A bad experience at Carrabbas? (Roanoke, Cana: construction, to live, restaurants)

[roanokers]

Has any one else had an experience like this at Carrabba's in Roanoke?

We had eaten at Carrabba's twice before, and had pretty good experiences each time. Because of the economy and high gas prices, we were waiting for a very special occassion to go out to dinner. Our anniversary was this weekend so we planned a very special day that was to culminate in a very nice evening out to dinner for our whole family. From the beginning I felt that the meal was going wrong when our heavily eyeshadowed server forgot our bar drinks and the extra napkins for our 2 year old who kept spilling milk. Every two minutes she would casually stroll by and ask us how we were doing, but she would forget what we asked for as soon as she got away from the table.

Mistakes happen but this was just the beginning. Our kids food came out, then when they were done eating she told my wife that she could bring her food, but mine would be just another "minute". That minute turned into about 20 minutes complete with two table visits from the manager. My food arrived after my family was done eating, and the server never even offered more that a trite apology. I watched the service that she gave her adjoining tables, and in comparison what we recieved was meager indeed. As a former waiter myself, I was blown at away at the way we were treated. I will never eat there again. Next time we will eat at Abuelo's next door or Olive Garden.

[headnsouth]

Sorry about your experience, there are plenty of good restaurants around, I like to discover good local ones.

Happy anniversary! =)

[Diamond Dave]

I'm having trouble justifying eating out these days. I don't find satisfaction in dropping $30 (we're cheap) to eat in a crowded room with a bunch of other people.

I think the best service I get anywhere--Roanoke or otherwise--is from the "El Rodeo"-type Mexican restaurants with the numbered menus and the all-Hispanic staff. They just seem to try harder. Also, I've gotten good service at Luigi's on Brambleton (for a nice Italian dinner), and the kids at Grace's pizza in Grandin Village hustle for you. The kitchen is slow, though.

[roanokers]

Originally Posted by Diamond Dave

I'm having trouble justifying eating out these days. I don't find satisfaction in dropping $30 (we're cheap) to eat in a crowded room with a bunch of other people.

I think the best service I get anywhere--Roanoke or otherwise--is from the "El Rodeo"-type Mexican restaurants with the numbered menus and the all-Hispanic staff. They just seem to try harder. Also, I've gotten good service at Luigi's on Brambleton (for a nice Italian dinner), and the kids at Grace's pizza in Grandin Village hustle for you. The kitchen is slow, though.

"I think the best service I get anywhere-the "El Rodeo"-type Mexican restaurants with the numbered menus and the all-Hispanic staff. They just seem to try harder."

This statement is very disturbing to me. Whether a restaurant has an all hispanic staff or not should not matter. I've eaten at these establishments at not been satisfied with the service or the food. Whether they are hispanic or not makes me no difference. This makes me think of other stereotypes that I have heard over the years, we should choose our words more carefully.

[amanda757]

man I didnt take that remark that way at all, and my son is hispanic....

it was just her opinion of the staff at the resturant (at least thats what it seemed) just like she said the "kids" at the pizza place hustled for you.....

we are just so critical these days and must pick apart what we type even if it isnt meant to offend anyone

[seanpecor]

The world would be a better place if we were all a little less sensitive. My mother was born on an indian reservation in Canada and I don't get all haired out over the Washington Redskins If someone calls me Chief I take it as a compliment

I've had similar experiences as Diamond Dave has although I would describe it as more a cultural difference. I've lived other examples outside of restaurants too. When I was in my early twenties I worked at a bread factory and there were two break rooms. All of the U.S. born folks had breaks in one room. The other break room was preferred by the factory bakers who were mostly Russian born. I hated being in the U.S. break room because all those bat fastards would do was complain about their working conditions, or how little they made, etc etc. The bakers had it twice as bad (oh my god, it was a rough gig) and during breaks they'd be laughing and joking.

Another example was a family owned seasonal meat processing plant in Vermont. The farm would try to hire U.S. workers but they'd have the worst time finding locals and many would call in "sick" at least once a week. More than one quit mid-season because, oops, if they worked for another paycheck they would lose their state support (huh?). So now once apple picking season is over about 14 Jamaican dudes truck over to the plant and work for another six weeks before returning to Jamaica. They never call in sick, they work as hard as hell, and they do it while joking around. The same group comes back every year and to the farm owners they're almost like family.

When you grow up in near third world conditions, irregardless of your skin color, you are hardened and when you arrive in the U.S., the hard jobs aren't "too hard". But this isn't a genetic thing and has nothing to do with skin color. I know folks in the construction industry in NoVA who are now hiring 2nd generation U.S. born young Hispanics who are just as fat and lazy and gameboy addicted as the average 10th generation suburban black, white, red or yellow kid

Sean

[headnsouth]

Originally Posted by roanokers

This statement is very disturbing to me. Whether a restaurant has an all hispanic staff or not should not matter. I've eaten at these establishments at not been satisfied with the service or the food. Whether they are hispanic or not makes me no difference. This makes me think of other stereotypes that I have heard over the years, we should choose our words more carefully.

I read it more as a comparison against national chains like taco bell or whatever, where the people cooking/serving the food (e.g., local teens) have nothing to do with the kind of food it is (Italian, Tex-Mex, etc.)

[j1n]

Originally Posted by Diamond Dave

I think the best service I get anywhere--Roanoke or otherwise--is from the "El Rodeo"-type Mexican restaurants with the numbered menus and the all-Hispanic staff. They just seem to try harder. Also, I've gotten good service at Luigi's on Brambleton (for a nice Italian dinner), and the kids at Grace's pizza in Grandin Village hustle for you. The kitchen is slow, though.

I agree. I haven't hit an El Rodeo yet, but our local Mexican place is great...absolutely some of the very best food (of any kind) I've had in 11 months in VA. Plus, they are cool guys and offer great service. And the margaritas are insane.
I think those guys do try harder. I think they are truly good folks...humble...and grateful to live somewhere where you can actually make money for hard work. I'd hazard a guess that many of the local whitebread kids are probably pissed that they even have to have a job, and probably couldn't care less about what kind of service they give the customer.

[headnsouth]

Originally Posted by j1n

I'd hazard a guess that many of the local whitebread kids are probably pissed that they even have to have a job, and probably couldn't care less about what kind of service they give the customer.

Hmmm. I think that's unfair.

Some people are not customer-service oriented. White, hispanic, black, young, old, single, raising families, whatever. People are people.

As we become more and more a service economy, more and more non-service-oriented people are going to have to be in service jobs. And some of those workers resent it. Whether they're white, hispanic, black, young, old, single, raising families, whatever.

[Diamond Dave]

Originally Posted by roanokers

Whether a restaurant has an all hispanic staff or not should not matter.

That's true, and yet, I get better service at the Mexican place on the corner of Brambleton and 419 (which seems to have an all-Hispanic staff) than I did at Fork in the Alley last weekend, where the white teenage girls that worked there seemed very disinterested.

My son is from Central America, by the way, so let's just leave the righteousness at the door, shall we?