Normally, I would have given Bagel Palace FOUR STARS. However, what occurred today, Sunday, August 5 forced me to give the restaurant two stars.
At approximately 12:30p.m. today, my fiance and I came to the Bagel Palace, which was busy as usual. We were greeted by a woman named SUE, who asked us for the number of our party. We told her that there were TWO of us, and weasked to sit in Jim's section. She nodded and said "okay", went to the downstairs section and came back -- saying that she thought a table was open. Unfortunately, a table was not open, so it "would be a few minutes".
A table came open in the main room (upstairs), so Sue led us to that table. As we walked toward the table, I said that we wanted to sit in Jim's section; because she did not acknowledge what I said, I asked my fiance to ask her directly.
As I sat down, my fiance turned to her -- so that they were face-to-face and asked if we were being seated in Jim's section because we wanted to have Jim as our waiter. SUE SAID "YES, IT IS."
Satisfied with this, my fiance sat down. Within a minute or so, a young woman came to our table and took our drink orders. When she returned, she attempted to take our food order. I asked her if Jim was going to be our waiter, since Sue acknowledged that she was seating us in Jim's section. The young woman looked confused and said that it was her section.
While the young woman was a pleasant waitress, my fiance and I wanted Jim to be our waiter. That Jim was NOT our waiter (we certainly would have waited for a table in his section to have come available) is the result of one of TWO possibilities on the part of SUE:
1) Sue lied to us
or
2) Sue did not listen to us
As regular Bagel Palace customers, Sue's behavior was unacceptable. Sue either lied to us or she did not listen...either action on HER part is inappropriate, particularly with regard to customers. If Sue will lie or fail to listen to regular customers such as ourselves, how will she treat people who are new to Bagel Palace?
Later, I passed by Sue and another waiter/waitress, and I heard Sue say, "No, they didn't ask to sit in Jim's section." I want to say right now that hearing this comment made me very angry. Essentially, Sue was calling me and my fiance liars, and I do not appreciate her desire to escape accountability and responsibility for the fact that she either LIED to us or PURPOSEFULLY DID NOT LISTEN TO OUR REQUEST.
With Sue as an employee, Bagel Palace has on staff someone who 1) does not listen to the customer, 2) pretends to hear what someone is saying and does what she chooses despite all requests, 3) lies about Bagel Palace customers, 4) does not acknowledge that she has responsibility and accountability as a staff person of Bagel Palace, and 5) clearly is unable to be open, honest and trustworthy with customers.
Because of this set of experiences with Sue, my brunch at Bagel Palace was quite negative and unappetizing. I do not trust Sue, and, if she is the hostess the next time that my fiance, friends and family come to Bagel Palace, I most certainly will make sure that we will have NO interaction with her whatsoever...and will ask to interact with someone trustworthy and honest, instead.
I ask that Bagel Palace reprimand Sue for her lies and her inability to listen to customers.
Sincerely,
-Anna Gonowon