So I decided to come back and give the place another chance to see if it had settled in a bit. Great news: it has!
Improvements were immediately noticeable, servers were able to take and deliver orders well, tables all over the restaurant were being used, only a small line to get in (which was being handled orderly and quickly), etc. This has become a place that I would actually recommend, especially for breakfast in that area. The food was great and I will likely be back!
Job well done.