AVI | Seabar & Chophouse — Restaurant in Wichita

A bit windy, but eloquently written and worth the read.

Apparently, I expected too much.

After viewing the menu, location and hours, my dinner reservation was highly anticipated as I enjoy every aspect of fine dining. Having spent many of my younger years in the service industry as a fine dining waiter and restaurant manager, I have a good understanding of the industry and comprehensive knowledge of it’s inner workings. I hold a certain level of expectation when I do have the opportunity to visit an establishment that boasts such a unique menu that garners an upper echelon caliber dinner check. I also remain acutely aware of my highly scrutinizing inner dining critic. AVI Seabar & Chophouse review. The service was remarkably slow and quasi attentive. Perhaps he was tired from multiple trips to the second floor where we were seated in an ambiance lacking, lackluster booth. The menus were printed on tired copypaper that appeared to have been kept in a middle school locker. Once I had finally gotten my wine. we ordered a featured appetizer of crispy Brussels sprouts, which were uniquely top notch. Delicious. Though we did have an unreasonable wait for the appetizer plates in order to enjoy them. Still optimistic, we started to eat, not realizing that this was when things began to fall apart. No sooner had we started our appetizer, the salad course was prematurely delivered, without even a mention of freshly ground pepper, and quickly crowded our table. The salad, a grilled Caesar, was also quite unique and a certain treat to my palate. . (I do recommend both the aforementioned dishes.) Once again, with now four plates, a cocktail menu, water glasses and our respective beverages consuming the majority of our table, entrees were delivered well before their due. Which in hindsight was not only off putting, as there was now so many dishes on our table they were clanging together, but also the consequence of two undercooked steaks. Of which my dinner date’s lacked the sautéed mushrooms and onions she had requested. And we both lacked the needed cutlery to proceed with our seemingly rushed dinner. When our waiter eventually did appear, he allowed us to transfer our steaks to a different plate for him, as he apologized and returned only the now halved steaks to the kitchen, leaving us with our side dishes of creamed potatoes (easily the best part of the main course) and undercooked asparagus. By the time our twice cooked filets were again served I had nibbled on enough of my sides, salad and appetizer that my appetite for the filet with Demi glaze had expired. Much like the appetizer, though the plate remained on an uncomfortably crowded table. At this point my highly anticipated AVI dining experience had been met only with an equal amount of disappointment. Upon the uncertain return of our waiter, we were given boxes in which to, ourselves, package what little unfinished dinner we cared to take. Had I the advantage of foresight, we’d have had drinks and an appetizer and left the Seabar & Chophouse in the rear view mirror. Yes, I tipped 20%. Which happened to match our server’s effort percentage rate. I didn’t wait for a final appearance of our waiter. I threw my $200 on the table and left. As we departed, I found myself reckoning the other Wichita dining establishments we should have patronized. The dining experience wasn’t a ruiner, but it certainly dulled some of the shine of what was expected to be a relishable and fondly memorable birthday dinner. AVI Seabar & Chophouse, I won’t be back. Perhaps my expectations were too high. Had I lowered them, you would have fallen short still. As you talk the talk, put some work and concerted effort into walking the walk. A...

I normally do not believe in multiple family members voting down a business for an experience. I let my husband write a review for our experience here with my parental units the other weekend. AVI had the nerve to respond with are you sure your wife is not allergic to chicken. Wow. No, I am not allergic to chicken. I am however allergic to poorly prepared food and unprepared uninformed staff at AVI.

I had a reservation for Sunday at 7pm. I go in the mostly empty restaurant. I wait for a host to be at the host stand and interact with my husband and I. When a staff member eventually arrives I tell them of our reservation. I get a sigh and informed that my party is already here and seated upstairs. My husband and I go upstairs to a bar like section. I can see that my party is not here. I pic a table and sit for approx 5 min. Waiters walk by, bartenders at the bar, and not an employee one speaks or acknowledges us. So we get up and go back downstairs to request an actual table and wait for the rest of the party.

The next host to speak to me, i request a new table. Keep in mind there are two tables seated downstairs at this time, place is dead. The host tells me he does not know if he can accommodate us or not because its the weekend and we need reservations and he will have to go speak to the manager. Eventually we get seated at a small table near a hall and some continuous in and out very close as well. The waiter does not have any knowledge of the wine list. After we order a bottle, we wait and wait. Eventually he tells us he's getting a manager with a key and will be back with the wine. After another bit he comes back to tell us they are out and is there another bottle we want. Between the four glasses, there was fingerprints and lipstick smudging and stuck on food. So we requested new glasses.

After being served I ate one chicken strip Slowly. It tasted off. A few moments later i had to leave the table to vomit because of the chicken.

This was a dinner with my parents who i rarely see and were in from out of town and i did not want to make a fuss because i just wanted a good night with them. But after reaching out to this business and getting such an insult as maybe she is allergic to chicken when i am almost 35 yo and ate chicken all my life like most americans, AVI is insulting themselves by tossing out such a thoughtless...

My husband reserved a room here for Mothers Day! (I have a big family) The room was for 20 people. We had 12 adults and 6 children. The rental was free as long as we totaled $250 in food and beverage. (No problem there) Well we only had one server, (apparently because our servers helper said he didn’t want to work in the party room) So basically we had ONE server for 19 people! The process did not go as smooth as we all had hoped. It took forever just to get water and the bread they serve. (that should have been on the table waiting for us, personally, it wouldn’t have put the server behind and then in a rush) It took forever to get him just to take all our orders and it took forever to get them and some of them came out completely wrong. (The total time we were there was from 1-4:30, entirely too long) But it was a nice time visiting with family, except for cranky and hungry kids! We didn’t know untill we showed up that they had a “specific” menu we had to choose from. We did not get to use the typical menu they have. It was a certain price for an appetizer, soup or salad, your main entree & desert. (Not bad really) And they also had $5 speciality drinks. When my son-in-law tried to order a drink not on the specific menu that we had to choose from, it was not on the menu, but they tried to charge us for it, along with several other things that we didn’t order, was on the receipt, so we had to deal with how the receipt was wrong and things on there that we didn’t even order, not too mention, the specific things on this menu, we could only choose from 2-3 desserts, and the one most of us ordered, they were having problems cooking it and it turning it out right. Just so many little problems. But the biggest thing-one server for 12 adults and 6 kids, was NOT ENOUGH!

I thought my food was really good though! And I’m sure if I went in with just my husband the service and delivery and void would be up to par!

I hope to return and I hope I can give a better...