My family and friends have dined at Feast Italian Restaurant many times, and we have always enjoyed the food and had pleasant experiences--until our visit yesterday.
First, I want to say that the food was delicious, as it usually is, and our server, Skylar, was wonderful. She was friendly, attentive, and efficient throughout our meal.
One of my friends ordered a dinner special consisting of pasta with shrimp and lobster. Because the restaurant is fairly dimly lit, she didn't immediately realize that there was no shrimp in her dish. She continued eating, assuming she would eventually find it mixed into the generous portion of pasta. By the time she was about halfway through and feeling full, she was able to confirm that there was, in fact, no shrimp at all.
When Skylar returned, my friend simply mentioned that her meal was delicious but that the shrimp had been left out. Skylar was extremely apologetic and offered to have the dish remade for her to take home, which my friend accepted. At no point was anyone rude, demanding, or asking for a free meal.
A few minutes later, the owner, Liz, came to our table. Unfortunately, this is where an otherwise enjoyable evening completely changed.
After we explained what happened, her response was essentially, "Why didn't you tell Skylar when you first got your food instead of waiting until the end?" We again explained that my friend had not initially realized the shrimp was missing and had expected to find it as she continued eating.
Liz then told us, in a very stern and unfriendly manner, that this was a "pre-portioned and very expensive dish" and that she would NOT have another one made. She said the only thing she was willing to do was have the chef add shrimp to what remained of the original dish.
We were honestly taken aback--not necessarily because she chose not to remake the meal, but because of the sarcastic, accusatory, and unnecessarily rude way the situation was handled. Our bill was nearly $200, and no one at our table was trying to "scam" the restaurant or get anything for free. My friend simply expected to receive the shrimp that was advertised as part of the dinner special she ordered and paid for.
Mistakes happen in restaurants, and we completely understand that. What matters is how those mistakes are handled. Skylar handled the situation exactly as I would expect from someone in hospitality--with kindness, professionalism, and an effort to make things right. Unfortunately, the owner's approach was the complete opposite and made us feel as though we were being blamed for the kitchen's mistake.
It's especially disappointing because we genuinely love the food here and have been repeat customers. However, after the way Liz spoke to us and handled such a simple, legitimate concern, we left feeling extremely uncomfortable and unwelcome.
Unfortunately, despite many positive experiences in the past, this interaction has changed how we feel about returning or recommending Feast to others. Great food is important, but so is how loyal customers are treated when something goes wrong. read more