Wednesday, August 30, 2006

My Review of the Capitol Club Restaurant?



From the moment I walked in and heard the Postal Service playing I really wanted to like this place.

It was my friend Shawn's Bday and he made reservations for 15 to 20 people. We showed up and the restaurant claimed that Shawn never made the reservations. Then they said the reservations were for the night before and we had messed up. I am pretty sure my friend knows his bday. The restaurant was absolutely empty so you would think they would be happy to have a huge group of people show up, but they were not.

They acted all bothered that had to deal with a big crowd and they started telling us how difficult it would be and how there would be a minimum of $500 for a group of 15. Then when it was time to order they were out of most items on the menu.

I ended up having the panini which turned out to be really good. So from what I can tell the food is decent but I was really disappointed with the service.

What has your experience been at the capitol club?

16 comments:

Unknown said...

Ouch!

I've always like the CC and also had my birthday party there and I reserved the blue room that only needs a $200 minimum.

On Tuesday nights they feature members of Children of the Revolution ... good!

jendajen said...

Ouch! is right... I've never been there, but I'm quite offended on your behalf that they felt the need to tell you how much you have to spend. I've been questioned about leaving a 15% tip for poor service in the past, and it did not inspire me to leave a higher gratuity; I instead opted to never patronise that establishment again. Charlie's on Broadway - in case you were curious.

In my opinion (as a former server, BTW) it is horribly rude to tell a customer what they "have to" spend. Particularly when they do not have what they advertise in the menu; they should have at least been more accomodating in other areas. A 15 top is stressful to a server, but that is 15 people who could be writing reviews like this one, 15 people with friends and descretionary income that probably will not be coming back. Though it is cool they were playing the Postal Service...

A said...

I had a bad experience at Charlie's at way with the food and have never been back.

Anonymous said...

Charlies is usually an overall bad experience...

Anonymous said...

I've been there a few times. I have the same opinion as you; decent food but really horrible service. Too bad really, nice location and cool decor... but the servers are a turn off. I've been back a few times though due to friends so I suppose I'm not that turned off.

Anonymous said...

Hey Alex its Ryan from Corvallis, OR on your Myspace. I'll have to remember to avoid that place when I am up there. Somebody ought to print this review page out and drop it in their mail slot or something.

Anonymous said...

Just because a restraunt is empty does not mean that there gonna be happy to see a group of 15-20 people. Get real man! i am a server and these are people who probablly were getting ready to get off early, had to stay late cause of your party, or who had allready had a rough day. Do you ever look at the other side of scenarios? or do you have blinders on?. If you are 100% sure ya booked it on the right day then yeah "one" person who probablly isn't there messed up, but ya do have a right to be angry. Just show a little compassion and try to lose the ignorance.

Cory
B.C Canada

Anonymous said...

Cory
It's still not an excuse and in my opinion how they handle a group of 15 people is what makes an amazing restaurant. I have worked many service jobs and continue to work service jobs, if I am in a bad mood you'll never see it went im with a client or customer. It's bad business.

Plus we were there way before closing so even after we left they still had another hour or two of being open. No excuse for crappy service.

I don't feel sorry for them because I have been there before and I always put the best service I can to the customer

Anonymous said...

Cory,

Ask the owners what they think about their server's having a rough day. That is a completely stupid excuse for giving bad service to any one customer, let alone 15!

Basically, the server has two options. Give bad service and get a shitty tip and/or get fired for pissing off 15-20 patrons, or give excellant service and get a le huge tip... and possibly overtime, a bonus, a raise and an excellant bullet point for a letter of reccomendation.

You choose.

Anonymous said...

