You know what I don’t like? When other black people assume they can skimp on being professional (in professional settings) just because I’m black. It’s like some people see me and think “whew, so glad I can relax and treat you like we’re cousins and just give you great customer service when I feel like it!”
Don’t get me wrong…I’m pretty sure that crappy servers give crappy service no mater the ethnicity. But, I always feel a special little suspicion that I am treated like a step-child because I’m black and they are too.
So, as you’ve probably guessed, this happened to me at Barclay Prime, a high-end Steven Starr steakhouse with an impressive décor and a $100 cheesesteak (you read it right…the cheesesteak is $100; at least it comes with some champagne, I guess).
Here is the rundown of Barclay Prime:
SPARKS:
- Very easy to make a reservation (we had a party of four) and a courteous hostess
- Coat check ran smoothly
- Our table of four actually had sofas instead of individual chairs for seats, which was really cool because I was there with my boo…lol! And they were really comfy!
- The noise level was awesome, even with a baby sitting at the table beside us (I had flashbacks of terrible plane rides with screaming kids…a better form of birth control than Ortho Tri Cylen…lol).
- The general manager is pretty awesome and very attentive. He came over and made cool small talk with us, which made us feel at home, which explains our 3.5 hour stay.
- From the previous SPARK, we never felt rushed throughout our long stay. We were actually one of the last groups there but didn’t realize it until we looked up!
FIZZLES:
- I only have one fizzle. As mentioned above, the first server we had was pretty terrible. He took our drink order and didn’t bring the drinks for at least 15 minutes (we’re talking water here) and didn’t take the time to go over the specials for the night, much less know what was on the regular menu. AND, even though my hubby clearly had sparkling water, he poured still water into his glass (I know, I know…it’s the definition of a first world problem but hey, that’s where we live).
So, I actually had to flag down the manager and, because he agreed with me, we were assigned another server. I forget her name but she was AWESOME and very attentive.
- Ok, I lied…I have two fizzles. The bathroom is unisex, meaning there are multiple stalls and a guy could be doing his business beside me. Much worse, I had to “freshen up” while there was some dude washing his hands because he did hisbusiness beside me. Hey, I’m progressive and all but dang, can’t some things be kept discreet?!
Again, I MUST mention the food was immaculate and no one had to send anything back. Absent the extraordinary bill, we will definitely return, without question!
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