This hidden gem in the Jersey Shore village of Spring lake is a wonderful treat! A restaurant in the quaint Hewitt Wellington hotel, this lavish dinner was expertly served by the wonderful staff in a quiet and intimate setting. It's BYOB, so make sure to have your Chablis and Pino Gris chilled beforehand. We started with the lobster crepe, where every bite had a chunk of perfectly cooked and tender lobster. Dinners were generously portioned proportional to their price and featured well prepared pastas, meats, and veggies. Highlights were the to-temp lamb chops and homemade pasta! A decadent chocolate lava cake with vanilla gelato was the perfect end to a great dinner. If you're looking for something more, Whispers is a wonderful elegant and elevated eatery. read more

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We had a family dinner at Whispers in Spring Lake. They had a private room for our group. The service was attentive! I ordered the lobster crepe appetizer, which was so rich and delicious. For my main, I had the strip steak served with mashed potatoes. Everything was great! The steak was perfectly medium rare. My husband had the tuna special, which he really enjoyed. The restaurant let's you BYOB, just an FYI. And they let us bring in an ice cream cake for a birthday. They cut up and served the cake to each guest, too. Great service! read more

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Reviews All Service Meal Price dining16 BYOB12 party12 lobster11 +6 Sort by Most relevant Newest Highest Lowest Tatiana K Local Guide·25 reviews·3 photos Dine in | $100+ We dined here with a group of friends, and unfortunately, the experience fell short across the board. The appetizers were just boring. They lacked imagination in both flavor and presentation, setting a disappointing tone for the evening. ... More Mr. D. 141 reviews·137 photos 5 years ago Not perfect, but definitely top shelf. Food quality was superb, although portions are on the average or small side. Avoid the scallops & fig appetizer, the scallops were mushy and drenched in a gooey sauce. The pesto fettuccine with ... More Photo 1 in review by Mr. D. Photo 2 in review by Mr. D. Photo 3 in review by Mr. D. Photo 4 in review by Mr. D. 3 Amber Suter, LMT Local Guide·18 reviews·6 photos a year ago Take out | Dinner | $50-100 I was traveling in from a long work week when I stopped to stay at the Hewitt-Wellington which shares a partnering location. I didn't feel like dining out after such long travel, so I called the manager, Nick. He was so kind, going out of ... More Photo 1 in review by Amber Suter, LMT Whispers (Owner) a week ago It was our pleasure to make you happy, Thank you for your extremely kind words. Hope to see you again soon. Keith Epstein Local Guide·43 reviews·248 photos 3 months ago $100+ We had a group of 20 for a birthday celebration. Service was excellent and food was great. We had a private room. ... More Photo 1 in review by Keith Epstein Photo 2 in review by Keith Epstein Photo 3 in review by Keith Epstein Whispers (Owner) a week ago We dined here with a group of friends, and unfortunately, the experience fell short across the board. The appetizers were just boring. They lacked imagination in both flavor and presentation, setting a disappointing tone for the evening. Things didn't improve with the mains-- tasted uneven, with some components overcooked and others underdone. At an average price point of $65 per entrée, we expected much better execution. Desserts were overly sweet, and the crème brûlée was especially underwhelming--chilled and missing its signature caramelized top, it tasted more like a refrigerated pudding than a delicacy. Service was equally inconsistent. Our waitress didn't replenish water or wine after the initial pour, and surprisingly interrupted a heartfelt toast with an untimely offer for dessert. In a setting that claims fine-dining standards, attention to social cues and ambiance is essential--and here, it was noticeably lacking. Overall, far from a fine-dining destination they claim to be. read more

Lobster dish is the best item on the menu. Delicious. Wife ordered the special fish halibut And was dry. The big surprise was when the bill arrived and I saw $65 for Halibut absolutely insane to charge that. Atmosphere very nice and courteous servers. read more

