I visited the Boardwalk Bistro on May 8, 2010 to entertain out of town guests. I made a reservation for 5:30 p.m. for a party of 7. I have dined at this establishment on several occasions for business and personal reasons and never experienced unacceptable customer service. However on this evening my customer service experience was unacceptable. Our order was placed at 6:30 p.m. however we did not receive our until 8:00 p.m. There were no explanations offered. When the food was served it was not served at the same time, so we did not begin eating until 8:15 p.m. Several customers that arrived after us received their food and finished eating before our food was served. There was no explanation or updates offered by our waiter Mark other than the statement ""small tables are served before large tables"". We had to ask the waiter filling the water glasses for updates on our order because Mark did not come back to our table. When we questioned Mark about the delay he offered nothing more than excuses. When we expressed our dissatisfaction and asked to speak with the owner, Mark sent the head chef over and stated the owner was to busy to see us. I know the owner was there because I saw her in the bar area throughout the evening. Mark did not offer any accommodations for the inconvenience other than dessert at 8:45 at night. The head chef was apologetic and offered a 30% discount immediately to accommodate for the delay, which is more than Mark did. However when Mark presented the bill, the discount on the bill was only for 20%. It was at this point Mark stated he should have charged us gratuity because he worked hard and deserved it. The question of whether or not a waiter earned their gratuity should be based on customer satisfaction not the waiters perception. When questioned about the error Mark informed us that the cashier didn't take off for the wine and he was the only one who knows how to use a computer in the restaurant. Mark offered nothing but excuses the entire evening. As a result of the error the bill had to be recalculated which caused an additional delay. During the conversation regarding the bill Mark was too casual and addressed the women in our party as girl and Hun as if we were children and he became argumentative. This behavior was rude and unprofessional. With the exception of our grandmother everyone at our table is a college educated working professional, so the issue was never about paying the bill it is the principal of getting what you pay for and not wasting your customers time. Mark is a poor representation of your establishment. The dining experience is not just about the food it is about the service. The service is what separates any establishment from it's competitors.
Pros: Acceptable, good presentation
Cons: Horrible customer service: rude, dishonest, unprofessional
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