Village Inn — Restaurant in Waterloo

Although I've never been to this location before, I enjoy coming to Village Inn when I find them during my travels. We visited early (4:30pm) so the dinner crowds hadn't arrived yet. We were greeted, shown to a table and given menus. Our waiter was friendly and personable but perhaps not the best listener. We repeated our order three times (when he asked) and still were given salad instead of coleslaw. Since we hadn't ordered salad, we also hadn't specified the dressing type (the one we were given, my partner didn't like so he ate his salad bare, no dressing). It took 46 minutes for our dinner to come out; our waiter said the kitchen had put gravy on the mashed potatoes (we'd asked for no gravy) that's why the delay. While waiting, we were asked if we knew which pie we would be ordering (came with our dinner). We said yes, and the pies were brought to us (wrapped up to go) before the meal had arrived (we would have eaten it there, but it was boxed so we left with it). The main course was excellent; a turkey dinner. Lots of food for the price, very good food. Just....confused We chose to be amused instead of annoyed and just went with it. It was good food, and perhaps the waiter was new or overworked. All the pies in the glass case...

Terrible experience at this restaurant last week. They had given us styrofoam cups because our waitress had said they were out of glasses (which I found hard to believe). Our waitress also had her family dining in the restaurant (sitting behind us). And she spent about 80% of her time talking to them versus working. When we asked for a take out box it took her almost 20 minutes to bring it. And she had walked by us at least 5 times. Stopping every time to talk to her family (I know it was her family because I heard her say Mom). Ignoring me even when I would say "ma'am." She would only come back after I talked to a manager about waiting for a take out box. I didn't want to leave her a tip. But their credit card machine forced me to tip her. When I didn't feel like she earned it. On the plus side the food was good. Despite my eggs being slightly cold but not too cold that I would've had them taken back. The only I found great about this restaurant was the manager's constant nagging of the waitress to get back to work every time she walked over and spent more than a couple minutes talking...

My family and I have been patronizing this location for well over a year and I have absolutely zero complaints. The service is fantastic, the food is always good, things are usually timely - Even when it's a packed house. The only drawback is the fact that there is no wheelchair accessible door on either entrance of the business. Automatic doors for persons using wheelchairs, like myself, or a key to Independence. I would imagine that a business that caters to many elderly and disabled Waterloo patrons would want those persons experiences to be as good as any other patron. Otherwise, we are forced to depend on the kindness of others who may just happen to be entering the building at the same time as we are in order to get in independently. Just something to think about,...