Johnny Black's Public House — Restaurant in Waterford Township

It's very sad that I have to give such a low rating for our experience we had when we have heard nothing but amazing things from this place and went there with our friends that are frequent here. They recommend this place so highly and we were so excited to finally try ot out with them for our 1st time. When we arrived they were extremely busy as expected and we had no issues with that. We were seated fairly quickly but unfortunately the roof was leaking everywhere and the floor was so slippery and wet with buckets everywhere trying to catch the water coming in. Once we were seated we order drinks and appetizers from our young waitress that was very pleasant. Once the appetizers came out and our drinks about 20 minutes later after that, we ordered spinach dip that was extremely salty and deep fried pickles. The strangest thing was the pickles were completely burnt in the inside but had raw breading. We had no idea how this happened but was asked if we wanted another order. We kindly said no thanks but ended up bringing out another order regardless. Well unfortunately now this order was completely undercooked and the waitress saw this immediately. Also at this time we tried our drinks, 2 of them so sour and not what is was supppse to be, being a long island ice tea. The manager came over per the waitress request as she was extremely busy and the manager had agreed also that this was not normal and apologized for the mistakes. We then got our food, mine 1st being a Filet mignon with a double order of mash. When it came out and I began to cut it open, I noticed this very odd color to it and it being very mushy and slimy. And along with that, the mash potatoes where extremely hard I was actually banging my spoon against the top of it without it even being able to make a dent in it. I tried one bite of the filet and immediately knew that is was off and not fresh. My g/f ordered some kind of cajun pasta dish or something and after a few bites she stopped eating and didnt feel well. About 5 minutes later she was getting up urgently running to the bathroom as she got sick. The poor waitress was so overwhelmed and we felt so sorry for her because we knew none of it was her fault but she felt so horrible she actually had a breakdown and started crying. We told her numerous of times not to worry as the food had nothing to do with how she waited on us and she had alot to take in with how many tables she had. We told her none of the would reflect on her tip and have no worries. The manager once again came over and saw how bad things were with our food and again completely agreed and apologized. She said the were very busy in the back and this was why things were why they were. She offered a free dessert to share with the 4 of us, and we ended up ordering 2 different desserts for all of us to share. We ended up paying for them both as they were in our bill and didnt even bother at this point to say anything. Our friends food seemed to be ok besides being a but cold but they said they had never had bad service like this before and they were the ones that kept apologizing to us for bringing us there. There were some other issues as well but this is pretty much the jist of the main probably. We ended up leaving hungry and sick, with me having to stop 3 times on the way back home as my g/f continued to be sick. All though the manager did apologize, it really wasnt heart felt and just seemed to be going through the motions and just wanted us to leave because nothing was going right, even though still our bill was over $100 bucks and were there for close to 3 hours during this experience. I rarely that I can remember ever writing a bad review or complain about how bad something was as it's usually corrected and it's no harm no foul. Everyone makes mistakes, we are human and I've been in the restaurant industry for over 30 years. I always believed in having second chances but unfortunately not in this cause as it left such a bad taste in our mouth's and we were so bummed out how bad it was considering...

I'm only giving 'two stars', because our waitress did a great job with the large group I was a part of, but the manager-on-duty was extremely rude and probably cost the server better tips, because she didn't feel the need to accommodate the number of folks who had shown up for a Christmas gathering.

I'll start off by saying that this was a group of middle school teachers who have been working very hard during the pandemic, as well as facing new challenges in a time of school violence and constant fear of what tomorrow might bring. And, yes, I understand that restaurant workers have faced their own challenges and aren't always treated fairly, but that doesn't give a manager permission to not accommodate a large group.

As the spouse of one of the teachers, I was excited to try out a new location, as was my wife. We found our way to where other teachers had started gathering and were soon greeted by a young waitress who happily took out order. It was evident, though, that she was stressed with having to take individual orders. I get it, but she was definitely doing her best, without assistance. And as more people began to show up, several people moved a couple nearby tables to and chairs so everyone could sit, but.... the manager was having none of it and told the waitress to inform us that extra tables couldn't be moved, so, the one of the tables was moved back. Yet, when even more teachers arrived, looking to have a pleasant evening, they tried moving a table (because management wasn't concerned about avoiding --- while people were still ordering drinks and appetizers) and the manager came over and literally told us that we had plenty of room for everyone and that if everyone didn't find a seat and stay there (and not move around), that she was just going to out everything on one bill and we'd have to '"figure it out". I've worked in the restaurant business and thus is, in no easy, the way you treat paying customers.

At that point, my wife and I decided to leave even though we had planned to attempt our luck at dinner (we had the frickles as an appetizer, but they weren't very hot and didn't taste freshly made) and maybe have another drink (you can't mess up a tap drink, can you?), but the manager's actions completely ruined the evening for us.

We made sure to tip the waitress $30 for a $25 bil and told her she was doing an excellent job. Perhaps the manager should have made sure the waitress had some additional help? But, then again, why accommodate staff when you can't even accommodate...

I recently had the misfortune of dining at a restaurant where Marco was the manager, and I must say it was an incredibly disappointing and frustrating experience. Marco's lack of professionalism and poor management skills left a lasting negative impression on my entire visit. To begin with, Marco displayed a complete disregard for customer service. He seemed disinterested and unengaged, barely acknowledging guests as they arrived or left. It was evident that he lacked the necessary skills to create a welcoming atmosphere. Instead of making guests feel valued and attended to, he appeared more concerned with his own personal affairs. The staff under Marco's supervision also reflected his poor leadership. They seemed unmotivated and untrained, as there were numerous instances of disorganization and miscommunication throughout the evening. Orders were mixed up, resulting in long delays and frustration among the patrons. The overall lack of attention to detail and care was evident, and it was clear that this stemmed from Marco's inability to effectively manage and train his team. Furthermore, when issues were brought to Marco's attention, his response was dismissive and unhelpful. He appeared more interested in deflecting blame rather than finding solutions. I witnessed several customers complaining about their meals, only to be met with indifference and a complete lack of empathy from Marco. It was as if he didn't care about the satisfaction of his guests or the reputation of the establishment he was entrusted to manage. Additionally, the overall condition of the restaurant left much to be desired. It was unclean and unkempt, with dirty tables and a noticeable lack of maintenance. It was clear that the atmosphere was not a priority for Marco, as long as he could maintain the minimum standard required to stay open. This negligence further reinforced the impression that Marco was more interested in cutting corners and maximizing profit than providing a quality dining experience. In conclusion, my experience at this restaurant managed by Marco was thoroughly disappointing. His lack of professionalism, disregard for customer service, and inability to manage his staff led to a subpar dining experience. I would not recommend this establishment to anyone looking for a pleasant and enjoyable meal. It is clear that Marco's presence has had a detrimental effect on the restaurant's overall quality...