I actually waited a couple of days before writing this review because I wanted to think it through and be fair. Goldies is new, and I know there are always going to be some kinks to work out when a restaurant first opens. I was genuinely willing to give them some grace.
We stopped in on a Tuesday morning before 8 AM and the place was already packed. We couldn't get a table, but we were willing to wait. No one really greeted us or explained what the wait would be, which I understand can happen when a new place is busy. What bothered me more was that no one told us it would likely be an hour before we'd actually get our breakfast. Had someone simply said that, we probably would have stayed anyway, or if we decided not to, I would have completely understood and come back another day.
Once we did get seated, our food took quite a while. And unfortunately, the portions were extremely disappointing. I actually ended up giving my son my food because his plate was so small. I even commented to him that I would have rather paid more and had an actual meal than what looked more like a small side dish.
I was already disappointed, but I probably would have still given Goldies more stars and chalked a lot of it up to being a new restaurant.
Then I happened to see a social media post from someone who appears to have been invited in to showcase the restaurant. I obviously don't know whether he was paid or simply given a complimentary meal, so I don't want to make assumptions about that. But I was honestly shocked at the difference between what was shown in his photos/videos and what was put in front of us.
The banana bread French toast in his photos was beautifully plated, with a generous amount of whipped cream and a substantial portion. Ours was extremely thin with a very small amount of whipped cream, and the overall portion was noticeably different. It wasn't just the photography or presentation. The actual amount of food looked completely different.
That really bothered me because I can be patient with a new restaurant being busy, service taking longer than expected, or things not being completely smooth yet. What I have a hard time accepting is the possibility that some customers are being given a very different experience than others.
There are definitely things I like about Goldies. They have done a nice job sprucing the place up since taking it over. The little dog pictures are cute, and I love the name and the sign out front. There is a lot of potential here, and I genuinely wanted to like it.
Unfortunately, after seeing that social media post, I can't give it the additional stars I originally considered. I hope this is something they take seriously, because I would much rather see a new local restaurant succeed than write a negative review. read more