Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Westminster

My recent visit here can only be described as a heartbreakingly awful experience, and by far the worst experience I had ever had at a restaurant. Period.

I first visited this place two years ago as one of my first fond memories in a town I would soon call my home. Since then, I had recommended the place to many people as I remembered the food and service being great. I waited anxiously to revisit this place when I finally got the chance.

What followed was a three hour nightmare.

We were a small party of 5 people. The first waiter was great. He was friendly and extremely helpful with questions we had about the menu. None of us ordered anything complicated, all was normal.

After a long wait, 3 of the 5 people at my table had their food delivered by a completely different waitress. There was no word on when the other two dishes, mine included, would arrive. They just served the 3 members of my party and left.

I had ordered an extremely simple dish. As simple and as easy as you could possibly imagine. Seriously. You literally could not have been asked to cook anything easier.

Well over an hour in, 3 of us were almost done eating and 2 of us were yet to even receive our meals.

When my food came, it was delivered completely wrong TWICE. Both times my extremely simple and clear requests were completely ignored by yet another waiter who never even introduced themselves.

We are also never checked in on by staff. One waitress had come to give us water, somebody asked for another drink. It never came.

Eventually enough was enough, we had been there well over an hour and still had not received our food. I went in to try to talk to a staff member and ask to speak to a manager. We were completely neglected, and it was completely inexcusable.

I found a staff member who said she would help me out. The woman said she would go get one, left and never came back. I simply stood around confused.

Eventually my coworker's meal came (prepared poorly) and a manager came out. I expressed my very understandable frustrations for the complete lack of customer care and service we had received throughout that very long night.

She responded with a dismissing tone, clearly showing she couldn't care less at all, and was extraordinarily rude to me. There was no genuine apology, there was no care from the manager. Her demeanor was appalling. I felt humiliated.

All of us in my party were completely shocked. None of us have ever seen a "manager" act that way in our lives. I had never been treated so terribly at a restaurant.

Mind you, we were extremely polite from the start. We were kind. We were understanding. Yes, I was frustrated after being completely ignored twice and my party neglected, but I was still reasonable.

Eventually the original waiter came back, and he calmly listened to our complaints. He offered free deserts and seemed genuinely apologetic. If he was the only one we dealt with that night, I would've given this review a different tone. He was great.

And I finally got my food. 2 hours after arriving there.

But I still had to talk to a different manager. I needed to express just how beyond words the service was that night. There was absolutely no excuse for any of it. Coming from a customer service background myself, I just had to understand why that was allowed to happen.

Eventually, the other manager came out. He was better. He helped. But there was something missing. Why did I have to ask? Where were they an hour ago?

I've had restaurants where the head chef came out and apologized for far simpler, more benign things. Those places I became loyal to because they both handled themselves with grace and humbled me as a customer. That's how you handle a business. That's how you treat people.

Our entire order was eventually on the house, but only after THREE horrible hours and technical difficulties from a partial void. It was clearly more for convenience than it was for genuine care.

I want to give this place another try, but... it will have to wait for the memory of this night...

There are meals that nourish the body, and then there are meals that nourish the soul. Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar in Westminster provided the latter on March 4th, when my family gathered to celebrate my nephew Bryggs’ victory over cancer, a day he would ring the bell at Children's Hospital, signaling his newfound freedom from the disease that had shaped the past nine months of his young life.

It wasn’t just the food that made this occasion so unforgettable, though the dishes were all that one could hope for in the comfort food tradition. No, it was the kind of place Lazy Dog is, and the kind of people it attracts, that transformed an ordinary lunch into something transcendent. The staff, guided by the warm, hospitable touch of Mike, the bar manager, and Jenn, a waitress whose kindness became a central part of the story, did more than serve us, they joined us in celebration.

When we arrived, the dining area was a cozy haven, set by the fireplace, thoughtfully arranged for a party of 30. It was here, amidst the casual charm of Lazy Dog’s signature atmosphere, that the true generosity of the restaurant revealed itself. The trio of dedicated staff, who navigated the din of a large group with grace and attentiveness, made sure each of us felt heard and taken care of.

But the culinary experience, while excellent, hearty, comforting, perfectly executed, was only the beginning. What followed, was a gesture of care so moving that it left us all speechless. As Bryggs, that brave little boy, finished his meal, staff members appeared at our table with gifts, a few carefully chosen treasures for him, accompanied by heartfelt smiles. The room swelled with emotion as they took photographs with us, turning an ordinary meal into a lasting memory.

It is easy to serve food, but it takes something more to transform a simple gathering into a celebration of life, of community, and of love. Lazy Dog, with its unpretentious yet heartfelt service, understands this in a way few places do. They understood the importance of this day, not just to us, but to Bryggs, and in that simple act of going above and beyond, they cemented themselves not just as a restaurant, but as a part of our family’s journey.

So here’s to Lazy Dog, a place where the food is good, the drinks flow freely, and the service is an art. But more than that, it’s a place where the heart of hospitality is alive and well. To the team at Lazy Dog: thank you. You didn’t just serve us a meal, you gave...

This place has the potential to be great! It's little things that caused them to miss the mark today. I ordered the wok fried chicken over steamed white rice with teriyaki sauce.

No extra teriyaki sauce was provided. Nor was it offered. You brought me a caddy full of nameless condiments and no explanation of what they were. They were just put on my table and I was left to figure out what was in each bottle.(I am not entirely sure how I was supposed to accomplish this. One was likely some kind of mustard. Though I'm not sure if it was spicy, hot,etc. The brown ones may have been soy and something else, the last one... no idea...) why not ask me if I am familiar with your condiments selection or offer the names as you set them on my table. Or label the bottle. Your food takes quite a while to arrive at the table, with this in mind, some kind of bread or the like to eat while waiting is definitely a great idea..

I was left sitting at my table waiting for my check. The kind gentleman and ladies I walked in apparently took care of it for me. This was incredibly thoughtful and made my day!

But I am not sure how the wait staff expect me to know this. So I continued to wait and wonder why it was taking so long for someone to bring me my check, even after they clarified that I was ready... finally they let me know... what a delightful surprise...thank you so much 💕

The general manager or manager on duty did check in with me. But didn't give me the option to report any problems or respond. She asked me "are we great?" I gave a polite smile and she said good and was on her way to the next table. Reading your customer is an important part of that encounter.

Her taking the time to learn that I needed teriyaki sauce would have been a game changer for my meal.

Explaining or labeling your condiments, adding or offering a side of teriyaki sauce.

All little things but would have made all the difference in my experience today and in turn my review.

Your hostess was on point. She asked if I had a seating preference. I explained this was my first time coming. She said she'd seat me with your best server. ( I contend you are missing the boat not making her a server!)

Finally to the manager on duty, if you are going to inquire about your customer experience, you should also wait for their response. Otherwise please do not disturb...