We've been coming to Kalmes for over 10+ years. The food has always been exceptional, and that's honestly the only reason we continue to come back. The kitchen consistently does a fantastic job, and I've never had a complaint about the quality of the meals.
Unfortunately, the service has steadily gone downhill over the years. The bartenders are very unfriendly, sometimes outright rude, and many don't seem to have much experience mixing drinks. Politeness and a smile never hurts in the customer service industry especially if you are the first person customers see when entering your establishment.
We come in about every two weeks if not more and the past few years it feels like there's a different bartender every time which makes it difficult to build any familiarity or feel welcomed as a regular customer. There used to be the same two or three girls every weekend but now it seems 10 more have been unnecessarily added. High turnover is noticeable, and it definitely affects the overall experience.
One thing many of us longtime customers have noticed is that the atmosphere doesn't feel the same as it did when more family members seemed to be involved in running the business. It used to have a warm, welcoming feel that made people want to return. Now, that sense of hospitality seems to be missing. And good luck finding anyone with the last name Kalmes outside the kitchen.
I genuinely want to see this restaurant succeed. The food is outstanding and deserves the loyal customer base it has built over the years. The Kalmes family in general is an amazing family and they deserve to continue their hometown legacy. However, exceptional food can only make up for poor service for so long. I believe they could benefit from reevaluating the front-of-house staff, investing in better training, and placing a greater emphasis on friendly, consistent customer service.
I've waited a long time before posting this because I hoped things would improve and I also wanted to gather opinions from my fellow diners, as expected many of them agree with my sentiments.
Unfortunately, after my most recent visit this weekend, I experienced the same issues yet again only worse--a new or different bartender. She was on her phone and eating throughout the 2 hours we were there. I had to physically go up and ask for menu's and also to place our order! The other bartender looked on her own trying to take care of a full bar. Just downright horrible service.
Recently, I've heard there have been multiple complaints regarding their bartenders but it's obvious they chose to do nothing about it which is a shame. Hopefully they will start listening to their customers before it's too late. read more