I did enjoy the ambiance of this quant, historical restaurant, however that means nothing when the food is subpar. Our server was Meredith and she was wonderful but not sure how the mistakes happen because we were the only two guests there. We enjoyed the appetizers which were the Lobster Crepe and Anchor Grilled Shrimp. We decided on the specials for our dinner selections. My husband ordered the shelled Lobster pieces special and I ordered the walnut-crusted Halibut. The lobster special was good but on the salty side. My dinner was not walnut-crusted at all, not one walnut crumb, and it was actually Cod not Halibut. I was so disappointed. We were going to say something but it was strange there. We were the ONLY guests there and said how could that mistake happen. My husband switched with me because he's the best. The next day my husband said his stomach hurt all day. We most likely will not be returning. BTW, the specials were almost $70 each and they were not worth it. We enjoy going out to dinner and don't mind spending extra for a good dinner. I really wanted to love this place, oh well. Also, it's a BYOB, so if you go don't forget that. read more

Elegant setting in a historic hotel with a menu that oozes creativity. However, at least last night execution was off as two of our three dinners came out cold and had to be sent back. This is inexcusable in a high end restaurant. Our waitress was quite embarrassed but obviously it was a failure of the back of the house. read more

Would give whispers a 3.5/5. The ambiance is very nice and classy inside. The service was great as well very friendly and attentive! The food was very solid as well. read more

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I've eaten at Whispers many many times over the last 15 years. I live about a hour away and it's usually worth the trip. Ate there last June and was wonderful. Last night however we drove down for my birthday as I was excited to dine at a favorite spot. Ambiance always nice, service by Meredith was great. Food was a huge disappointment. I was kind of surprised. Bread appetizer was good, scallop appetizer was so so and not warm. My center cut filet was not cooked how I asked for. Was like cutting jelly and tough. My husband cut the ends off which were medium plus. Demi glaze sauce was good but meat was cold. Potatoes cold. Creamed spinach cold. My husbands tuna was cold. The soba noodles were cold but tasty Others were served before us and came after. They also got 3 courses so not sure what happened. Maybe it sat out too long. So we decided dessert might make up for the disappointing dinner. Got the warm apple cobbler. Not warm and was stale. We are not the couple that complains and just said oh well. Will give it another try next Summer. But for a $300 bill I truly hope this was a one time fluke . read more

Whispers is absolute elegance and top fine dining nestled right on the beach in Spring Lake! Pricey but more than worth the price Not sure where to start but I'll start with the location itself. The restaurant is located in a fabulous bed-and-breakfast Victorian home. Very close to the beach, stepping inside here is amazing! They have a separate entrance for the restaurant but I suggest walking through the main lobby as well, absolutely gorgeous building! Now the service, there's no better service anywhere! Incredible servers paying the most strict attention and serving you like you're a celebrity. Small very charming dining room! OK time for the food, cannot be beat! Oh my God did I go to heaven with my meal! For an appetizer I got their scallops and pasta special. I'm just going to go out there and say never had better scallops in my life! For dinner I had grilled shrimp over homemade pasta in the most amazing pesto sauce! Take a look at my picture. Just gonna say the seafood meal of meals! It was shrimp yes, but the sauce and the homemade fettuccine were really better than I could've imagined! Very highly recommended for a wonderful dining experience, but I'm going to warn you, it's pricier than most expensive restaurants, so it's really great for special occasions! read more

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Elegant BYOB restaurant that really took me by surprise. Spring Lake doesn't really have restaurants that are really good, so I was never really interested, but boy I 'm glad I tried it. The food was fresh and well prepared. The ambience was very elegant, reminiscent of an old school fine dining restaurant, which you don't see it now a days. Everything and everywhere now is modern - modern cuisine, modern ambience. We had a beautiful Jersey tomato salad and burrata for appetizer. The tomato was vibrant red and extremely juicy. The burrata was fresh and creamy. We followed by a lobster bisque which had great texture and flavor, plus very large pieces of lobster. For main course, the swordfish special was beautiful; perfectly cooked and paired with roasted veggies. My wife's pan seared chicken was cooked with much finesse. We finished the evening off the evening with an Apple Strudel for dessert. The only complaint of my evening here was my espresso... twice the waitress tried to make it, and both times it came out weak, like a regular small cup of coffee. The waitress blamed the machine, but I think she didn't really know how to use the espresso machine. She was polite to take it off our bill. I felt bad about it, ended up leaving a nice tip because otherwise she did a phenomenal job all throughout the evening. read more

