A.C. Petersen Farms Restaurant — Restaurant in West Hartford

Hello,

I would like to take a moment to share a recent experience I had at AC Peterson in West Hartford, which has prompted me to reflect on the important issue of discrimination and its negative impact on businesses.

As a longtime patron of this establishment, I have always appreciated the quality of service and the welcoming atmosphere. However, during a recent visit (Sunday 6/6/25) with family members from Texas and Florida, I encountered a situation that left me feeling both ashamed and discriminated against. Our family, comprising eight members, including a seven-month-old baby and a three-year-old niece, enjoyed our ice cream outdoors. While we were seated, I noticed a staff member who appeared distressed and was cleaning the area with noticeable frustration.

When one of my family members inquired about the closing time, I mentioned that they would be closing in half an hour, and I speculated that the staff member might simply be exhausted. Shortly thereafter, this same employee approached us and informed us that we would need to leave in ten minutes due to upcoming cleaning ( to be exact she stated they will be hosing down the area) . However, I observed that another family, who were white, remained seated without being given the same notice.

This experience left me with a deep sense of discomfort and raised questions about whether my family and I had been treated differently because of our race. I waited in my car about 10 minutes to see if the same staff would notify the family that we left sitting there, which she never did. After leaving, I chose to contact the store manager to express my concerns. He assured me that such behavior is not tolerated and sought to understand how the situation could be rectified. I emphasized that equality in treatment is essential and that no customer should ever feel marginalized.

Discrimination, in any form, is not only morally wrong but also detrimental to a business's reputation and success. It can alienate customers and lead to a loss of trust and loyalty. I hope that my experience serves as a reminder of the importance of treating all patrons equally, regardless of their background, and fostering an inclusive environment.

I believe that everyone deserves to feel welcome and valued, and I sincerely hope that no one else has to endure a similar experience in the future. If there are concerns about a customer's presence, it is far better to address those directly rather than allowing them to spend money only to later feel unwelcome.

Thank you for taking the time to consider...

Changing my review as I'm stunned by my horrible experience in my last visit.

My bride and I had a very disappointing experience here this evening. We begin with our greeting at the front, where we were told it would only be a moment before we were seated. After patiently waiting for a few minutes, a woman in a black dress simply waltzes past me and is seated by the same server who told me it would be a short wait while tables were cleaned. After pointing that out, we were seated at a table that was uneven and tilted to the left.

We waited...and waited...and waited for our server to arrive. When she finally did, she did not introduce herself, welcome us to the facility, etc. She simply asked, "what will you have?" Oh...all business. Okay...we ordered. And then we waited...and waited...and waited...for a good long while before our food arrived. And my side of oinion rings was burned...and small.

After eating, we waited...and waited again (get the theme here) until our server stopped by to see how we were doing. My wife asked for the ice cream menu. And here is where it all goes to hell. Once our server dropped off the ice cream menu, that was the last we saw of her.

Once again, we waited...and waited...and waited some more. My wife and I speculated about leaving without paying as our servier had vanished. We were making plans to return tomorrow to pay the manager and discuss this atrocious experience. But then, my morality kicked in and I went inside to demand the check. It was at this moment that I figured out why waiting was the theme of the evening.

Our server, Leena (number 2298...I kept the receipt), was hiding in a corner by what I believe to be the coffee and/or soda machine, drinking away and joking with colleagues. She was paying no attention to her tables. Upon catching me walk in, she jumped, ran to me and said "I'm sorry..." seemingly thinking I still wanted her to serve my wife ice cream. I demanded the check, paid, gave her exactly the tip she deserved (zero) and walked out while she mockingly yelled, "have a nice evening!"

We've been going here for years. My wife's grandfather is memorialized with a plaque on one of the booths. "Pete's", as we call it, is part of the fabric of our lives. But you best believe we will think more than twice before attempting to have dinner here again. I feel as though I wasted $31.19 this evening on a dinner that was substandard and with a server who didn't care if I went hungry.

I sure hope management sees this. What a...

April 16, 2022, is my last visit to A.C. Petersen’s. Although the restaurant’s nostalgic ambiance is that of a small hometown atmosphere, the one singular reason for never returning is because of the ridiculously priced menu items.

I get it…the costs of everything are going up. Fuel. Dairy. Groceries. However, it was absolutely disgusting to learn just how expensive it is to dine there. To further compound the issue is the fact that the quality of the food was mediocre at best.

The banana split ice cream is a whopping $12.99! This dessert is comprised of: (3) modest-sized scoops of ice cream, (1) banana, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce (not even hot fudge!) $12.99!!

Another dessert—a whimsically named ice cream dessert coined The Mini Dipper is certainly mini in size (think Friendly’s Happy Ending sundae) but costs a staggering $7!

Everyone loves a nice, hot basket of french fries! But this so-called basket was half full. The basket might have been larger than the regular-priced portion of fries, but the amount of fries in the basket was certainly not worth $7! This was nothing short of an optical illusion.

The mozzarella sticks cost $10, which actually isn't too bad, but they give you only six.

All in all, the amount we spent on food was just disgusting. Mediocre in flavor, outlandish in price. I’m a staunch believer in getting what you pay for; however, this restaurant fell short of...