In getting ready to visit with family in NJ, and checking out Groupons available, I came across a Groupon for Negeen Persian Grill. I was excited to have Persian food which I have always enjoyed and even keep a spice at home that a Persian friend brought back from a trip back home to Iran. And upon reviewing the website, including the menu and the story about the husband and wife team, I was looking forward to my meal.
The restaurant wasn't very busy at all (a cold night) and we were the only ones in the restaurant initially. The service regarding filling up our small water glasses wasn't great and we had to keep asking the wife of the owner who was our server. I even said to her that maybe she should bring us an extra larger glass each so she didn't have to keep coming over to fill our small glasses, and she didn't. Until another two diners came in, she seemed to be busy reading a book.
I will say, the hummus was delicious and my co-diner enjoyed his meal (a chicken & filet mignon kabob combination). As one who eats a lot of salmon, my salmon kabob didn't taste very fresh and was extremely fishy in taste that I had to eat each bite with rice/veggies to mask the bad taste. Since my co-diner is local and would possibly frequent again with his family, I didn't make a big deal about my dish since he seemed to like his and I didn't want to discourage him from coming back, since I don't live there. This restaurant seemed to be the only Persian restaurant nearby and my co-diner and his family like to eat out a different types of restaurants.
When I asked for the bill so I could pay the difference over and above the Groupon amount, my bill included an 18% tip based upon the pre-Groupon amount plus tax. I personally never tip on tax and I should have been able to determine what tip I wanted to give vs. being told too unless I was advised this up front. And if/when I use a Groupon, I do tip on the pre-Groupon amount too. And if service is great at a restaurant, I may even tip more along the lines of 20% and at times even more. To me, the 18% tip on the pre-Groupon/pre-tax amount was too much.
When I raised this as a question to the wife about the tip, she seemed to complain and tell stories that when people use Groupons, they don't tend to leave much of a tip, may tip on the Groupon amount not the total amount, and even seemed to complain about how one gent keeps coming in with a Groupon each week. I said something along the lines that maybe she should say something to that patron rather than keep accepting/allowing the person to keep using a new Groupon each time. She didn't seem to like that response. And she also didn't seem to understand what I was pointing out to her about the tip including the tax amount either.
And when I raised the 18% tip as a question to the husband/owner who finally came over after the wife telling me what she did, his answer was along the lines of that this practice of charging 18% was suggested to him to do it this way, and something about not being an accountant (appearing as if he was blaming someone else and appearing to not understand how this was set up). The husband/owner seemed to make a comment about what kind of amount are we referring to that I had to pay extra (on the tax). As a principle based person, it is the principle here, not the amount. Based upon the conversations regarding the tip amount, and their attitudes, it was at this point that I told them how my fish didn't even seem to taste that fresh. I did take the leftovers home thinking maybe they would taste better cold the next day and if not, I would throw out. And there was some rice and veggies leftover too which I enjoyed.
I do not recall seeing on the Groupon, nor the menu, nor their website, nor being told about this policy until they brought the bill and I had given her the Groupon at the time of ordering. I used my Visa to pay the amount on the bill including the 18% on the pre-Groupon amount plus tax. However I am thinking of calling my Visa company to dispute this since I felt forced to give an 18% tip and on top of the tax too.
I recognize that businesses sign up with Groupon to get their name out there, generate more business, etc. So they should be taking into consideration that allowing Groupons may make them a little less money in the short run and hopefully help attract loyal customers, assuming the food/services are great. If a business feels that they are losing money by accepting a Groupon, then they shouldn't be doing business with Groupon vs. what seems to be taking it out on the customer. BTW, regarding the leftovers, of pieces of salmon served in total, only one that I ate the next day didn't taste very fishy the other two did.
As a principle based person, this just didn't seem right which is why I decided to write this review. The look and feel of the restaurant seemed great however what a disappointment in how they seemed to manage their business and my salmon. read more