This was our second time there and it was disappointing. I ordered the same dish as I did the first time because it was so good but definitely was not as good the second time. I gave feedback to the server who couldn't care less and then to the owner when we were leaving. He was really defensive which was not only shocking but unprofessional. We will not be returning or recommending this place. Not only is it very expensive (both our entrees were $55 each) but the ambience wasn't great either. read more

We had a really nice dinner last weekend at Whispers. We were a party of 4 and it was the first time for all of us. We loved the quaint setting inside of a large B&B. Our table was in its own private room with about 4 other tables. The decor was elegant and made us feel like it was a very special occasion. Pretty flowers and candles adorned the table as well as beautiful dishes and decor. And before I forget, and very important to your dining experience is that Whispers is BYOB. You don't want to forget that! Not that we were in a rush, but the service was on the slow side. There seemed to be something going on that evening and we had all different people helping with serving us. And no, not just the runner delivering the food. But back to the actual food... The appetizers and salads we selected before the meal were really good. The salads were excellent to start and my husband had a shrimp appetizer that he raved about. For my entree I had the lobster special which was excellent. It was a 1 1/2 pound lobster with no work to do.. just the yummy lobster meat, served in a nest of a wonton and with crab meat and mashed potato. So good. My husband had the salmon which he liked as well. My friend went off the menu and had halibut which she wasn't that crazy about the preparation. I would say stick to the items on the menu! Dessert was another scrumptious offering. I had one bite of the pear tart and our friend had this big coconut almond joy type dessert that he really didn't want to share, but I did try it. Very good! I also had one of the most delicious cappuccinos ever! They must have a really great cappuccino maker on premise. It was exceptional. So I would definitely come back. If the service was a bit better I would have given it 5 stars. I would say it was a busy night and the team did the best they could do! Definitely a very nice dining experience. read more

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Great food and service! The bread came out warm with whipped butter! Lobster crepes were tasty. Filet mignon with carrots and green beans! Grilled shrimp with pesto linguine. The ambience is nice. The decor is classic with flowers. read more

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The lamb, the lamb and the rack of lamb. Worth pretty much any price worth that kind of culinarily experience- is that a word? Ok AMazing. I don't even like lamb but this lamb, well I've never tasted anything like it. So good. read more

Took hubby here for Valentines day 2022. Was looking for something different and quiet from the normal list of places we go to. Food was Great , waitress Brandi was Great. Highly recomment and will add it to our bi weekly go to list. read more

Whispers - American Near Me - Spring Lake, New Jersey

Worst dining experience ever. We had a reservation but waited 30 Minutes to be seated. The service was very slow. Food was mediocre And definitely not worth the money. read more

Having waited until the last minute, I had to scramble to find a restaurant with available reservations for New Years Eve. I was very fortunate to have called Whispers at the right time as they just received a cancellation. I must say, we couldn't have been happier with the quality of the food and the service. Our steaks were cooked perfectly and had several off price fixe menu specials such as the stuffed calamari. I would definitely recommend Whispers for a dinner to celebrate a special occasion. We will certainly have to try them again when they have their regular menu available. read more

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Divine dining experience,,, lovely room, food made with expertise,,,unusual flavors,,, I love this place & have been coming here many years! read more

Whispers - Delicious shrimp dish - American Near Me - Spring Lake, New Jersey

Whispers is an elegant byob restaurant located in the Hewitt Wellington Hotel in Spring Lake. It's the perfect place for a romantic dinner or to celebrate a special occasion. Portions are on the small side, and that would stop me from becoming a regular. But, I'd definitely would dine here again! They start you with a complimentary tasting. Tonight's tasting was a cucumber topped with salmon mousse which was good. They also serve you a fresh hot roll which was also good, but I was expecting a restaurant of this caliber to have a few different kinds of bread to choose from. For appetizer I had the lobster ravioli topped with a butternut squash purée which was $20. I thought it was too small of an appetizer for the price point. It was good, but I didn't think it was excellent as it should of been. It needed more of a butternut squash flavor as it was described. My entree which was the 1.5 pound lobster over a crab cake in a wonton served over mashed potatoes was EXCELLENT! I highly recommend ordering it! For dessert I had the chocolate ganache cake which was very good, but very small! I had two rolls otherwise I would of left hungry. I don't mind paying high prices just want to be served a bit more generous portions, and get my money's worth. My server Taylor was wonderful! I definitely recommend dining here if your looking for that special place to celebrate a special occasion or just looking for a romantic dinner! read more

