Very disappointed…and now PISSED!

This past weekend, we went to Mystic, CT for Mike’s birthday weekend.  We’re members of the Mystic Seaport Museum, and wanted to visit.  We also looked forward to trying their new restaurant, Latitude 41°, for Mike’s birthday dinner on Saturday night.

We arrived at the restaurant a little past 7:30PM.  We wanted to sit in the Tavern, but it was jam-packed.  So we went to the hostess station and asked for a table.  We were seated right away.

However, no one came over to greet us, pour us any water, take a drink order, nothing.  We sat there for almost half an hour, before we got frustrated and decided to leave.  We were afraid that there’d be a long wait for ANYTHING regarding this meal…a long wait for drinks if we ever did get to order them, a long wait for someone to take the food order, a long wait for a second drink, a long wait to get the check…you know what I mean!

So, we left.  I was angrier than Mike about this, and I was out the door before he was.  Apparently, after I was out the door, someone did come over, but it was too late, he said that we’d already decided to leave.  Oh, well.  I’m sorry, but first impressions DO matter, and being kept waiting for so long did not give us a good first impression of this very new place.

So we went someplace else, and had a nice dinner.  But I was still pissed, and emailed the Latitude place to express my concern.

This is what I got in return:

I was at Latitude41 on Saturday evening and noticed you enter the Tavern. I was also apprised by my server that you had ordered drinks and upon her return you had left. The server your husband encountered was a busser and had no idea of your dilemma.

My server did explain to me that you waited about 7min before she could get to your table and another 7 min for her to bring you your drinks however you had left…. See More

I am sorry you anticipated the entire evening would have been too long to give us a chance, for I believe if you had stayed you would have found that the food is exceptional and well worth the price and a short wait on a busy Saturday evening.

However as a long time Seaport member and a former employee of the Seamen’s Inn ( some 30 years ago) I would love for you to contact me upon your next visit as to be my guest for a belated birthday dinner. I assure you there will be no wait.
Additionally I saw your review on YELP, I printed it below, hopefully your next dining experience with us will overshadow that review.
Sincerely
David
Mr. David Griswold, Chief Operating Officer
The Coastal Gourmet Group
Office: (860) 572-1111 ext. 227
Cell: (860) 912-4971
www.coastalgourmetct.com

Oh, was I livid when I read this!  We NEVER ordered any drinks at all, because no one came to take the order.  If you know us, you know we are beer drinkers, and we had no idea as to what craft brews they had on tap, other than the Mystic Seaport Pale Ale (which is contract-brewed by Shipyard in Maine for the museum, it is available only in the Mystic, CT area).  Mike’s not into that beer, he would have ordered a Sam Adams Boston Lager, or something else…but we didn’t even know what else they had!  So how in the blue hell could we have ordered any drinks?  They might as well have claimed that they tried to sell us something completely out of the blue, like spa filters or something!

Seven minutes, MY ASS!  We left before anyone came to the table.  That’s the truth, that’s our story, and we are sticking to it!  If someone had really taken our drink order seven minutes after we were seated, and returned with the drinks seven minutes later, we would not have left.  We do cut places slack for being busy!  But waiting close to a half an hour and being ignored is just unacceptable!

I don’t like being accused of lying, and I don’t want to patronize any place where the staff lies to the boss to cover their own asses.  I don’t care if he wants to treat us to a free meal, I’m mad enough in that I never want to see that place again.

A shame, the food sounded really good.  But if they don’t get their shit together, they will not be around for long!