First visit. Checked out HH - which is 3-5 pm ONLY at the bar on Fri/Sat. Great values ($20) on some HH wines by the bottle. But SO many service/food prep hiccups... As someone who worked in the industry - it was very frustrating to observe/experience so many poorly trained workers and basic service errors being tolerated. Upon exit it felt like we had been to a place being run by kids who believed there was no supervising adult around. (While the cat's away...)
Walked in at 4:30 pm on a Friday. Seven female waitresses/workers standing around socializing in two groups: one group near the bar area closest to the entrance where one worker was eating (most left when we sat down), and another group standing in a circle somewhere to our left. (Meanwhile somebody else was being trained on the patio by I presume a manager). Nobody could be bothered to notice CUSTOMERS had walked in the door. We sat ourselves. Barmaid walked behind the counter handed us several pages of menus and explained how to order - she never mentioned Happy Hour - which we eventually figured out on our own... Friday. 4:30 pm.
Started with mussels ($8 at HH for a decent - sized pot - garlicky and good). Food arrived. Barmaid did not provide us plates, napkins, silverware. We asked someone passing by for such. She asked barmaid. Barmaid said she did not yet have 'time' to stock her area with things like plates... (Well - maybe your standing around gabbing outside your area when we first arrived instead of prepping your station had something to do with that?). Eventually we got plates. Then had to ask AGAIN to get napkin/flatware set-ups. Meanwhile workers wandered in/out of the bar area while barmaid turned back on us to do her sidework. Busboy spent couple of minutes deciding where to store his cigarettes back there. Waitress shoved her purse first in one place and then another... (Eventually when we left 30 minutes later that waitress was seated alone on the patio with a drink while playing with her smartphone).
Ordered a dozen oysters - only eleven served to us - though we pointed out the kitchen error and they brought out a couple of more, which was nice. Later ordered some sushi - which was first brought to the wrong table before being delivered to us. And of course our barmaid did not provide, until after our sushi arrived and we asked for such, basic things like a soy sauce dish and chop sticks. Look, sweetheart, when somebody in your station orders food - how about thinking IN ADVANCE what might be needed. Plates? Napkins? Soy dish for sushi?? Your job (IMHO) is more than just putting in orders and then letting the chips fall where they may... How about a little planning ahead and providing things you KNOW your clients will need BEFORE their food actually arrives and is sitting in front of them???
Note the bar counter space is a pretty tight space - making it all the more frustrating that our barmaid (and others passing by) ignored our dirty dishes. At first we resorted to shoving them down the bar - where at one later point a newly arriving customer who wanted to sit had to pick them up and hand them to the clueless barmaid. Eventually I figured out if I shoved our empties all the way to the edge of the bar so they crowded her space near the glass froster - she would clear them...
Hope management kicks some folks in the butt - as in the end it is up to MANAGEMENT to hire and train folks who do the job right. So far (service-wise) - not so good...