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Doug Chin

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Napa River Grill (Bad Meal , Very Bad Meal!

by Doug Chin » Fri Apr 06, 2007 12:05 am

This had to be one of the most disappointing meals.
I started off with soup special Cream of Broccoli which was spicy but overpower with salt. Almost seemed to come from a can.

My entrée was the Pacific Coast Snapper
Snapper, bay scallops, rock shrimp and central valley vegetables baked in parchment, basmati and Himalayan red rice 23.95
The fish was a very small piece (Little over ¼ lb), with the smallest scallops (4each) you could buy about ¼ inch diameter and the shrimp (4each) were about the same size. There was very few strands of vegetables cooked with the fish. There was no seasoning, very bland and overcooked. To top it off there was a juiceless half of lemon I could not squeeze a teaspoon of juice from.
There was about a ½ cup of bland (No seasoning at all) Himalayan rice that accomplished the fish. The name sound good but Rice-a-Roni would have had better seasoning

I had better baked fish yesterday at Mike linings for 4th of the cost of this entree.
Could it get worse? Yes, then I had the Carrot Cake which was a large

spice cake muffin (stale) which was very dry and again bland. It did come with a scoop of ice cream which gave the cake some moisture.

I had one glass of wine, the best part of the meal. Plus they brought out a small iron skillet of cold corn bread.
Their dishes read well on the menu with exciting descriptions, but the taste and presentation is the pits.
The server was good but could not make up for a meal that totaled $46.54.
Doug Chin
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John Mayhugh

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by John Mayhugh » Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:26 am

I hope you complained. Your experience was completely different from any that I've had. All my meals there have been very good.
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Robin Garr

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by Robin Garr » Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:31 am

John Mayhugh wrote:I hope you complained. Your experience was completely different from any that I've had. All my meals there have been very good.


For what it's worth, I've consistently found Napa River Grill excellent over the long haul.
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Linda C

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by Linda C » Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:32 am

we were there last week and it was excellent. they have the best calamari in town
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Doug Chin

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by Doug Chin » Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:50 am

I did not complain, but I am going to e-mail them. I normally will not make a complaint during the meal. I feel most restaurants feel all you want is a free meal and if the meal was bad on the first try, it's hard for me to give them a second chance especially when you pay $50 for a meal.
And when they give you a free meal, of course they are going to make sure everything is just right.
I have read nothing but great reviews on the forum. That is why I was so disappointed on the meal.
Doug Chin
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Will Crawford

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by Will Crawford » Fri Apr 06, 2007 10:26 am

It is really important to tell the management right away when a meal is not right. That way they can fix the problem and make sure it does not happen again. We all want our customers to have a great experience but some times things happen. Mentioning it here should follow the notification to the restaurant. just my two cents.

Will
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Melissa Richards-Person

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Always had good Napa River experiences

by Melissa Richards-Person » Fri Apr 06, 2007 10:32 am

Wow! That doesn't seem really fair, now does it? The meal did not meet your expectations, and you had specific issues, but you didn't let the restaurant know to address it that day with the kitchen staff on duty....there are a million small things that could have added up to the meal coming out of the kitchen being disappointing to you, and I don't know a restauranteur who did not want to be able to hear from a diner with specific concerns, look at who was in the kitchen, and determine if there was something he or she needed to address.

Instead they are going to receive an e-mail several days later and have to figure out who was in the kitchen staff that day, possibly address it with them (or not, because it may simply be too late) and not be able to taste any of the food themselves to see if they shared your assessment. I don't run a restaurant, but to me, THAT seems more like someone looking for a free meal than sharing a deliberate concern.

I'm not trying to flame or criticize you, I am just trying to share another perspective. I know that complaining in person can be uncomfortable, but if you complement the wine and the service (as you did in your post) I don't know an owner or manager serious about running a business that wouldn't have regarded it as a genuine concern, and want the opportunity to BOTH make it right for you, and investigate the root cause so that he or she can prevent the same experience for other diners. When human beings are cooking the food, there is room for both brilliance and error.

