The reason I am giving my experience at DeSotos 3 stars instead of 1 star is because the food is averagely good and the the servers I had on my last two visits were lovely. What was not a good experience was the lack of hospitality and customer service provided by the general manager Michelle. It is clear to me that the servers are afraid of her and I can see why.
On one recent visit she refused to make me a Margherita with premium tequila because they had run out of the bar rail tequila. She was inflexible and made no effort to provide options, including charging a little more for a drink made with premium liquor. At another dinner she again took over from the server to explain that if you order a drink you have to pay for it even if it tastes insipid which it did. After her admonishment and finger wagging she agreed to take the two $6 cocktails off the bill... this time!
As someone who works in the restaurant industry I am shocked by her lack of understanding of what it means to deliver even average customer service. Treating staff and customers like children isn't it. Speaking harshly with a fake smile on your face isn't it. Instead, making sure that people feel respected and taken care of is what keeps staff and customers happy and coming back. I live in the neighbourhood and will not recommend or return to DeSotos as long as the leadership remains the same. There are too many better restaurants on St. Clair to choose from that know how to treat their customers right.