This was the original Seminole Heights blog with commentary about life in and around the urban neighborhood of Seminole Heights in Tampa, Florida. Musings about other topics as my mood permits. The blog is essentially inactive since I moved to Lutz. Go to The Official Unofficial Seminole Heights Blog - www.seminoleheightsblog.com for active content.
Some we have had a round of discussions about some issues with poor service at restaurants in Seminole Heights.
I began wondering, what experiences have people had outside of Seminole Heights? What was your worst restaurant experience in Tampa Bay area?
Posted by
David Scott Banghart
at
3/27/2007 08:28:00 AM
26 comments:
While at Chilli's in Town-n-Country, I ordered the soup but didn't get a spoon. When I asked our server if she could please bring me a spoon she said they were all out of spoons! They have new management now and the service seems to be much improved. However, that experience still cracks me up! Unbelievable!
All Chili's are bad. They are famous for saying "That will be a 20 minute wait" but the restaraunt is full of dirty, empty tables.
Worst restaurant in Tampa is Misen Place. Not only are the snooty, they offer horrible service. I made reservations for a special nite, was seated, did not get acknowledged for over 30 minutes. Finally gave drink order, waited 20 more minutes then left. Will never step foot back in that dump!
Front Porch -
I do have to give the front porch props for improving food quality/taste. I used to ask myself if the cook actually tasted the food he was preparing as it was abnormally bland. For a glimpse into shear blandness, try the chicken curry. The taste is improving slowly but surely.
What hasn't been improving is the service. I would have to guess this is from turnover ? As it would seem some of the faces that have been there longer give much better service. Several times I have almost asked to get a new server due to lack of service.
I only like to be criticized when people take the time to suggest what I could do better, so here are my thoughts:
Wait Staff:
*) Teach them this isn't a fast food restaurant, it's a fine dining establishment. There is no need to panic when you have 5 tables. Take your time and think through everything.
*) Try to make eye contact with your tables when you are in the general area.
*) Explain when you do or do not get bread with your meal. Either they forget most of the time to bring the bread, or not all entree's come with bread. Either way it's on the servers shoulders.
*) It should take less then 10 minutes to get a beer. Usually it's due to a panicked server with 5 tables having to pour their own draft beer. I have seen my beer sit under the tap for over 10 minutes when the server forgot what they were doing. I didn't drink that one.
PS - I love garlic, I love blue cheese. I hate them mixed together. Are you guys even tasting this stuff?
As soon as I read the posted topic I just knew it would be another opportunity for someone to criticize The Front Porch although it asked for experiences "outside of Seminole Heights". No surprise here after all, it has been awhile.
Well lessee here -
The restaurant on top of the hotel at Tampa airport - I ordered a piece of cake and it has curled up metal shavings in it. The did give me a new slice, been a while ago.
Near where US 98 meets 19 N we ate in a seafood place on the river. My crabcakes were served with a lovely fat palmetto bug. No extra charge for free protein.
At Charlies I ordered a pink not raw filet. It came raw so I asked them to cook it a bit more. Chef hacked it in half and blackened it - taught me to never question Charlie again. No steak ... one year. Good calamari and service tho.
Tried the churrascaria over by SweetBay and it was pretty lame. Just crummy meats. Tried the new one in Brandon around Pier One and it was horrid for food and service. The one on the west side of Tampa is a bit pricy for what you get but it's better than those two. We stick to the ones in Orlando and Miami.
To me, the Columbia in Clearwater is poor compared to the old one in Ybor. Their salads totally blow!
Lastly, I hate the new trend to serve your wine in those little glass carafes. As if they don't markup wine enough. Now they are only pouring a 1/4 glass. Cheap-O BastardO-s!!!!
Anonymous 2:20
I really want the front porch to succeed so I can have a nice place to eat at thats close to home. Thats why I offer some criticism.
I also had a bad experience at Charlies. Couple of years ago my friends threw me a birthday party there. We had our own table in the back, which was nice but we had one (1) server for 22 people. He told us in the beginning he was new. Not just new to Charlies, but new being a server. The night was one long fiasco. I never received my steak, ate a lot of steamed veggies(way overpriced) and drank water, because he kept forgeting to bring us our cocktails. Long story short, we asked repeatedly to speak to the manager, he never showed because he was too busy. According to the waiter. The bill wound up being over a grand. I wrote a letter to the manager but never heard back. Needless to say, I've never been back.
