Windows on the River

Jackson Lundquist

2 years ago

★★★★★

TL;DR: Outrageously priced food inconsistently and slowly served by uncaring staff, kept afloat only by its presence in the Holiday Inn and on the Riverwalk. Do not go here. I spent a four-day stay at the Holiday Inn to be able to stay downtown while family visited and visited this restaurant three times in my visit. For context, I have extreme dietary restrictions, and can only eat certain types of food. One of the foods I’m able to eat is French fries. While I had food in my room, I thought it’d be nice to try and get some fries for myself. I went down to the restaurant, and was confused when I saw the location empty. This restaurant does not have seating a few nights of the week. A bar is tended by one staff member on and off, and orders are sometimes taken. After waiting in the empty restaurant for about five minutes, I placed an order with a staff member. The fries were $6, which is robbery, but I decided to gamble and try it. I waited about 15 minutes for the lady to bring my fries out in a plastic bag and container. When I got back to my room and opened the container, all of the fries were extremely undercooked. I was only able to stomach a few, and ended up tossing the rest. Two nights later, I was tired, and wanted to give the restaurant another chance. I placed an order with a staff member with a thick beard. This time, I asked for the fries extra crispy, in hopes that it would fix the cooking issue. He balked at me like he’d never heard anyone ask that before. I clarified a few different ways before he understood what I meant. About a 25 minute wait later(!), he came out with the same plastic bag and the same container. I decided to inspect the fries before going back up to my room, and they looked good. Even though I waited nearly half an hour, this was my best experience. By far the most frustrating came my last visit, where I had renewed faith in the restaurant. I went down and ordered fries at the same lectern with the same gentleman. I did not have to clarify what “extra crispy” meant this time, which was nice. I waited about 20 minutes this day for my order, but was confused when he walked towards me with a way smaller bag. I opened it up and saw that the container that my fries were in was about a third of the size of what it should’ve been. Immediately after handing off my food, the server went to tend the bar, so I waited in line to be spoken to. When he finally got to me, he insisted that the box was the same size. I told him it clearly was not, and he then said that the portion was the same. I could tell it was not. After fighting with him, he finally took my order back, and about five minutes later came out with it in the same box from the other nights. When I opened the box up, it was about a third full, unlike the other nights where it’d been totally full. I did not want to fight with this guy anymore, so I took my food and went upstairs. After these experiences, I wanted to speak with a manager. After a bit of confusion and an overnight wait, I learned Juan was the manager to speak to. Juan came out about two or three minutes after I asked for him, the shortest I’d had to wait for anything in my three visits here. I spoke with him about the issues, and he responded saying that’s not how he wants his restaurant run. Rather than offer to refund the orders, or at least discount the one that was a third of its size, he offered me a comped drink or dinner. I don’t drink, and after my multiple bad experiences I didn’t have faith that a fourth order of fries would be done correctly, so I declined and thanked him for his time. Overall, with the exception of Juan’s customer skills, this restaurant operates at an unacceptable level. I doubt it will ever get better, though, because I didn’t read the reviews. I doubt anyone will. Most people will see a “restaurant in the hotel,” and go based off that. Plus, this restaurant is on the riverwalk, so it has an in-built tourist audience. There will never be improvement, because there will never be incentive. Do not come here ever.

Tom S

2 years ago

★★★★★

Excellent breakfast and service. Try the 3-egg omelette. Nice views of the river.

M. M.

2 years ago

★★★★★

Incredibly average food. Salad was a bagged cabbage and iceberg mix with some overcooked meat on it for 18$. The gal working here was super sweet and the view overlooks the river walk.