We had a laughably bad experience at Cap City-Dublin last night. We went back and forth between Fado and CC and picked the latter, albeit with no reservation. "Greeted" by the host is being kind: with four hosts at the host stand, they each kind of stared at us, not saying a word. Finally, I said "table for two" and one of the hosts said "it'll be a wait but you can go to the bar." No greeting, no nothing. We said OK and went to the bar, but there were no two seats together. We went back to the host and told her and she seemed... well... mad at us! She said it would be a 15 minute wait (mind you, noone else was in the lobby), and so we waited.... and waited... while - I kid you not - other people without reservations walked in and were seated promptly. In fact, I asked one couple if they had a reservation and they said no... and were told it was a 5 minute wait and were seated before us (this happened a few times). There's more about the greet... but let's move on to the main event

We are seated along a wall with three tables all in a row -- us (a two top), four ladies next to us, and then another two top. What happened over the rest of our dining experience was a comical train wreck. First, when our server FINALLY came, she started by apologizing and said the night it a train wreck because they are using new handheld devices. She apologized in advance and said everything will probably get messed up. Suffice it to say, speaking for our table alone, not only was the waitress MIA most of our time there, but right off the bat my husband got a garden salad when he ordered the wedge. He tried to get someone attention but he couldn't... so finally he just ate it.

Second, let's start with the other two top near us. Their order was totally messed up; the server brought us their two entrees, set them down and walked away, and then the couple called them back and we watched the server take their entrees away. Eventually they got another set of entrees.... they didn't seem happy and pretty much packed up with doggy bags and took off not too far into their meal.

It was the four top of ladies right next to us that was most concerning. (BTW, if you are wondering why we are watching everything going on so intently, it's because our server was MIA most of the evening and we had a lot of downtime; instead of being upset, we just sat back and watched the show). The four ladies next to us were, perhaps, a book club or an old friends get together? after a few apps they each ordered their entrees. When they came out, three got entrees and one was not served. I assumed that perhaps this fourth lady wasn't hungry and was sitting out the main as all of her friends ate, but eventually her food showed up too. Strange that three of four got served while she sat, I thought. But the biggest weird thing was that one of the four ladies started eating her chicken and then called over a manager to show that her food was completely raw. He apologized and took it away and we watched the other three ladies eat their entire entrees while the one with the bad chicken just sat there. When everyone was nearly finished, her chicken FINALLY arrived. What blew my mind was that the server (our server who was MIA for our table) immediately showed up and cleared everyone else's plates (we were like "No! Don't do it!) so that the lady with the chicken has to sit there eating an entire entree all alone while her friends watched on.

I have a hunch that there are systemic failures going on at the culture at this joint. Too much went wrong from the bad opening. TO this point, there was a manager (we could tell as he was in a suit expediting) and FOUR TIMES he walked by our table to go to the other tables in need, and he never acknowledged us. No, we don't expect this, but at comparable restaurants (Cameron's on 161, J Alexanders) the managers always make a point to go around and meet and greet when near tables.

We'll pass on this one for the future.... with our next stint at Fado next door, where we should have gone in the first place