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Do no eat here. Extremely rude staff. Terrible customer service. Food was bland and tasteless. Worst dining experience I've ever had would give negative stars if there was an option. STAY AWAY read more

Food is good, service was great, ambience not so much. Dated. Felt like I was in a funeral home, but it was less crowded and I was the only one crying. Expensive, with entrees way north of $50. That said, the neighborhood is full of high rollers - so it must be ok for them. I just feel it should be better for that kind of money. read more

Burrata was an incredible starter and the mushroom risotto (i had it without shrimp) was life changing. i can't stop thinking about it. our waitress was the sweetest, i hope to go back soon. read more

Whispers - American Near Me - Spring Lake, New Jersey

I wish I didn't need to write this review as I love Whispers and have been there in prior years. On the positive side the waitress was very professional, knowledgeable about the food, including gluten-free options and very nice and the restautant had only 4 tables filled so it was quiet. I was so disappointed in the value for cost, but have to say that the filet mignon was cooked and seasoned perfectly. The pistachio crusted sea bass was fresh and baked well but under-seasoned. Salads were good with the exception of thick slices of cold, spiced, baked apple surrounding the Arugula salad (could have been thinly sliced and served at room temperature) and the Ceasar salad included a chunk of romaine which, uncut, was difficult to eat. The sea bass was served with very plain roasted potatoes and would have been so much better with something more creative (simply seasoned mashed potatoes, creamy risotto, or another complimentary side. The filet mignon was served with a potato cake that was nearly burned on the bottom. Also, there are some excellent gluten-free breads and rolls that are available that I feel should be offered. My husband was served one plain roll brought to him with tongs, unheated without butter or oil. For $59 per entree and $20+ for salads we expected a much more memorable experience. Sorry, but I think Whispers has lost it's charm for us. read more

If I could give 0 stars, I would. As someone who both loves going out to eat, and who has been in the restaurant industry for 15 years, this was by far the WORST dining experience of my entire life. To start, it took a server 15 full minutes to acknowledge us. No, not take a drink order or appetizer, I mean acknowledge our existence. We watched multiple servers walk passed us at least 20 times before even looking at us. Other patrons who were sat after us received service before us. As a previous server, I have never seen anything like it. The food was decent, what you should expect from "fine dining", however my boyfriend had shells in his crab cakes and his sea bass was over cooked. Didn't appreciate pouring our own wine, which I know sounds petty, but is pretty much a standard when it comes to fine dining. Now if you're thinking, Okay that's not great but does that really justify calling it the worst dining experience of your life? Well from there, the fire alarm randomly started going off and didn't stop until we left. This was as my main course was served, a house made pasta dish with grilled shrimp, which would have been really good if I didn't have to take it home with me to microwave because I couldn't sit and listen to the alarms which gave me a blaring headache to the point where I had to step outside (along with many other patrons) with my wine to escape it. You would think the management would have taken this situation seriously, considering it's a fine dining establishment where people are spending a significant amount of money for the experience. But no, he was outside cracking jokes seemingly unbothered. I am absolutely shocked and disgusted by how this was handled. Needless to say, I will never return. I advise you do the same. Save your money and go elsewhere. read more

Arrived on time for a 7:45pm reservation, which I had to guarantee with a credit card, got seated at a table that was NOT cleared. WAITED 45 MINUITES WITHOUT ANY SERVICE!! Finally asked to speak to the manager who had no clue and could care less!! Small room with 2 VERY loud parties that made it impossible to have a conversation, Bottom line never again!!!!!!!! Save yourself the aggravation that I went through and pass this place by!!! read more

I first heard out about "Whispers" restaurant through a good friend that highly recommended it to me after they had an amazing experience for dinner. After that being said, I decided to book a reservation for my mother and myself for her birthday. Needless to say an "amazing experience" was an understatement. Everything from the elegant atmosphere, to the beautiful presentations from the chefs courses were outstanding, not to mention how fresh and delicious everything we ordered was. The wait staff was beyond friendly and helpful with any of our needs or questions about the items on the menu. In addition the hospitality we received from Nick and Donna made everything absolutely perfect for my mothers birthday. I would recommend this place to anyone that enjoys fresh, fine dining. Thank you again! Will be back soon! read more

