The server, Tish, was awesome. Super nice. We had a great time and food was great! The people at the cafe were super. Thank you
My experience at the Hard Rock Cafe was one of the most disappointing I have encountered, despite having visited many locations across the US and Europe. To begin with, our server was quite unfriendly and seemed bothered by our presence. I typically prefer to give the benefit of the doubt, as I have worked in the restaurant industry myself.
We visited on a relatively quiet Thursday evening after a long day at the aquarium and children’s museum with our children, aged 5 and 7. It took approximately 15 minutes for our server to greet us at the table, and when she finally did, her demeanor was not welcoming. My children were becoming hangry, so I apologized for their change of mind regarding their pizza order, but she did not acknowledge my apology.
I also requested chocolate milk for the kids, only to be informed that they were out of milk. After some deliberation, I had them select an alternative, and once again, I apologized for the inconvenience, but our server remained unresponsive and did not apologize for the lack of a basic drink option for children.
While trying to keep my children entertained, I asked for crayons for the kids’ menu, but was told they were out of those as well. When my food arrived, I realized I did not have any silverware. Rather than bother our server for it once more since we already seemed to be a bother for her, I had to retrieve some from another table myself.
Our server seemed to become slightly more attentive about 3/4 of the way through our meal, but it felt too little, too late. We did leave a tip, but had she treated us with more kindness throughout our visit and had the facility had the necessary items in stock, I would have gladly tipped her between 25% or more. I believe in rewarding servers who are kind and helpful, especially given my own experience in the industry.
While I understand that everyone can have a bad day, we were tired and hungry and had been more than apologetic for any inconvenience we may have caused. Unfortunately, her behavior was unpleasant and, quite frankly, a little rude.
I’ll also add that this was my mother-in-law’s first ever experience with a Hard Rock Cafe and I am not sure if she will ever visit another. The food was good as always, but the experience was very much lacking.