Just my 2 1/2 cents, take it with what you will.
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robert szappanos

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by robert szappanos » Fri Apr 06, 2007 3:15 pm

I will add an extra half cent to your comments...You should complain on the spot not later also you should compliment on the spot also.... :o :o
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Linda C

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by Linda C » Fri Apr 06, 2007 6:57 pm

I knew someone would tell you how you did everything wrong.Some people in the industry think diners should always know what to do. Your comment about complaining/free stuff, etc. makes perfect sense. I am not comfortable complaining. I figure if I do, someone in the kitchen might spit on it. I think you have every right to discuss the negatives. If you were a food reviewer, like our host, he would have not complained, but written a review. That's all you are doing here.
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robert szappanos

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by robert szappanos » Fri Apr 06, 2007 7:07 pm

No I think the post are telling what they would do.....It is important to complain as it is to compliment when dining out....If you dont tell them they will not know....
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Shane

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by Shane » Fri Apr 06, 2007 7:16 pm

My name is Shane Hall General Manager of Napa River Grill. Doug I would like to apologize for your experience last night. It is our goal at Napa to insure that every guest has an exceptional experience and we fell very short with you. I do appreciate your comments as this helps me to manage my business. Each issue that you stated has been discussed with my Executive Chef and Sous Chefs and they have taken the necessary actions to correct these issues. Thank You.
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by Linda C » Fri Apr 06, 2007 7:17 pm

He said he was writing an email. If he complained, they would not have changed the size of the seafood nor the seasoning, would they? I complained at (unnamed restaurant) a few months ago, and was sorry I did because the manager came out and everybody was staring, etc. I hated that. But my waiter agreed that I ordered the wrong thing and lots of people complained about it, LOL!
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robert szappanos

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by robert szappanos » Fri Apr 06, 2007 7:27 pm

That would not bother me a bit...You are paying for the meal...If it is not to your liking let them know....If it is let them know that also....
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Vanessa Wilson

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Re: Napa River Grill (Bad Meal , Very Bad Meal!

by Vanessa Wilson » Sat Apr 07, 2007 6:36 am

Doug Chin wrote:This had to be one of the most disappointing meals.
I started off with soup special Cream of Broccoli which was spicy but overpower with salt. Almost seemed to come from a can.

My entrée was the Pacific Coast Snapper
Snapper, bay scallops, rock shrimp and central valley vegetables baked in parchment, basmati and Himalayan red rice 23.95
The fish was a very small piece (Little over ¼ lb), with the smallest scallops (4each) you could buy about ¼ inch diameter and the shrimp (4each) were about the same size. There was very few strands of vegetables cooked with the fish. There was no seasoning, very bland and overcooked. To top it off there was a juiceless half of lemon I could not squeeze a teaspoon of juice from.
There was about a ½ cup of bland (No seasoning at all) Himalayan rice that accomplished the fish. The name sound good but Rice-a-Roni would have had better seasoning

I had better baked fish yesterday at Mike linings for 4th of the cost of this entree.
Could it get worse? Yes, then I had the Carrot Cake which was a large

spice cake muffin (stale) which was very dry and again bland. It did come with a scoop of ice cream which gave the cake some moisture.

I had one glass of wine, the best part of the meal. Plus they brought out a small iron skillet of cold corn bread.
Their dishes read well on the menu with exciting descriptions, but the taste and presentation is the pits.
The server was good but could not make up for a meal that totaled $46.54.
Doug Chin
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carla griffin

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by carla griffin » Sat Apr 07, 2007 8:14 am

Since we have so many restaurant owners reading this forum, what is the best way to fairly and objectively register a complaint? I would have been inclined to drop them an email as Doug did as well. I am reluctant to say anything to the food server or manager UNLESS I can do it out of earshot of other tables. Perhaps it's silly but I wouldn't want my bad experience to influence someone else's dinner. That doesn't seem fair to the restaurant.
So what's the ideal way to to do this? :?:
Carla
There is one thing more exasperating than a wife who can cook and won't, and that's a wife who can't cook and will. ~Robert Frost
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