Kanoon Smoked Meat and Cafe — Restaurant in Waterbury

So my wife and I constantly go out to eat and we have visited just about every restaurant in this state. We have had great experiences and the way to absolutely horrible. This restaurant is very nice, the food was delicious. The atmosphere was very upscale for Waterbury but welcomed because this area needs a pleasant, clean, and upscale restaurant. We had the brisket which is prepared Halal. The flavor was spot on but I must say being that I have had other bbq from many other establishments it was a bit dry, still good but dry. I’m not sure if it is the prep that is needed in the halal process that dried it out but the taste was delicious. The presentation I loved with the smoke dome over it and lifted as it came to the table. The salads were good as well the one that comes to the table as well as the one served on the plate. We ordered the falafel appetizer and it was amazing and came with tahini sauce, great flavor. We had a great experience till we received the check. We had ordered iced teas like we do pretty much everywhere we go and blog. Tea is always reasonably priced like $2-$3 with refills. If it’s a per glass it’s usually told at the time of order. We were not given a drink menu so we didn’t know prices and we were not told of the per glass charge. They charged us $5.99 per glass of iced tea and they don’t do tap water it’s bottled water. Bottled water was $1.99 which is normal price for bottled but we wanted tap with ice. I did take issue that a non alcoholic drink and a fountain drink at that was $5.99 per glass. The bill of $18 for three teas was absurd in my opinion. I brought this up to the manager, Hassan. He was very nice and he agreed with me in which he had mentioned they were set prices from the franchise. I explained that $5.99 in this area and without refills for a fountain is insane. I told him if he made it reasonable pricing for the fountain drinks it won’t be such an issue $2-$3 is reasonable even if they want to do refills it’s still reasonable. He agreed but said he didn’t have much of an option just to bring it up to the franchise. He said that lemonade and teas are per glass charge while sodas are free refills. They are all fountain though from what another waiter told us. So long story short and after having a very reasonable conversation with him he went above and beyond and adjusted the bill and he also apologized for the price gouging of the drinks. He also said thank you for the business and surprised us from out of no where with a desert dish called Kanoon bites. This was a very delicious desert not on the menu it was mini waffle/ pancakes covered in melted white and milk chocolate and tasted like toffee crunch topping. I was impressed with Hassan as he didn’t have to do that. I wasn’t looking for all of that I was just looking for more reasonable pricing. My concern was I was paying close to $20 for iced tea. Everything said in the end he agreed and said that he was going to review and adjust as they had just opened and are learning the area and the menu. The restaurant is definitely very very nice and I would revisit and recommend the food, and atmosphere. Good luck with the...

Hello everyone, I we wanted to share with everyone a restaurant that weIl… I could call my favorite place to eat. Well, well, well!!! I always say we, because I usually dine out with my husband. He is not the picky eater, it’s me. So, let’s start with the ambiance of the restaurant. It is wonderful, warm, friendly, and accommodating to all. If you want to eat in your Sunday best, club outfit, or your hoodie and jeans, this restaurant welcomes everyone with open arms. It is a bit pricey, and it’s a NO PORK HERE RESTAURANT,halal smokehouse. We were greeted at the door by a very pretty young lady who was very welcoming and accompanied my request to be seated in an area away from a lot of traffic. Now, here comes the part why the service part received a 2 star…. We sat and waited for about 15 minutes before our server Y introduced himself and proceeded to take our order. This was one of the first times in my life I knew what I wanted and I was ready to place my order with complete confidence. I wanted the smoked meat platter, coffee, and the Hot flaming chicken appetizer. Our server stated “I’m sorry we don’t have that tonight 😢…WHAT!! I was so upset 😭 I wanted to cry 😤. I had called ahead to make sure that they had the lamb chops for my husband, but didn’t think to ask about shredded beef.(they didn’t have the lamb chops on our first visit). I was directed by the server Y, who clearly didn’t know what the heck he was doing, that they did have the chicken smoked meat platter. Who the heck wants chicken when they have just ordered shredded beef ? I was ready to get up and leave because I was so disappointed. My husband was trying to find alternative options for me, but I had already perused the menu on our previous visit and knew there wasn’t anything else I wanted to have that night. We had to send him away, and had listened to the more seasoned waitress as she read off all the options and specials to the guests at her table. I finally just decided, after pouting 😡 for a few minutes to just stick with our appetizers the flaming hot chicken wings. They are the best chicken wings I have ever had in my life. I love the sauce that they put on them. Also, they brought out a small salad ( for the both of us) and coleslaw, one white potato cut in half, a 1/4 of a sweet potato.) The salad is bland, so I added the salsa sauce, red cabbage and pickled vegetables from the My husband’s plate. It finally turned things around for me. My husband really enjoyed the lamb, he is not very picky, but in a conversation, he said that it was a little fatty, and for the price charged, it could have been a little bigger. Overall, if the availability of things on the menu was more consistent, this restaurant would be a top...

A Nightmare of a Dining Experience – Never Again!

I’ve been to this restaurant a couple of times before, and while the service was never spectacular, it was at least passable. But this time? An absolute disaster.

We had a reservation, yet upon arrival, we were left waiting for 10-20 minutes before even being seated. Annoying, but understandable given a busy evening like Valentine’s Day. What wasn’t understandable, though, was the sheer neglect that followed.

After finally getting a table, we sat there for another 20-30 minutes with no one even acknowledging us. When we flagged down the same person who seated us, hoping to at least get our order in, her response was nothing short of dismissive: “It’s very busy, if you can’t wait, then I don’t know.” The vibe? A clear wait or leave, we don’t care attitude. Since we had already invested an hour, we reluctantly stayed.

When someone finally took our order, we assumed things would move along. Nope. Another 30 minutes passed, and that same staff member returned—not with food, but with yet another excuse: “Did I tell you it’s busy in the kitchen? It may take another 40 minutes.” That was the final straw. After waiting for 1 hour and 40 minutes, we decided it wasn’t worth it. And suddenly, as if by magic, she had a different story: “Oh, let me check if your food is ready.” A few minutes later, she returned claiming it would be served in 20 minutes.

So, after waiting 2 hours and 10 minutes, our food finally arrived—cold. Not fresh, not even remotely warm, just cold food that had clearly been sitting out for who knows how long. If the kitchen was that overwhelmed, how was the food not at least hot when it finally made it to the table?

The entire experience dragged on for 2 hours and 45 minutes, and every part of it screamed unprofessionalism. If a restaurant knows it’s going to be busy, they should plan accordingly. Take fewer reservations, hire more staff, streamline the kitchen—do something other than make customers suffer through an evening of incompetence.

I will never be returning, and I’ll make sure my friends and family avoid this place as well. What should have been a nice evening turned into a complete disaster, and this restaurant made it painfully clear that they don’t care about...