Rotten experience - went to this restaurant last Tuesday night. We had reservations and arrived to a half empty restaurant, and were seated literally 10 feet from the bar. So we expected some level of average service. \r
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No one came to our table for close to 15 mins. When the waiter did, he asked if we were ready to order dinner. We asked (asked mind you - at a restaurant!) if we could have drinks first, to which the waiter cooly said 'of course'. We then waited for another 10-15 mins until the waiter came back and said 'your drinks are on the way, are you NOW ready to order your entrees'? We again asked if we could first order several appetizers, which we did. Our drinks finally came, and again we were asked if we were ready to order our entrees. We ordered our entrees, the appetizers showed up - and we waited and waited and waited another 25 mins before anyone showed up again. No one came to see if we wanted more drinks, and while people around us who had showed up later than us were served, we continued to wait, and these were salads that had been ordered - dishes that could have been made quickly. Unfortunately when they did show up, the lettuce was wilted, and they were entirely sub par. \r
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The whole restaurant staff seemed confused. I must have seen 4 instances where the food was brought to the wrong outside table, and then brought back in again. I saw only two waiters actually taking orders. I even had to chase down our waiter to get my check so I could get out of there. I thought of stiffing the waiter on the tip (actually I thought several times of just walking out completely), but realized the waiter was the only one really running around trying to get anything done, and it wasn't his fault that his manager/owner had understaffed the place that night. The waiter - Maurice - wasn't exactly unfriendly, but he did not go out of his way to be friendly either. In fact, no one at the restaurant was friendly. I won't go back, and I won't recommend anyone to go either. I'm at the Grand Center regularly, but will never go to the Bistro again.
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