Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Don't Believe What You See On TV

I’m a fan of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” on the Food Network. The host is a guy named Guy Fieri. He’s a bit weird looking, but funny.

I’ve decided that whomever chooses where he goes needs to do a bit more homework and that whomever stages the segment is really good.

I just watched a show that featured the Marietta Diner. It’s on US-41 Northwest of Atlanta. On the show it looked great, the food appetizing, everyone there, customers and staff, was happy and friendly.

In reality, it’s overpriced and the service is terrible, given my three or four visits. My last time there was a couple of weeks ago for lunch on my way back from the Cobb County Court House.

As I walked from the parking lot, I realized I had no change to buy a newspaper. I sat at the counter. And sat. And sat. A waitress finally came over (after having stood at the other end of the counter talking to someone, overtly not looking my way). “What do you want?” I had my dollar bill in my hand. “Coffee, and could I get four quarters for a newspaper?” “You’ll have to go over there (gesturing vaguely towards the cashier as she walked away).”

So I walked over to the cashier and waited in line for a couple of minutes for my quarters, went outside, got my newspaper and sat down. My coffee was there, after having sat in the warmer for, in my best estimate, an hour too long.

I waited another five or so minutes. During that time, another waitress, used to using that part of the counter as a staging area, stood there looking over my head, talking to the busboy and putting doggy bag Styrofoam on top of my newspaper. I moved my newspaper. “Oh, sorry, I’m not used to someone sitting here.”

My waitress came back. “What do you want?” “I’ll have the pork chop special.” She walked away before I could ask her to change out the stale coffee.

Long wait. She was still talking at the other end of the counter, studiously not looking my way.

She approached and slammed down my lunch, never looking at me and walking back to the other end of the counter. I looked at my lunch. It did include the menu advertised mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables, but not a pork chop to be found. Instead it had what appeared to be brisket chunks in a tomato sauce.

You know what’s coming next. I looked forlornly down the length of the counter as she ignored me. I had to be somewhere soon so I started eating what I hadn’t ordered. Not real good, but it was edible.

Next time, I’m going to time my visits with the Food Network crew. Oh, I left a decent tip and still can’t figure out why.

7 comments:

Posol'stvo the Medved said...

You left a decent tip because you're a decent guy. No sense sinking to their level of mediocrity.

Hedy said...

You left a tip? Jeez, Dave. As if that poor waitress needed to be demeaned anymore, working at that over-rated lunch counter. :)

Lifehiker said...

You have far more patience than I, Dave. Ignore me once, OK. Ignore me twice, out the door. No need to leave a tip if you never got served. But patience is a virtue, they say.

fermicat said...

Guilt?

SonjaB said...

Too sad. We really like DD&D. Nice of you to leave a tip. Husband wouldn't have. In fact he would have walked out after the initial wait.

Unknown said...

I've been going to lunch at Marietta Diner with Cobb County government co-workers for the past 4 years. The service has always been top-notch and the food has been excellent and reasonably priced.

I've also been there late at night and at odd times when nothing else is open (Christmas Eve, etc.) and even with the packed house, we received good service and great food.

This place does a thriving business with hundreds of repeat customers. If it were as bad as you say, the diner couldn't survive.

Perhaps you just caught them on a bad day.

Dave said...

Linda, and the regulars,

Linda, thanks for stopping by.

As to the tip and guilt subjects, I really don't know why I left the tip and didn't say anything to management. My head was wandering around the case that I'd just filed and the appointment that I had to go to. As Linda says, she/they may have been having a bad day. My description of my visit is the, by far worst visit I've had there. My other meals weren't terrible, but they weren't great.

Linda, if you get inside the Perimeter, try Pot 'n Pan for lunch or breakfast. Much cheaper, not gourmet; but, great service. And, there are some great restaurants on The Square.