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| - I've been a Red Robin customer since the mid 80s. But, those days are done.
In the last couple years, sadly, they have gone down hill dramatically. This is true for locations not only in metro Phoenix but southern CA, too.
Burgers seem smaller. I won't argue with their decision to change how they serve their "endless" fries. You can still have all you want - it's just a lot less likely that pounds and pounds of potatoes will go to waste like they must have in the past. The service is inconsistent. When I was last at this location, late on a weeknight, the place was dead. Many tables needed to be cleaned but no one seemed to care. I was seated in the bar area despite specifically asking for dining room. The bartender himself served me. He was nice, but he had a bar to tend. No doubt he (accurately) figured his better chance for tip money was his bar customers so I was a bit ignored with dirty tables all around me.
I do appreciate they use real ice cream. Mixing chocolate and raspberry is simply amazing. Sadly, not all servers understand how to make this happen. Sometimes I get one flavor in the glass cup and the other in the metal cup. I didn't want a chocolate shake AND a raspberry shake. One time I got one flavor and my companion got the other. When they blend it right, then there is nothing better in life in terms of a milkshake.
I can't think of the name of the automated interactive system they've implemented. I really do not like this. I could see the system being perfect in a busy bar for faster service and table turns. But, in Red Robin? Come on, just let a server come by and take my order. Let a runner serve me. Then check in from time to time without needing to be summoned - electronically or otherwise. Oh, and that tip calculator it has? Makes it easy to short the server because they aren't really servers any more.
Too bad.
Many other choices now for much better burgers at not-too-much-more prices. And, those other places have human beings as servers who are polite and friendly. Kind of like what Red Robin used to be.
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