Foothills Brewpub — Restaurant in Winston-Salem

Disappointing Experience at Foothills Brewpub

We were really hopeful when we sat down at Foothills Brewpub today, about 30 minutes ago. The host was super polite and welcoming, which gave us a great first impression. We were seated outside and didn’t mind that it took a bit for our server to greet us. Some employees even came out to visit our pet, which was nice, though a bit odd when we were still waiting on drinks.

When the server finally arrived, the interaction felt awkward, but we didn’t think much of it. My wife ordered an espresso martini, the way she always does to avoid dairy: Kahlúa, vodka, and espresso. The server gave us strange looks throughout and seemed annoyed by the request, but we let it slide. However, when the drinks came, the martini looked unusually creamy. My wife politely asked if it contained dairy, and the server, without any emotion, responded that Kahlúa has cream in it which, as we know, it does not.

What should have been a simple clarification turned into a frustrating back-and-forth, with the server doubling down on his claim. We even suggested that we’d be happy to check with the bartender, but the server rudely insisted that it didn’t matter if he asked or we asked, it would be the same result. I stepped in to diffuse the situation, asking to return the drink and talk directly to the bartender.

When I spoke with the bartender, she was less rude but still unhelpful. Turns out, she had substituted RumChata for Kahlúa because they didn’t carry it, which explains the creamy appearance. I understand substitutions happen, but that should have been communicated upfront, especially when it’s such a significant change. At that point, we just decided to keep things simple and order an Oktoberfest beer instead.

When the host brought out the beer, she seemed noticeably sour, which was odd since she had been so friendly earlier. The server later brought our food with a cold, unfriendly attitude and didn’t bother to check on us. When he eventually came back with salt and pepper, he somehow managed to make that small act feel rude, throwing dirty looks at my wife without saying a word.

By this point, my wife was frustrated, and we decided we’d had enough. We waited about 10 minutes for the server to bring the check, but he never came back. It’s worth noting that the restaurant wasn’t even busy. Given everything we’d been through recently recovering from a hurricane, trying to destress we didn’t need to put up with this treatment. We left cash on the table for the uneaten food and walked out. The server finally decided to come out as we were halfway down the street, not to apologize, but to ensure we’d paid for the food we didn’t touch.

This experience was extremely disheartening, especially when it had the potential to be so much better. The server should have been more concerned with addressing the issues than worrying about payment for a meal we barely touched. We definitely do not recommend Foothills Brewpub.

The upside? The next place we went to was really amazing, so at least we ended the day on...

Subject: Disappointing Experience and Lack of Resolution at Foothills

Dear Foothills Management,

I’m writing to express my profound disappointment with a recent experience I had at your establishment on Saturday, September 28, 2024. I placed an order for three orders of wings to go, and upon opening the box, I was appalled to find that not only were the wings dipped in sauce, but they also still had feathers on them. This was not only unacceptable but also nauseating—so much so that I nearly became physically ill. I had chosen to order from your restaurant because I didn’t want to cook, and given that I don’t live close by, this incident caused significant inconvenience, forcing me to order food from elsewhere.

I immediately contacted your restaurant to make you aware of the issue. I spoke with a front-end manager named Tamara, who apologized and said she would need to run this by your General Manager, Mrs. Swartz. While Tamara was polite, I was quite taken aback when she insisted that I hold onto the contaminated food for several days to bring it back as proof. Frankly, I found this suggestion insulting. My family and I are regular patrons of Foothills, and we have no interest in deceiving anyone over an order of wings. This request made me feel as though my integrity was being questioned.

I was assured that Mrs. Swartz would contact me by 6:00 p.m. that same day to address my concerns, but I never received a call. The next day, I followed up and spoke with another front-end manager, Jeff, who was incredibly understanding. He thanked me for being a loyal customer and promised to pass along my concerns to Mrs. Swartz. Unfortunately, once again, I never heard from her.

When I called back a second time, Tamara answered and, somewhat dismissively, remarked, "Oh yeah, you just called yesterday." Yes, I had called because no one had returned my call, which was the crux of my frustration. She then transferred me to Emma, who was very polite and understanding. Emma explained that she could process a refund but mentioned that Mrs. Swartz had refused to offer both a refund and a replacement, stating that it would be “too much.” I accepted this decision, but I must say that I found it incredibly unprofessional. In light of the situation, I feel that a refund and replacement would have been the very least that could be done.

What I find most troubling is that Mrs. Swartz, as the General Manager, never took the time to personally address my concerns. It is my expectation that a manager, especially one in such a high position, would care enough about the restaurant’s reputation and its customers to respond directly. The lack of follow-up left me feeling that my concerns were unimportant and that your establishment does not prioritize customer service as much as I had previously believed.

I sincerely hope that you will take this feedback seriously, as this experience has caused me to reconsider frequenting Foothills...

This place use to be great, but as it seems to be in most dining establishments in winston salem these days, it has gone to $hit. The food is decent but the service has dropped off. From the young hostess with the welcoming atmosphere of a wet mop, the waitress who is unattentive and doesn't understand service, the wait staff who as a team would fail in any occupation actually dependent on teamwork... the only people probably doing it right are the bartenders and BOH staff. This was a new experience for me, to sit without anyone coming to the table for 10-15minutes in a mostly sleepy Sunday morning with not many guests. Finally a waitress comes I give my full order since I've had plenty of time to read the menu. Another 5 minutes before a glass of water makes its way there (15 minutes total from time I've sat down) as she explains there's no coffee and she'll have to make some (so no one prepped coffee on a Sunday morning... in winston... where brunch is king and coffee reigns?). And I suppose she had to reheat left over coffee or fresh brew and grind because another 8 minutes and boom here's my food coming out at the same time as my coffee, but of course with a sugar try that was never refilled from the previous day, or a spoon or stirrers for the coffee.

Maybe the ways of service just don't exist anymore. My sister and I have both worked in Winston's restaurants and bars for years including here at foothills brewery. Service staff usually supports each other by checking on neglected tables, notifying servers of new table arrivals, help run food and drinks if needed, and of course completing side work like making coffee and checking sugar caddies etc. I guess this isn't the case anymore. For the second time in my life I left an absolute bs excuse for a tip and didn't feel bad about it. My waitress let me down, her team let her down, and her manager let her team...