A small complaint about my favorite DW restaurant .....

[Scrubjay]

....... my all time favorite restaurant is Ohana's. My family and I have been there twice and have enjoyed the food, drinks and atmosphere on both occasions. Our first visit ~6 years ago was as perfect as a meal experience could get. Our last visit which was Jan. 04 was very good but it left me a little disappointed. We had a late PS and the restaurant was relatively uncrowded. We were seated back in a corner behind the cooking area. Our waitress was fairly attentive and very nice but she would disappear for long periods of time even though it wasn't crowded. My favorite part of the meal is the shrimp and the other meats on the skewers and even though I saw alot of CMs making the rounds with skewers they never seemed to make it to our table. I had to repeatedly ask our waitress for shrimp, beef, etc. ........ hopefully this isn't coming off as too whiney but it did take alot away from the experience especially since I had been waiting about 6 years for this dinner ....... all that aside, I did eat my fill of everything I wanted ...... but unfortunately I spent most of the meal extremely aggravated. I must admit, however, that I can't wait to try Ohana's again. I think this time I will make an earlier PS and see if that makes a difference (our first visit was an early PS) .......... has anyone else had a similar experience at Ohana's?

 

[aimee11621]

We were there in July it was fairly uncrowded. EARLY MORNING (NO PS) I did notice the waitress did disappear for a very long time. While others were being served a second time.

By the time she came back to us we were tired of picking at the leftovers. We wanted more of the breakfast links. ( boy were they good my mouth waters just thinking about it). She came back with some of the breakfast items but not the links.

I didn't complain nor did anyone in my family. But, due to the atmosphere and the overall good mood we let it slide. Waited quite a bit for coffee refills too

 

[dreaminofdisney]

The same thing happened to us! We were seated behind the wall and she would just dissapear. The table next to us (large party of 10) was waited on hand and foot by their server. He kept coming with items for anouther round for them, when we hadn't even seen any shrimp yet. We kept waiting for things that never came to us. We ended up asking for some shimp and she never came with it. I was getting really upset (I don't care much for meat). To top it off the day had been way to long for our toddler and she was letting everyone know it was time to go. When our server came by we said we would just like our check, no desert, we really need to take our "way past bedtime and showing it" child home. She did not show her face for anouther 15 minutes. When she did, she still had no check instead she just asked us if we really didn't want our desert. What!!! My daughter was falling to the floor whinning to leave. NO WE DID'NT WANT OUR DESERT! PLEASE JUST BRING US OUR CHECK. We watched her hurry past us two more times. I had to ask her again for the check. URGHHH! I think around thrirty five minutes had passed from the time we had first asked for the check. I finally on her third time to pass us by again (with no check yet) stood up and just YELLED at her "Hey, Im serious we are leaving and want our check right now!" Everyone in the place just looked at us. I was now the one looking like a jerk. I never again will question why peaple act the way they do. All those people had no idea what our server had done to us to make me react that way. I mean come on, how many times do I have to ask for our check and how long should it take!! I have never been so mad at a server in all my life. It was the first time I left NO TIP!!! We ended up not saying anything to anyone because my daughter was the one throwing a huge fit as we left. I totally understood why. I wanted to be kicking and screeming and whining also. I never said anything to anyone, we couldn't put her thru waiting to complain to someone.

Wheh, sorry this was so long. It was good to vent about it finally. I did not hold it against the restauraunt and gave them anougher try on our next trip. I at that time mentioned to the CM at the podeum how dissapointed I was last time I was there and was hoping to not be seated behind the wall again. (Didn't want her section again!!!) It was perfect. Great table, great server, watched the fireworks and plan to go back again.

