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| - Five for the food, knock off two for the service, and one more for the ambience. After all this time and success, they owe their customers more.
Normally I don't rate service over food quality, but this couldn't pass. We hadn't been there for a while, and decided to go for Easter dinner. It is not easy for us, as we need to park someplace close to the door. The Udipi Cafe was perfect. We arrived early so we could park close by. We had read the service could be surly and slow, but this was out of control. I asked myself if I had ever had such unprofessional service in my long career of restaurant attendance? Nope. not even close.
Greeted by a growly man I'll call Moe Howard, the place was virtually empty. So of course we were seated in a booth next to the service area for the wait staff. He showed up early, and assuming we were ready, let us know he was ready to take our order. Yikes. Caught off guard, I responded with a no more gruffly than I had planned. Well that was it.
He refused to return, sitting not far away and playing intently with his cell phone. Finally another, kinder man came by and took our order. Then we waited. People arriving after us came in, ordered, were served, ate, and left. We would have left if there was another place close by.
Finally the same kindly man noticed again, and went to the cashier area. He then spoke with Moe, waving a ticket and then went into the kitchen. I assumed Moe had never turned our order into the kitchen. By now an hour had passed.
When our food finally arrived, again delivered by the kindly man, I asked what had happened. Being very polite, he told me that they had run out of chickpeas. Really? The Udipi Cafe ran out of chickpeas?
The food was fine, but the dinner had a different taste....tough getting past the bad taste in my mouth from the service.
Of course we won't be back. Too afraid. Won't take the chance. Moe will be happy. That's a shame, as I have recommended it often, taken international students there for dinner, and enjoyed the food. But professionalism counts too, and the Cafe can't afford to ignore it.
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