We got seated right away. That should have been our clue to
keep looking, but we ignored it.
We ordered our drinks and meals. Now, when we’ve ordered our
meal and say we’re splitting the onion rings, wouldn’t you THINK the onion
rings was going with the meal? Uhhh, no. We got the rings first (as an
appetizer).
We ate them early (which were pretty good, but not worth six
bucks) and drank our drinks (because I don’t know about you, but fried foods
make me thirsty). Time for refills, right? Uhhh, no. They don’t do free refills
on soda and tea.
Say what? I don’t remember seeing THAT on the menu. We
ordered water and then waited and waited and waited for our food.
I can kind of understand the wait. There was an impending
Reds game. It was busy. Still, wouldn’t you think they’d be prepared for that?
When our meals finally arrived, they didn’t all come at the
same time. Heck, the fries our friend had ordered came way late—apparently they
aren’t considered an appetizer. And it certainly wasn’t worth the high prices
(nearly ten bucks for a philly cheesesteak and it doesn’t come with fries—it’s
why we got the rings—and the cheesesteak seemed more like hamburger, it was
chopped so finely). I've had better meals at McDonalds.
By this time, I’m
thinking the waitress was going to get bare minimum tip (she really didn’t seem
to care about us at all). We got the bill. They had already tacked on an 18.5%
gratuity!
Say what? What incentive does the waitress have to do a good
job? Apparently NONE!
I can understand if we were a large group, but there was
only FOUR OF US!
If we had paid in cash (if we had enough, we might have), we would have deducted some of that
tip, but we paid by credit card (I jokingly told my husband he should put a
negative amount under the tip line—yep, you could pay MORE if you want, but
less? Not so much).
Anyway, between the no-refills and the automatic tip, we
will NOT be going back to Johnny Rockets. Their food just wasn’t worth all
that.
Thank goodness the game was good (well, for us, not our
friends).
So… Has anything caused you to rant about lately? You can share here!
Have a happy Friday and a wonderful weekend!
Stacy
14 comments:
The unfortunate thing is some of that is not your server's fault, and she (or he) could be unfairly punished. Of course, the built-in gratuity takes care of that.
I've heard of Johnny Rockets, but never eaten in one. My own personal restaurant-I-will-not-set-foot-in is Applebee's. Two experiences, two different locations, same crummy food. We call it Crapplebee's. Have a great weekend!
Okay. Johnny Rockets is off my list.
The worst meal I've had recently was at my birthday. We went to a well known and expensive seafood place. The waiter was new and he forgot to put our order in.
Fortunately, his manager found out. Our meal was nearly an hour late, but we got it. And then she gave it to us free. We left him a tip anyway. I know what it is to be new.
Ugh. How rude. I've heard of this chain, but only because the CEO was on Undercover Boss. Must not have learned much while he was undercover, I guess.
No free refills on pop? Crazy about the tip. And ouch on the price. Fun to read this review though. And I like that you gave us the name of the eatery, rather than glaze over that bit. Good on you.
Cheers and happy weekend.
Jeff - We understand our server had no control with how long it would take our food, but she should have known we wanted the rings with our meal, not as an appetiser. Also, we had asked for straws and silverware and had to wait forever to get those. She really was NOT on the ball! As for Applebee's, I won't say anything. I eat there. Haha! :)
Maria - See, when a restaurant makes restitution (and the server apologizes), I'm okay with it. It shows they're trying. Sorry your birthday dinner turned out lousy, though. I'm still thinking about where I want to go for my birthday!
B.E. - Our friends said the Johnny Rockets in Columbus wasn't as bad. I don't know if I want to try another one! :)
Ivy - Yeah, I'm bold at naming names, aren't I? Or maybe just stupid. I haven't decided yet! :)
Stupid? Not at all. When reviewers write restaurant reviews they don't hide the name of the eatery. What good would that do?
Just popped some jalapeno cheese bites in the Easy Bake Oven. Can't wait to see how they work. I write the formula on the spot, but took notes as I did.
Anyway, have a most excellent weekend and boogie boogie.
Most of my rants are boring, work-related stuff like, "why is it such a PITA to upgrade from JBoss server version 5.1 to 7.2?" Or traffic. Always traffic.
On another note, I noticed recently that, though your blog is called "Stacy's Rantings and Whatnot," that you seldom rant. It's good to see that you do on occasion. And good to know to avoid Johnny Rockets, if I'm ever in downtown Cincy. :D
Ivy - I can't say what I did was an actual review, but hey! Maybe it was. Enjoy your cheese bites!
Jennette - I had to look it up. I've got 12 posts tagged Ranting. Only 12 in 4-1/2 years. Hmmm... Think I should pick it up a bit? :)
True. And you were missing those little stars at the end of the post.
Thanks, they were gooood. I ate five already. Only four left. Thankfully, it's a small test batch.
We've eaten at the Johnny Rockets over by the Kenwood Mall and it wasn't bad. Service was good and the food was decent. Of course, no ball game crowd there.
Jeez Oh Pete. I would have been frustrated too. In fact, I am just hearing about it.
LD - And they didn't tack on that gratuity? That still bugs me.
Sandra - It was frustrating all right. And expensive!
My lone experience with Johnny Rocket's was pretty good, as I recall.
Regarding the tip, unless it was stated clearly on the menu, I would have taken the receipt to the cashier, asked to have it re-done without the tip, and then tip as you felt appropriate.
Michael - There was no cashier. The waitress took care of the bill. I'm glad not all Johnny Rockets are the same, but I still don't know if I'd go in another.
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