to say, I don't miss too many meals, especially good ones.
Ninety-nine percent of the time I'm easy to please. Besides, often I go to my favorite restaurants
and know what I like the most on the menu of that particular restaurant.
Back in the day, in my culinary world in the USA, I had many la-de-da meals and can't remember one
that wasn't delicious. But, you can give me a good breakfast or delicious reuben and I'm happy too.
Fast forward to last week. I was invited to lunch at the Rosewood. I had not been there in many years since they first opened. That time too was an invitation. I was going with anticipation to see
what their lunch menu was, how the presentation was, what the prices were and lastly, but not leastly,
how was the service along with the tastiness of the meal.
They failed on all counts. ALL. Once we finally got a menu, the prices were eye popping even for a bowl of Sopa Azteca or a salad or two Baja tacos! There were three other tables of people in the whole restaurant as we arrived at 1PM. Finally we got our iced tea and lemonade. Then it was much longer until we received our order of Baja tacos for my friend and Sopa Azteca for me.
I must tell you I have never seen or tasted soup that did not taste at all as it should. It was more like a tomato soup with crushed and shredded toasted tortillas on top. I ate a bit, but not much. Highly unusual for me. At a cost of 145 pesos for a bowl of soup, I hated to waste it but it was not edible.
My friend only ate one of her tacos. The waiter did not come back to refresh our drinks so we could not ask him to remove the dishes we were not eating. In fact, it was about 45 minutes before we received a dessert of a bowl of ice cream that we ordered to share. The service was non-existent.
Two hours and ten minutes after arriving, we were leaving hungry. To add insult to injury, I presented my valet parking ticket to be stamped and the waiter informed me that we had stayed ten minutes longer then the free valet parking and would have to pay for another hour of valet parking.
No, we did not say a word. We paid around 700 pesos for the tacos, the soup and two drinks and ice cream. We left and as we got in my car, we both swore we would never return to dine there.
There are so many excellent grand, elegant, simple and tasty restaurants in and around San Miguel that truly I'm still shocked at the experience we had at Rosewood. Obviously it is a "tourist" restaurant and they don't care if you ever return!
Be forewarned.
10 comments:
One thing that perplexes (is that a word?) me are the Trip Advisor restaurant reviews. I realize different people have different tastes, but I can't understand how some places get raves and you get there and the stuff is awful. Were the reviewers drunk? Did the owner write the review? As far as the Rosewood, we've eaten there a couple of times and the food/service was unremarkable either way.
Wow! I'm sorry to hear about your worst meal. That is not what I've experienced there but I have not eaten there in ... maybe, over a year?
When we first visited SMA we stayed at an AirBnB near the Rosewood. I had breakfast there maybe five times. Excellent service and good food (mostly fruit, coffee and some bread / pastries). But, excellent service. We were coming from the California Bay Area so nothing in SMA seemed expensive but I don't recall the prices.
We've been there since and had breakfast (great food including egg dishes) and lunch. As I recall, lunch was nice. Service has always been great.
I had an awful experience there as well. I took visiting friends - the first time I'd been there as well - and the service, food, and cocktails were so bad we got up after a few sips and bites, paid, and went elsewhere to eat and enjoy what was left of the evening. An expensive lesson, but well learned. I'll never go back either.
I have received several private emails from FB readers who have had similar experiences.
Several said I should have asked for the manager. I would have if I had been paying the bill. But, I did not know, until after we had left the restaurant that my friend was as displeased as I was..........
I think it is always good to politely let it be known when you are unhappy and try to rectify the situation then. I usually do that in a very circumspect manner.
When I was designing restaurants, I always suggested that with their table tents that they also have comment cards. A great way, if someone doesn't want to resolve it at that moment, for it to be resolved by management at a later date.
Maybe with the new ownership a few years ago there was a change in the restaurant. I don't know. But, I do want you to know I have never written a negative blog about an establishment before. It WAS that bad!
Thanks for all of your feedback.
Oops, I forgot to comment on Al's comment. I don't read Trip Advisor and would probably never think to check that before going anywhere. I prefer asking friends, etc. or just going. I don't know how they get their comments.
I understand the circumstances that you did not address the meal issues at that time. However there is nothing worrying with calling asking to speak to management or even the owner and mentioning your particular situation with them. They do need to be enlightened as to what is happening.
We will be there in September and have been told to just order a beer on the rooftop for the view....I have a list of other places .... to have a good meal;-) . I hope we are not disappointed!
Lunch at 1pm? And you have lived in Mexico how long?
Clete, I don't understand your question. I have comida from 1-2 and then siesta from 3-4. Comida, other then coffee in the morning, is the only meal I eat all day and do not have an evening meal.
I have been doing business and/or living in Mexico since 1974~
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