Whispers - "Ultimate Cookie Cake" - American Near Me - Spring Lake, New Jersey

Unfortunately, Yelp would not allow me to give a no star or negative star rating or I would have done so. It pains me to write this review since I know the owner Nick personally and have spent many enjoyable times there in the past. My wife and I and our family have sent nearly every holiday, anniversary and major family event there and had been treated extremely well. However, what Whispers once was has ceased to exist. My mother in law passed away shortly before the pandemic started and because of the many memories we all shared at Whispers it has been extremely difficult for my wife to return there. I finally was able to convince her to return to Whispers with me to honor my late mother on her birthday on December 7th. I had been looking forward to trying the Italian menu that was being featured as a special. Although my reservation was made 2 weeks in advance and was confirmed by the Whispers the day before, I arrived to a dark restaurant and was curtly informed by an employee of the Hewlett Wellington hotel that they were closed. I attempted to call the restaurant while there to speak to someone about the issue but was unable to reach anyone. To add insult to injury, no one from Whispers management had the courtesy to call me to cancel the reservation if they had a problem, nor did anyone contact me to explain why they failed to honor my reservation after confirming it the day before. read more

We went this past Saturday for dinner and had such a GREAT time I forgot to take pixs of the entrees, but I did grab some shots of the delicious desserts! We tried the crab cake app, the seared scallops and the homemade burrata -- all of them presented beautifully and so incredibly delicious. The burrata was velvety soft and smooth. For dinner, we had salmon, the filet mignon and the lobster special and we even had a vegetarian in our group that the kitchen made a gorgeous platter for. It had grilled vegetables like asparagus & artichokes, peppers, mozzarella and more; the platter was beautiful and she really enjoyed it. For dessert, we had the apple cobbler that was warm and toasty with crisp edges and also the chocolate ganache cake that was strictly for a pure chocophile. Great ending to a great dinner. read more

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We had dinner here and it was great! Started with a lobster bisque soup then I had a filet Minton. The potato cake with the filet was so good!The service was impeccable. Would definitely go back. read more

A group of us came here for dinner and it was just an amazing experience. During the pandemic they did a great job of separating the tables and you're seated outside with a beautiful view of the neighborhood. The service was absolutely amazing as you would expect and the food was absolutely delicious. Everything was perfectly cooked everything tasted amazing and I would highly recommend going to this place for dinner. read more

Review of Whispers Restaurant, Spring Lake, NJ. While the food was very good, the service was terrible, specifically from waitress, Megan. Waited 25 mins for her to clear our finished plates & another 15 mins to take our dessert order, which was finally delivered not as our request. When told about the error, Megan brushed it off as nothing and said, "well I told them"! On another note, while it is admirable that this establishment welcomes emotional- support dogs & displays it by paying an exorbitant amount of attention by the wait staff, it would be prudent to ask patrons close by if they are allergic to animals. Further to the above, don't trust prices on the website menu...they are 18-20% higher than quoted. Needless to say, this is a 'never-again' restaurant for us!! read more

Beautiful setting in one of the nicest towns in NJ. Food, service and presentation all 5 star. Our first time there, wont be our last! read more

Victorian charm with amazing food and service. This was wonderful place to celebrate our anniversary! This restaurant is BYOB and has a dress code. read more

We went to the Whispers for our anniversary to order a special dessert. I ordered the carrot cake and my husband ordered the ultimate cookie cake. When the food arrived, the "SUPPOSED" cookie cake was just a slice of RAW cookie dough thrown on a plate, like it was sliced from a tollhouse roll. The carrot cake was dry and unsatisfying. Overall our special dessert was a disappointing and unappetizing way to end our special day. I urge you, do not come here expecting elegance and 5 star food, because you will only receive overpriced, underwhelming disappointment. read more

This restaurant was amazing!! The food, including the multiple appetizers we ordered, (lobster crepe, burrata, pear salad, and beet salad) were all delicious. The lobster entree special was exceptional and so unique. While it is pricey the food is high quality and we found to be worth the money. The service was also very solid and would recommend this place to anyone! read more

