Bison Ridge Smokehouse & Arcade — Restaurant in Troy

Five stars because this place has so much potential to be amazing. That being said, The biggest thing that would have made everything better for us, is if we had been greeted or even helped at all when we arrived. We made the mistake of going in the back door because that was the main entrance for the previous restaurant (please put a sign on the door for other new patrons! It doesn't take much to tape up a piece of paper with an arrow, and prevent customers from feeling confused and unwelcome!). When we walked in, no one said anything at all, no smiles, no welcome, nothing. It was so awkward. So then we sat down and waited about 15 minutes before someone decided we were sufficiently embarrassed and worth serving I guess. Our server was polite and efficient but not friendly. The food came out, not quick, but not slow. The brisket sandwich was pretty tasty but over slathered with sauce. It was hard to taste the meat, though the sauce was good and the meat extra tender. The fries were amazing, crispy and lightly seasoned. They were completely out of salad which was disappointing. The sides are super tiny and $5 a piece. Since I couldn't get a salad, I ordered two sides, beans and coleslaw. They were wonderful (especially the beans, smoky and full of bacon), but they were SO small! $10 for them, and I left still pretty hungry.It was almost $100 for four people (and one of the meals was just two sides). Maybe adding just 2 or 3 more affordable options would help to keep people coming back. The atmosphere is really cool, with two levels of seating, arcade games lining the walls and great music. We will try again and hope everyone else gives it a try as well. The restaurant business is no joke and takes time to work through the bumps in the road. If the employees would greet every single customer (confused back door patrons as well) and work on making people feel welcome and appreciated, I'm sure people will keep coming back. I think it's a great addition to the area: alcohol, arcade games, music and great food!...

I almost gave a two star, but the food is great (seriously, you won't be disappointed in the quality here).

I will say, though, that their "smash burger" is in no way a smash burger--so, be prepared for unmet expectations there--which leads me to the reason I docked two stars in the first place: misleading information.

I called in an order for The Reuben and The American. Recently, their prices have lowered (likely on account of customer feedback), so I was excited to see them reflected when I called in. They were so much lower, in fact, that it led me to ask if the two items we ordered included sides.

The server on the phone told me "Yes they do!" This was very clear. No confusion there.

I was given my total (~$32) and thought it sounded high, but I just assumed that my mental math was poor.

I show up for pickup (right on time, based on their estimate, so props for timeliness! 👍), look at the receipt, and realize that they actually charged me for the side items! I told the gentleman at the counter that I was told over the phone that they came with the entrée. He proceeds to tell me, "Oh, yeah, sorry. Our prices recently lowered, and by doing so, we don't include the side items anymore."

At this point, one of two options would have been understandable:

Refund me the difference for the two sides and not include them.

Or

Refund me the difference for the two sides and STILL include them.

I would have been happy with either result. Instead, I was given option number three:

Sorry about that.

As a small business owner myself, when I promise something, I deliver on that promise--even if it was a mistake on my part--even if it means me losing out of a few dollars, the customer always gets the benefit of the doubt, and I'll go above and beyond to rectify the situation.

I will gladly change my review if we eat here again and the experience changes, but definitely consider this as constructive feedback, as I know Bison Ridge is still growing +...

Wow! You are doing well in so many areas. Food was awesome. We did have one creamy order of mac and cheese and one dried out. We also ordered a plain baked potato. It was very yellow with a weird texture and taste. Meats were great. One thing that needs some attention is the wait time for food. Ours was 45 minutes. I read some reviews that quoted up to 75 minutes. We were all hungry when we arrived. I asked the server if we could order an appetizer and get it sooner, she said she could not guarantee it. I ordered a salad as one of my sides and asked if I could have it before the food came out. She said you did not typically do that. She did check and was able to bring it ahead of time. So here's the million dollar question... why are customers still experiencing long waits for their food? I have eaten at some of the largest BBQ joints in the nation and haven't experienced anything similar. Here's when it's bad... you sit next to a large family with many young hungery children for an hour. They acted out until their food arrived. Running around and screaming.

Unlike some other reviewers. I will be back. There is incredible potential here! Keep up...