Good/bad restaurant experiences?

I once went to a restaurant where everyone ignored us. We called for the waiter several times and no one came. Good experience: One of the waiters at this one restaurant took a special liking to us and we were served before others. Discuss.

• I recently went to a restaurant that had happy hour prices advertised outside saying "eat in or take out". When I went to order one of the advertised meals I was told that I would have to pay full price for take out orders. I feel like going back sitting down and ordering a happy hour meal then asking for a to go container. It's a stupid policy anyway because the place is always empty.

• I've only had really good experiences! thanks!

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• Once, in Lisbon, I went to an Indian restaurant where the staff had lots of attitude. Of course, the food wasn't very good, but the kicker was their "naan bread" that was a cross between Poppin' Fresh rolls (perfectly round circles) and English Muffins, with nooks n crannies -- good times!

• Cheesecake Factory in Woodland Hills, CA. Party of 4. One of my friends was running late... the teenager up front refused to add us to the waiting "list" until she showed up. I laughed it off, but my other friends weren't as amused. It just set things in motion for a bad night. Haven't been back since (2 months ago).

• OP, Yes, I remember you and how you even were let in the front door with that mock turtleneck and acid wash jeans is beyond me. By the way, all the waiters took turns pissing into your coffee. Thanks for that 15% tip, ya big spender.

• The complaints (and spelling) on this site about various restaurants are hilarious!

  http://www.complaintsboard.com/bycategory/restaurants-bars.html

• Those Zagat people said a few years back that while diners have had to suffer from a sharp decline in food quality, the real disaster in the restaurant business has been the marked decline in basic hospitality.

• OP equates "good service" with being given preferred treatment over others. OP is an ass.

• R4, I haven't been back to Cheesecake Factory after getting into an argument with a waitress about the proper pronunciation of "bruschetta." She was insistent, aggressive, angry, and finally downright nasty in her wrongness. As if a place called Cheesecake Factory is going to be the final word on Italian food.

• R8 = disgruntled waiter who gets 10% tips

• I didn't like Ledger in his role as "Joker".

• Marriot Marquis in NYC. I literally sat for 20 minutes in their bar last night and never had a waiter approach me to take an order. I got up and left.

• That happened to me in Montreal on a vacation, R12. I think that's a Northern thing - I've been all over the United States and Canada, and the worst restaurant service has always been anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon. Say what you want about the South - yes, it's a horrible place in many respects - but the service is fairly good.

• Waiter insisted three times food was on its way, please be patient. People who sat after us were served and done, left and right of us. Still no food. At this point, the waiter - miffed at us because we asked again - dramatically opens his leather holder thingy to show he sent ticket, and lo and behold, there was our order tucked behind the ticket pad, unsent. We asked to speak to manager, who proceded to defend the waiter because "things were busy", which would have been OK the first maybe the second time the waiter insisted all was in order, but not by third time. We said OK, forget dinner we're leaving, and manager said OK the waiter will bring you your drink tab (!!)... and that took another 10 minutes while the waiter figured it out.

  Empire Diner, NY, NY - glad when it finally shut down

• Asia De Cuba's staff attitude alone should be able to fill this thread.

• My partner and I go to the best eastern food restarant in McAllen TX. Its called LeLai and its just perfect. Everything on the menu is divine and the waiters know us by name. It's a family place but its big enough that they keep the families away from the adults. It really is the perfect restarant. Best unsweet ice tea in the city. We always say that we would never eat out if it wasn't for our Le Lai. (sighs)

  Adam A.

• Universal Grill in the lower village was ALWAYS a great time if not a memorable experience. Never rude staff, always good food and the original NY-style cosmopolitans. And if something ever went wrong, since everyone (staff and other patrons alike) was in on the collective good times, no one ever left upset. Best place to celebrate...well anything. And the campiest music ever, which every and anybody was welcome to stand on a tabletop and bust out singing/synching. God how I miss that place. God how I miss the gay nineties.

  God how I miss drugs

• I had my $300 stolen at Cheesecake Factory. I think it was someone on the staff. Also, at the Cheesecake Factory I had a waiter treat my party to various not so subtle insults throughout the night. And then one of my needy emotionally retarded friends gave him a nice tip! I haven't been back in 5 years. Besides the food is nothing special (heavily processed and obviously warmed up frozen food in most cases) there's just a lot of food variety.

• --- $300 camera

• Is this a bash Cheesecake Factory thread?

• I once asked for a quarter pounder and received two cheeseburgers. And I had to pour my OWN drink.

• No, R20. It's a numbers game.