It's sad to say that our first experience at this restaurant was one of the most unprofessional…read moreimpressions we've ever experienced.
Upon our 5:30 p.m. arrival, my wife and I were immediately seated in the far corner of the outdoor patio. From the beginning, the host's demeanor came across as cold and dismissive. When she told us to "enjoy," her tone made it clear she didn't mean what she said.
When our waitress arrived, she wanted to explain what the daily specials were, but before she began, we politely asked if we could move to another section of the patio so we could sit in the sun. After speaking with the host, she returned with what I can only describe as a smart-ass attitude, saying, "Those tables are for people who actually have reservations." We completely understood if those tables were reserved, but there was absolutely no reason for the condescending attitude. Instead, we were moved to another corner table, and after the host decided to tell us "enjoy" with the same condescending tone. Once we sat down, I asked the waitress if she could explain the daily specials, but then she quickly replied, "now that we're at a different table, the other waitress/waiter will have to do that" since it wasn't her "zone".
As we sat there, we couldn't help but notice what appeared to be a noticeable difference in how other guests were treated. The tables that gave off what I would describe as a more "upper class" appearance, well-dressed white guests who appeared more affluent, seemed to receive a warmer welcome and far more attentive service. Whether that was intentional or not, we couldn't shake the feeling that we were viewed differently. I'm white myself, but perhaps my tattoos or the fact that I was dining with my Brazilian wife caused us to be perceived differently. I honestly don't know.
What I do know is that we left feeling like we didn't fit the restaurant's idea of its preferred clientele. For example, our waitress never offered us the option of tap or bottled water, while nearby "upper class" tables were given that choice.
Around 6:10 p.m., we ordered appetizers, which took roughly 20 minutes to arrive, while tables seated after us were already receiving their food. We then placed our entrée orders and waited... and waited... and waited. In addition, we found a hair in the salad that we ordered, and when we brought it up to the waitress, her only answer was "that's impossible, everyone in the kitchen wears hairnets...
At approximately 6:40 p.m., the hostess came to our table and explained there had been a "mix-up" because we had switched tables, causing our entrée order to be delayed. That explanation made very little sense. How does simply switching tables result in an order being delayed by that much? It pointed to a serious lack of communication between the front of the house and the kitchen.
By approximately 6:50 p.m., I believe a manager came to our table and asked if there was anything he could do. At that point, I bluntly asked for the check because waiting well over an hour for our food was simply unacceptable. Ironically, our entrées finally arrived around 7:00 p.m., but by then we had completely lost our appetite. I sent the food back and again requested the check. Even then, it still took another 10 minutes to receive it.
To the hostess's credit, she apologized, and I told her I appreciated the apology. However, I also explained that this restaurant clearly has a major communication problem. More importantly, the dismissive attitude we experienced from the moment we walked in set the tone for the entire evening and left us feeling unwelcome.
In a nutshell: We waited an hour and a half for our food we never received, we were mistreated, felt discriminated, and there were still PLENTY of open tables in the patio facing the sun.
This was our first visit to Narragansett, and unfortunately it was not the welcome we expected. I didn't even bother asking if the restaurant offered a military discount because, by that point, I already felt like we didn't belong.
We will NEVER return.
