Aloha Friday #28

Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your comment below and link in Kailani’s blog. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

This weeks question is: 
Have you ever had a bad experience at a restaurant?

The reason I asked is because my friend posted this about her experience last Friday night at a local restaurant called Tantalus Restaurant Bar & Cafe in  East Aurora, NY.

"HORRIBLE! I am so disappointed because I have been to Tantalus before and loved it each time. Tonight was by far, the worst experience I have EVER had in a restaurant. We invited some friends who had never been to Tantalus to join us for my birthday. We arrived at 7:00 to find a one hour wait for a table. No problem, we enjoyed a drink at the bar, although we did have to stay on the hostess so she didn't forget about us. We were seated at 8:00 pm and promptly ordered drinks and apps. We were eating our apps by 8:30 and had placed our dinner order a few minutes before the apps came. Then we waited, and waited, and waited. Around 9:15 the waitress, who had been over to apologize once already, brought us 2 bowls of "complementary soup" (there were 4 of us at the table) and again apologized for the wait. At 9:40, she came over again and promised to throw in desserts. At this point we started to express some dissatisfaction with our wait time. At 10pm, we decided that it was time to go, without our food because 1.) who wants to eat lobster and fettuccine at 10pm? and 2.) we both had babysitters who needed to get home (time is money, right?). When we requested the check for the food and drink we HAD consumed we were then greeted by the owner of the restaurant who came table-side and proceeded to yell at us and accuse us of trying to eat and run without paying. He insisted that we wait for the food to be boxed up, and that we pay for it. He told us that if we did not take the food or pay for it he would be contacting the authorities. He was rude, obnoxious and sarcastic. At no point did he try to apologize for our excessive wait time, nor did he offer us any kind of restitution. In fact he told me to stop talking to him or he was going to put the soups and desserts on our tab as well since he did not authorize that those were given to us. I will NEVER set foot into that establishment again under any circumstances. There is no food worth that headache."

My friend updated us on Facebook, Monday night...
"Just to let everyone know that I found out this morning that when my friend went to eat the food that she had ordered on Friday night and were forced to take home and pay for, her CHICKEN WAS COMPLETELY RAW! I just got off the phone with the Erie County Health Department and they told me that they have had some other complaints are they are planning a visit to Tantalus in the near future. A surprise visit."

I personally have never had an experience like that.  I probably would have told him to call the police.  I will not be going to that restaurant ever now because of what happened to my friend.