Whispers - Lobster special so delicious - American Near Me - Spring Lake, New Jersey

My husband and I had an excellent dining experience at Whispers this weekend. The dining room is elegant and tasteful, the service attentive and welcoming, and the food outstanding! I had the lobster special which is one of the signature Whispers main dishes. The preparation and presentation was exceptional and I thoroughly enjoyed it. My husband had the lamb chops, which he said was excellent. The best thing about Whispers is that it is consistently good. We look forward to returning for another A+ dinner soon. read more

Elegant and upscale, Whispers knows how to do it right. The setting in a quaint Victorian is just perfect! We shared the organic baby arugula salad with grilled peaches, roasted pecans, and goat cheese. It was delicious. The server even plated it separately. For dinner I had the ancho grilled jumbo shrimp with English cucumber slaw. The shrimp were cooked perfectly and the slaw was amazing. It even included watermelon radish. My dining companion had the crab cakes with chick peas and roasted peppers. I had a taste and they were very good. Dessert was cappuccino, which came with a rock candy stick. We also shared strawberries with sponge cake and mascarpone. It was scrumptious. The little niceties like the individual warm rolls, linen tablecloths and napkins just heightened the experience. We really appreciate the professionalism of our server Jenn. Thank you! We will return. read more

Admittedly, we are not Whispers regulars and this was the first time my husband and I visited since the pandemic began. We understand that the restaurant industry is hurting, and also that Whispers has a steady local following. I write this with the hope that it will be accepted as constructive criticism. Our salads were quite small, but satisfactory. My chef's specialty entree, grilled shrimp over fettuccine in pesto sauce, was very good. My husband's filet mignon was tough and chewy, and certainly not the quality we expected from Whispers. Whether the meat had out-lived its viability in the freezer or was just poor quality, I don't know. It surely wasn't worthy of this menu and the prices they garner. We didn't complain to our server, who was quite busy trying to keep pace with service to her tables, and we weren't looking for the entree to be removed from our bill. Also, we looked for a manager or the hostess who seated us to suggest they quality-check the filet, but they were no where to be found. During this time of re-starting and raising menu prices, we wish Whispers well. We just ask for an equal ratio of quality to price. read more

This was truly a wonderful delight for News Years Eve.... on a very busy night we were seated at our scheduled reservation... service was impeccable... our dinner started with a complimentary bruschetta.... my wife & I like to order different things & then share... my first course was a grilled shrimp with English cucumber slaw and a lemon basil pesto sauce, hers a homemade ravioli stuffed with short ribs and a mushroom truffle sauce... entrees were lobster for me and a ny strip steak for her... dessert was a fruit tart & an apple strudel both with vanilla ice cream..... this was fine dining at its best in a romantic atmosphere.... as other people said it was pricey but for New Year's Eve well in line... being a byob this was quite a saving over other establishments.... will really hope we can visit again in the future read more

We were so excited to spend our Mother's Day dinner here, but left within 45 minutes. We arrived for our 5:45 reservation to a hostess who was, frankly, blunt and uninterested in our presence. He told us "we still have people eating, so go wait in there for a little". We walked to the front entrance where another family was waiting. We chatted about with other waiting guests, for 40 minutes, not hearing a single word from the hostess about our table status. Didn't even offer us waters or anything while we wait. We asked at about 6:15 if there was an update, and one of the hostess responded "that's not my job, wait another 5 minutes". We ended up waiting until 6:30, at which point the guests who we were talking to - who had a reservation at 6 but got there before us - were seated. We were very dissatisfied considering our reservation was before their's, and when we asked them why they were sat before us, they simply said "they got here before you" - what is the point of a reservation? All in all, we could have probably waited an hour for our table if the hostess or any worker came up to us, gave us updates, and treated us with kindness; instead we were left in the dark, with no consideration for our reservation made on a special day. Again, we would have gladly waited if the employees seemed to give a morsel of compassion or care, but everyone working here seemed stuck up and acted like they cared about nothing but the time they got off their shift. Went to Tap House for takeout dinner instead and had a lovely time with family and friends. Recommend Tap House over this place any day. read more