So anyone that knows me even a little bit knows how much I love to eat at Mimi's Restaurant. When I lived in California, it was one of my regular places to eat out. Not so much since moving to Texas because there aren't very many here in the area. The other thing about me is that I hate to write bad online reviews so I usually just don't say or do anything and try to be sure and write good reviews for the places that deserve them. However, it has been over 9 days and I am still a little angry so decided to share what I believe to be one of the worse service experiences I have ever had in any Mimi's Restaurant.
So it was 2 pm on Sunday. I had just finished a job I was scheduled to do in the area and was hungry. I began to look for places to eat nearby and was excited to see that there was a Mimi's very close to me. In addition, a 20% off coupon popped up with a code for me to use and that clinched the deal. I headed off and soon arrived at the restaurant.
The hostess seated me quickly and I began to browse the menu when the waitress arrived to take my order. She introduced herself as what sounded like "Andy" but I am not sure I heard correctly. I ordered my beverage and told her that I would be ready to order when she returned with it. True to my word, when she returned with my drink and a glass of water, I was ready to order but she said "You'll have to wait. I have to deliver some food first." So I waited and enjoyed my beverage while I watched the other diners.
When the waitress returned, I showed her the 20% off coupon on my phone and she carefully wrote down the code...even repeating it back to me. I then ordered the "Mimi's Mix & Match Quartet" for which my selections were the Turkey Royale Half Sandwich, the Cup of Corn Chowder, the Bacon Bleu Cheese Petite Salad and the Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait, plus a bread basket. She wrote down my order and left. Within a minute or two she brought my bread basket and left again. In a while, a man I hadn't seen before brought all of my food to me except my dessert. He said my dessert would be right out and I told him it was okay. That I preferred to have it at the end of my meal with a cup of coffee. He left me to enjoy my food.
The food was superb just like always and tasted exactly like I remembered it tasting in California. While I was eating, I watched my waitress as she took the orders for 3 tables near and around me. She brought their drinks and then their food. I half expected her to come by at least once to see if I needed anything but she never did. I enjoyed every morsel of the sandwich, soup and salad, and was looking forward to the dessert and coffee. I finished my meal and still my waitress didn't come to my table. After what seemed like an eternity, she came to my table and asked if I was ready for my check. I told her "No, I am ready for my desert". She said, "Oh, didn't they tell you we are out of that dessert". I am thinking "which they?" but replied, "No, no one told me" to which she replied bluntly, "Well, we are". I am not sure why the way she replied back to me made me angry but it did. I was also angry that SHE had not had the courtesy to come let me know and ask if I would like to make another selection so that it could have been brought to me just as I finished the first part of my meal. I told her to just adjust my order to the "Mimi's Mix & Match Trio" and bring me my check.
She returned shortly with my check which I paid without examining it closely, still dealing with my anger about how I had been treated. I toyed with the idea of not leaving her a tip but being raised in a café myself, I couldn't bring myself to not do so. I added my typical 20% and got up and left to head home. I was about 10 miles away when I remembered the 20% discount coupon and looked at my receipt which revealed that she had not applied the 20% discount to my bill. Added to how I was already feeling, this made me furious but it wasn't worth driving back 10 miles and then retracing my route another 10 miles which would add 20 miles to my trip so I just continued towards home.
The food I ordered during this dining experience was delicious but shadowed by the horrible service I received. I won't stop eating a Mimi's Restaurants, but I probably won't ever go back to eat at this one. And it is sad because I later remembered that 4 months ago I had a 5 star dining experience at this location. read more