Cuisine Review

I feel you as customers should offer your opinion to the places where you eat. If you do not like it, the preparation is not correct, service is horrible – whatever it may be you should always let them know how to make it right.

And there is a difference between getting what you are deserved and making an ass out of yourself. I have plenty of experience doing both, and as a critic have learned how to more effectively approach wait staff, hostesses and managers. I, for one, cannot believe the number of friends and others I meet who tell me about their bad service, food or overall experience, yet never complained or had it corrected. No restaurant owner wants someone to leave unhappy only to never come back and tell 10 of their friends.

I am not talking to those who always, always complain about their food not being right, who are not satisfied with any drink they receive and have personality issues. More than likely you do not know who you are, but think about it. It is perfectly polite to ask that something is done right. If your car was only partly fixed, or they only put one windshield wiper on, you would say something, correct? I think what has happened is that all the loudmouths, drunks, and boors who give everyone hell really ass it up when they go to restaurants.

When you go out to eat, always remember that you are paying for a product and a service. You are not there to be lord or lady of the manor, but you deserve what you order, cooked the way you described, on time and to be given enough attention so as not to be forgotten, but not so much that when they slam the platters on the table in unison your waiter/waitress feels comfortable enough to kiss you.

There is nothing worse than a snippy hostess/waiter/waitress. It can be all downhill if a meal starts out this way. At least one person in your party will decide to give this person hell or complain about them the whole time (read – me) and make it worse. Typically this is not often found in Mobile. For the most part, wait staffs here are friendly to overly friendly (which I think is worse unless you already know them).

Wait staff should be informed about the menu, what they are out of, the day’s specials, how things are prepared and the like. They should pay attention to their tables, bringing drinks and food at a reasonable pace. However, you must remember the waiter has little control over the kitchen, the bar and the flow of the restaurant. Their influence does come with experience and time; they know what to do to make it all happen. Or at least are honest about what isn’t happening. There is nothing better to me than a waitress who tells you they are slammed. Then you know she has given you the lay of the land and is realistic.

But here in Mobile it is hard, as I write all the time, for restaurants to hire, train and retain good people. It is great that our economy is booming, but oftentimes working for tips in this town takes second place to Home Depot or Aunt Annie’s Pretzels. More times than not you are going to have someone without much experience, especially at a chain restaurant, waiting on you.

I have eaten at many a place to be told once I ordered that it was out (like one time a place that served fries with everything telling us they were out of them, after we ordered drinks, looked at the menu and everything).

There are hundreds of people working very hard in area restaurants and not making a fortune. Most are up on things, trying to give good service. If you have a problem with service (like constantly forgotten drinks, wrong food or the like), point it out nicely to them and if after two or more major screw ups ask him/her if everything is all right, are they slammed and what can you do to help them.

Many times the kitchen is backed up; the bar keeps getting it wrong. Or you can do like I had to do at O’Charley’s recently and serve fountain drinks since our waiter disappeared into thin air for 30 minutes at a time.

I can totally get it if you are hesitant to do something about service. And I constantly caution you that everyone can have an off night or two. People who have complained to me about service or food they experienced downtown during Mardi Gras should know better. Thousands of drunks, being slammed 24/7 with people puts a taxing burden on everything coming out perfectly. But if you are not going to make sure your food is correct, the way you want it, I do not pity you.

To spend a nice amount of money and not get your food hot, cooked to your liking or tasting right is just wrong. Cold food is cold food, and you can be sure it sat around in the kitchen a while. Point this out nicely and ask for a new plate – not a warmed plate. Insist that your tablemates eat, ask how long it will take and if this is sufficient, then have it done. This column is about being nice, professional and easy about it all – treat them as you want your customers to treat you in your business. Yes, it can, and might, get ugly if you can tell they put your plate through the microwave, but this is unlikely to happen.

If your fish is overdone or underdone, let them know. If you want an entirely new plate, as with a steak or even chicken fingers, ask for this specifically. I have even had a special described to me one way only to come out another. Make sure you understand when you order, but if something is not what you thought it was going to be, again, it is perfectly polite to send it back.

So for those of you who complain about bad service, sub par or wrong food or even about the fact that some local restaurants do not serve past nine – help make our restaurants what they want to be. Treat restaurant staff well and it will come back to you. Tell your waiter that you did not like your meal when they ask, and be honest, not brutal with your opinion.

As we continue to grow, those restaurants that are with us today will be better and it will encourage more to open.

Kinnon Phillips is Lagniappe cuisine editor. Contact him at kphillips@lagniappemobile.com.

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