Bones location, and it will absolutely be my last. We came to the Cheektowaga location at 9pm on Sunday 7/27. It wasn’t too busy, and we were seated right away. Before I get into all that transpired, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the one positive of the evening: Our server, Matilyn. She was incredibly kind and attentive, filling our drinks regularly and keeping us updated on the status of our food. It’s obvious the hard -working serving staff is keeping this place in business.

Here’s what we experienced:

Walking in, the whole restaurant smelled like marijuana. My fiancé went to the restroom, and it was obvious someone just smoked a blunt in there.

The restaurant is filthy. Even though they wiped down the table for us, the chairs had crumbs and shredded cheese all over them and the table felt sticky. The floor is disgusting - no way all that grime, crumbs, and garbage was just from today. They’re not cleaning properly. The drinks menu on our table was glued shut with some sort of sticky substance.

When we first arrived, a doordash driver was waiting for an order, and it was taking longer than expected. After we were there about 10 minutes, he approached the manager to ask about it. In all fairness, he was not speaking very professionally or kindly, and I’ll give to the manager that she started out the situation speaking and acting as professional as possible. However, this quickly turned into a 15+ minute yelling match between them at the front of the restaurant that all the customers had to listen to. There were many opportunities in the conversation where the manager could have walked away and continued working but she kept going. This is super unprofessional and rude to your paying guests. The manager made sure to mention this was “her” restaurant multiple times. Then you should have the emotional maturity to communicate a message and continue with your work.

The wait times for food were ridiculous! I started to understand why the doordash guy was mad at that point. All we ordered were two salads, and it took nearly hour for them to come out. When we got the salads (which cost $20 each), it was slightly larger than a side salad - and that’s a generous estimate. I’ve never received such a tiny “entree” size salad in my life. We were done eating in 10 minutes tops. $40 total for that?

At some point while we were eating, the angry doordash guy gave up and left. Then we had to listen to the manager loudly discuss him and his behavior with another doordash driver who was waiting for food. Again, super unprofessional! I understand being frustrated at your job but go take a break in the back or talk to another colleague about it - not a random delivery driver in front of the whole restaurant. The manager stated that this situation was clearly a case of the angry DD guy thinking “you’re a black woman and you’ll do what I say.” Whether that’s true or not isn’t for me to judge, but it is absolutely inappropriate to be discussing in front of guests.

I do NOT recommend...

I’m a DoorDash driver. I got assigned a pickup at Smokey Bones and thought, “Easy in, easy out.”

Wrong.

I arrived at 9:22pm and waited at the hostess stand. And waited. And waited. No greeting. No acknowledgment. Just server after server walking by like I was a ghost—despite the place being nearly empty.

At 9:30, someone finally spoke to me. “It’ll be ready in two more minutes,” they said.

Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.

Ten minutes later, still no food, no update. I asked another server—now it’s going to be ANOTHER ten minutes.

After about 20 minutes, I ask if I can speak to a manager. She comes out, walks right past me like I’m invisible, and starts chatting it up with another DoorDash driver who literally just walked in.

Thirty minutes in. Still no food. No explanation. I tell the manager, “Hey, I’m DoorDash. We don’t get paid just to stand around. We only earn when we’re delivering.”

It’s the restaurant’s job to have the order ready at the stated time, or at least mark it delayed on the tablet. That’s the system. Every restaurant and business on DoorDash abides by the system. I would know, I’ve done 20 other deliveries already today, each one ready within 5 minutes of the stated time.

But instead of taking any responsibility, she tells me it’s my fault for becoming “irate.” (I mean… yeah, I was annoyed. I’d been standing around for over 30 minutes with absolutely nothing to show for it.)

Then she says—and I quote—“You can just leave, because I might not have food for you tonight.”

Madam. This is not MY dinner. I’m just trying to deliver it to Susan, who paid for it and is probably wondering why I’m camped out at Smokey Bones like it’s Yosemite.

Sure enough, the customer calls me directly - an elderly woman, sweet as can be - asking if everything’s ok. She’d already tipped me well in advance and even tried calling the restaurant herself. No answer. Huge shocker.

Out of sympathy for the poor customer, I wait another ten minutes. Still no food. I finally leave empty-handed, meaning I don’t get paid for an incomplete delivery in the DoorDash system.

Thanks for wasting 45 minutes of my life and $20 of my paycheck, Smokey Bones. Meanwhile, your actual paying customer is probably still sitting at home now, hungry and confused.

I’ve done thousands of DoorDash deliveries. This was easily one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had. The staff here couldn’t manage a Tim Hortons during a snowstorm.

Icing on the cake: manager later accused me of being racist according to reviewer Amelia P.

I assure you I am not, but anyone will be mad about their food taking 30+ minutes after the stated pickup time. (There was another woman in there named Carol waiting for food that did not look too happy either.)

Never order delivery from this place. You probably won’t get your food. And no one working there...