I wish I could give no stars. Please read on.
I never review restaurants.
This is my first, ever. I made a special effort to find a place to review this...place.
I've worked in all capacities in a number of restaurants, and as an amateur chef am truly appreciative of other's efforts and hesitant to criticise.
Nonetheless, this place desparately needs a rap on the knuckles.
I'd use a 2x4 if I could.
We had a really great experience at brunch a few years ago. Once.
Although we waited a long time, the food was great ,and although the wait was irritating, the food was worth it. After that, not so much.
After that, the service at the Porthole at brunch has become...how does one say? Quirky? Indifferent? Forgetful? Contemptuous?
Previously, we have waited (and waited) to be served after we were seated, but we made excuses for the service. They're busy. It's a small restaurant. Yadda yadda yadda.
Time after time we've grown a little less patient, a little less forgiving. OK, we waited a long time to be served..OK, the food was lukewarm, OK, the server wasn't friendly (she's busy, after all...). Last Sunday was our last straw.
We waited to be seated (we expected that) for about 20 minutes.
What we didn't expect was a one and a half hour wait for our omelets. After all, 3 of us had ordered the same omelet ( a signature dish) and the other just fruit.
We were served coffee a mere 10 minutes after seating, and our server did finally come back an hour later (yes we asked other servers, but our's seemed to have disappeared, in spite of repeated inquiries, until then), to ask if we wanted more coffee. We asked her about our order (she appeared to be shocked) and she said," Um... sure. Should be up in 10 minutes."
Somehow, we had the feeling that she had forgotten about us until then. 30 minutes later, with my daughter complaining that she was really hungry, we decided to go back home and fix breakfast ourselves. We told our server, and she graciously said we didn't have to pay for our coffee, and then said to the cooks: "cancel the omelets."
My family and I will NEVER go back to the Porthole. We've had enough. May be OK for (very patient) tourists, but we've had it.
I have to add (at my wife's insistence), the we had an 18 month old baby girl with us. We kept her entertained and she didn't cause a problem, but my wife figured others might want to know.
If you value your time, love food well prepared , served promptly (and hot) you must avoid this trap at all costs.
Never thought I'd say this about one of my former favorite places, but enough is enough is too much.
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