After the wine flights at Gracie's last Wednesday we thought we'd give their neighbor a try for a quick diner, so we went next door to Cuban Revolution to grab a sandwich before heading home. Needless to say it was quite a radical change from the Gracie's atmosphere of smooth jazz and warm vibes to very loud noise, lots of energy and marginally controlled chaos. (Note that this is the one downcity, not the one at Olneyville Square.)In a nutshell the restaurant was a big disappointment. Food was so-so, a very skimpy "Cuban" sandwich that seemed to lack all of the ingredients, whereas Susan's wrap seemed to have been stuffed with just about everything imaginable. Sweet potato fries were soft and mushy, and, we thought, quite overpriced ($4 for a small dish).
But it was the service that was by far and away the worst part of the dinner.
Our server was a young woman who had no idea what she was doing or how to do it. She didn't know the menu, failed to bring us water when asked for, failed to put in our complete order (dropped the fries apparently) and this was all capped off when she presented us with two different bills! The check itself was for $27 and change, while the credit card receipt was for more than $44. Hmmm, that was curious I thought. Still, I'm not sure who to blame here: the poor server working her tail off, blissfully unaware of how she is botching so much along the way, or the management that put her there in the first place. Odd.
Anyway, I recall restaurants we've been to in the past, in particular a place called Charley's Crab in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where when a customer had a problem, it was either gone or not paid for. Or management would deal with it directly and do something to say to the customer, "Hey, we're sorry, mistakes do happen but here's a dessert" or whatever to ensure that you'll come back.
Frankly, there's too much damn good food in Providence to waste one's time on this sort of attitude. I don't think we'll be going back to Cuban Revolution anytime soon. Not until they overthrow the present regime anyway. . .
1 comment:
I'm glad someone else agrees with me on Cuban Revolution. I went there after its awards, rave reviews, and the fact that it's freaking listed on Gayot! I know traditional Cuban food is kind of bland, but that's no excuse. Kick it up a notch. Oh, and you'd think they'd know how to make a real cubano, and not just espresso with syrup. Pah!
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