Cappy's has to to be the worst! Slow service and whatever you do, don't go in there anywhere near closing time or they will sweep you out the door. Also if soot & Nat were so concerned with the lack of parking , why do they always drive two cars to work when they live a block away??
b/c they often have to run errands during the day and need their cars..i don't think that subtracting 2 cars would have solved the parking dilemma....also, why don't you stick with the topic when making comments, which is "experiences...outside of Seminole Heights"...
Every time I have gone to a new Ybor coffee shop called Tre Amici, the service has been poor. Coffee is forgotten, then comes around cold. Ingredients are switched out because they are always missing something. Silverware, napkins and such come piecemeal. They are rarely busy but do have free wifi, so for lounging around for hours, it's the spot - but then you have to pay the parking meters - no free parking.
I had a bad experience at Sidebern's. The presentation was "pretty" but that's the only good thing I can say. The service was mediocre/snooty and the food was terrible and way overpriced. Out of the 6 of us, no one had a good meal.
Worst service in recent memory was Beef O'Brady's on south MacDill. The waitress disappeared for almost 30 minutes after bringing food and then when she did come back and note that our glasses were long empty, she proceeded to bus the table next to us enroute to get drinks. There have been a few times at some local chains(Hooter's on Hillsborough, Chili's near the stadium to name two) where we have left before ordering because we were never waited on after being seated.
The Olde Meeting House on Howard - infamous for the fur burger. Had a ball, not just a strand of hair in my burger.
AntiPastos- only table in the place and I had to go into the kitchen to find my server.
Bellas late night - constantly inventing new ways to be ignored.
Absolutely BEST service I've had in Tampa is Vino y Pasta on Gandy. Clear the plates between courses? none of that cheesy "keep your fork and put it on the dirty table" nonsense. Bring me a new fork, as it should be. Can't tell you the last time that that happened, even in some of our "finer" restaurants. They maintain a European standard for what would be considered in Italy to be working class food.
Samurai Blue in Ybor. I eat there often because I love the sushi, but about a month ago I was completely ignored because Pink walked in (it was the night before she opened for Justin Timberlake). Every server in that place was drooling over her. All I wanted was my bill. It took 30 minutes just to get that. Then I sat for another 30 minutes trying to get them to run my credit card after the hostess told me she couldn't do it, I had to wait for my server. That is the only time in my life I have not left a tip. I felt bad about it, but I spent an hour just trying to pay for my meal!!
If I don't get the opportunity to speak to a manager, I usually leave a note on the receipt as to why there was no tip. At least then the server isn't thinking you forgot.
9/11 WAS IN INSIDE JOB!
There is no excuse for bad service anywhwere. Bad service clearly is an indication that that the owner/manager has no clue as to how to run a service oriented business or just does not care. Either way, with all of the competition that is out there, go somewhere that is going to work hard for your money. I don't care where it is. I support SH business whenever I can but I will not support a bad business just because it is in SH. We want GOOD businesses in SH not just any business!! We certainly don't want to have the reputation as the neighborhood to go to if you wan't to have bad service.
Well good service and excellent food is coming back to SH >.Yes Stephanos is going to open up later next month..New Manager ( same owner)..new look and longer hours. 10 pm week days and 11 pm Fri and Sat.. Now we will have a late night place to eat!!!
We have to show our support!!
Stephanno's is coming back?
HALLELUJAH!
We're very glad to see Stephanno's coming back as well. Also should mention that we ate at Cappy's last night and even though there were no empty seats during most of our meal, and at least one large party waiting at the door, the service was exceptional! Great job!
Took out at Merino's last night; while calling in the order, the server remembered us and the fact they had put cheese on my son's meatball sandwich (blasphemy!)and told us this one was on the house....THAT'S service....remember your customers...offer to make rigth any wrongs without being asked. This place has become a favorite of ours. I only wish they were open later, sometimes it's almost 7pm before we all get home and realize we need to do takeout for dinner. Awesome Antipasto!
Thank you anon 5:54. You hit the nail on the head.
No one EXPECTS to have their ass kissed. But everyone SHOULD expect decent service.
And Merino's has some really nice people working there. As csd found out, they ARE willing to go the extra mile to make their customers happy.
CSD & ANONYMOUS BELOW;
All of us at Merinos consider it an absolute honor to be in Seminole Heights.
We want to be around when your kids have kids so always feel free to give us suggestions to keep our food and service at the level that keeps you coming back!!!
Mike Merino
Mike,
Great food for the homeowner pre-tour party for the OSH home tour. We expected it and received it! Not many leftovers there!
Thanks,
Greg
Thank you Greg and everyone at the event.
It was certainly our honor to do it!!
Regards,
Mike Merino
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