Are you serious? do you really think a server cares wether they get your tip or not. Do not use a tip as a way to threaten a server, because a server does not care wether a table tips them or not. All i ask from you is that you see them as human beings. Can you honestly say you have never had a bad day? maybe you broke up with your bf that day, your mom dies, your hung over, sick, etc. Apparently your too ignorant to give anyone the benifit of the doubt. And ill tell ya another secret from working in restraunts, managers are former servers "usally" and they may look like they care, but behind the scenes they usally don't. A rough day is a bad excusse when a party of 15 walks in? are you kidding. Do you know how stressfull a party of 15 can be for a server?. It is so easy for you to sit there and say, well give good service and they will get a good tip from a party of 15, a bonus a raise you say. The ignorance is spewing out of your response. Try looking at everyone as people, if not i dont want you to EVER use having a rough day as an excusse for anything in your life cause apparently servers arent people.

Anonymous said...

One more thing! personally i try my hardest to give ervery customer good service, and it's really tough work. But situations arise where you just can't no matter how you try. And i know everyone at my restraunt are good people and they really try as hard as they can, and the abuse servers take from customers can be brutal mentally and emotionally. Iv seen sooo many servers in tears. Come on guys try thinking if it was you. I know ya say you would be perfect 100% of the time, but be honest were all human right?

Anonymous said...

Mistakes happen every day so we either decide to start blaming or looking to solve the problem. I don't think the restaurant was in the right by telling you that you might have booked the wrong date. Regardless of who is to blame, once the mistake is found just look at finding the solution. Not sure if this was the server or the host.

I also don't believe in rude servers. Just because you had a bad day doesn't mean you should "kick the dog"; take it out on your customers. Graciously apologize to the customers and do the best that you can. Most will understand.

Also servers do care about tip! That is their lively hood because most make less than $8/hr. and without tips they would be homeless.

Servers make or break the dining expierence. Great servers bring their own rewards because people tend to tip more when they feel fulfilled. They also come back.
Don't make one bad server/moment not allow you take come back and give them another chance espcially since the food was good.

Anonymous said...

Yes servers care about getting tips, but not every tip. We call it dirty money and we would rather not have it. But im glad you would at least give that server and restraunt another chance, understanding it "could" have been do to circmstances. If it happened again, all the power to ya to be pissed, cause obvioulsy the server just hates there job or has an attitude problem. I guess it's not even the server thing that made me mad, i just got the feeling from reading your article that it was another moment in life where someone wasnt given the benifit of the doubt. Anyways im putting this to bed. Take care

Cory
B.C. Canada

Anonymous said...

Cory,
Why would a customer care if the server is having a bad day? Bottom line is, I'm coming to eat food, even I don't pay you tips, you're supposed to give good service, that's a matter of being professinal, well, I can see how a server is never called professional. As a customer, there's no reason at all I should receive less than a good service because the server is having a bad day.
Seriously, if someone's mom dies, broke up with bf blah blah blah, maybe he/she should not go to work if that's an excuse for being a horrible server.
You think rough day is a good excuse for 15 people walk in?! Think of that 15 people have to stuck with your bad service and still have to pay for hundreds of dollars... are you kidding me?!! It's like pay to get beaten up. Maybe you're the one who should be less ignorant, cause the world is not only spinning because of you.
OF COURSE, i can definitely see why you are a server, cause having a bad day is not an excuse for not being "professional" or making mistake outside your own little world.

Anonymous said...

You totally proved my point. Your lack of comapssion and total disregard for peoples feelings is unbelievable. Yup "who cares if someone is having a bad day, i want my burger" real mature buddy. People try there hardest and once in a while there gonna have a bad day and slip up, and if you can't understand that then i hope your sourounded by people that go around kissing your ass all day, cause i would'nt want to live up to your expectations. If you have worked int he service industry and can honestly tell me you have given great service 100% of the time all time then i guess you believe everyone should be like you. But be honest whith yourself, "we all have bad days".

Anonymous said...

Maybe this is an american attitude, cause its not like this up here. People up here are kind to people in the service industry and do care if they are having a bad day. Of course we have the odd jerk that puts a server into tears, but this servant as opposed to server attitude isn't the same. Money over powers compassion i guess eh. And this will be my final entry here so i have to say iv probablly only have like 2 or 3 bad days where my head was so somewhere else that i couldnt give the best service. Everyone deserves a break. Yes, even you in whatever job you do, even though you may not believe it.

Cory