 

[jann1033]

the same thing happened to us also( mid jan, behind and to the right of the fire pit, next to the service entrance, in other words great seats ) and circumstance were 2 of us next to a table of 8-10, we were ignored, they were catered to! we had to practically trip our waiter to get any service because he was so busy kissing up to the bigger table. i thought at the time because obviously they would leave a bigger tip since their bill was 4 xs ours, however it really soured me toward the whole thing. it was one of our more expensive meals and i felt it just was not worth it

 

[Uncleromulus]

Just as an aside, that frequently happens at restaurants--the larger tables get fawned over, while the table for two gets indifferent attention, at best. The "cure" is--and many GOOD restaurants do this--is never allow a server to wait on tables of that varied size. Too much time is taken up by the larger groups, even if the server isn't salivating over the possible larger tip. Lots of times these larger groups are a pickle to handle--screaming for "more water", more tea", more bread, etc every time the server shows up. And when they bring the food out, it's amazing how many people seem to forget what they ordered---
One of the reasons why Uncleromulus wouldn't last more than an hour working as a server--.
Anyway--
Just last night we went to my favorite restaurant in Baltimore County(The Stil) and asked for our favorite server. He was there, but had been assigned a table of 12. They were willing to seat us in his area, but suggested othrwise as the big table was proving all he could reasonably handle. Tho we regretted not having him, it made sense and the advice was appreciated. Our server just had tables of 2 or 4, and service was great.

 

[erikthewise]

We also were put in the "Back Room" section on our first visit to 'Ohana, the part near the bar where you can't even see the cooking area. Fortunately we had a good server and did not have to beg for food. We had a good time. (Except for the jerks who weren't even eating there but snuck in and sat down at the vacant table in front of us to watch fireworks, blocking our view!)

The next time we went (last Dec) they tried to seat us back there again, even though the restaurant was only about 1/4 full at the time! I objected and said we wanted to be seated in the main dining area (where 80% of the seats are!). The hostess got all huffy and had to go back to the podium to check if this could be done(!) But we were granted our request.

Just a couple weeks ago DW and I were eating at a good local restaurant. Shortly after our meal started a party of 18 was seated in the center of the room right across from us. Our server was doing most of the work for this table, but still managed to serve us properly, plus a couple other pairs. So it can be done!

 

[Uncleromulus]

erikthewise:
A lot depends if a server at the large table is own their own, or has help. An assistant server, or "runners" who actually bring the food--take a lot of pressure off a lone server. A lot of places do this team concept now--but it seems to take away some of the ambiance. Sort of odd to see your server come by and appear astounded that you not only got your appetizers, but finished them!! That happened to us recently at a local Outback.

 

[dreaminofdisney]

I just wanted to clarify that the table next to us had a different server. Our server only had smaller parties in her area. I totally can see what Uncleromulus is talking about but that was not the case for us.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Sounds like your server was just plain BAD!!

 

[kristen821]

Just out of cariousity. Where any of you on the dreammaker plans. I feel a lot of times service is wonderful until you tell them you are on the dreammaker plan. Then the cm knows what their tip is going to be and seems to be less attentive. I wish you could wait until the end of the meal to tell them you were on a dreammaker plan.

 

[jann1033]

Originally posted by kristen821
Just out of cariousity. Where any of you on the dreammaker plans.

we were not and we had even dressed up a little so hopefully didn't look like country bumpkin and his wife from the land of .50 tips!

..that is a good suggestion about the like sized parties...although i wonder how wdw handles it since it seems like the larger tables are intermingled with the small tables( don't have seating charts in front of me but trying to visualize !)

that was our first visit to ohana's since it's been ohana's but it did seem they were a little "difficult " to deal with that night ...we ( 2 adults) were 5 mins late for our ps( poor planning on our part by gettting stuck waiting for the second boat from MK, missed boat #1 by 2 people!) but we had called when we realized we would be late. i think they put us on the very bottom of the list which if we had been 30-40 mins late i could understand but truthfully 5 mins could have been because the hotess didn't notice us right away! evidently i should have run up the dock instead of race walked. our wait was at least an hr and many who came after us were seated first..then we got the crummy table with a kind of take it or leave it attitude on the hostess' part. the sound system was evidently not working right as the woman leading the "aloha" thing kept complaining about it...it just was kind of an unmagical evening!

 

[renessa]

I know from experience that large groups can run a server ragged with requests....everytime you pass the table someone needs something. What I don't understand is why a table for two would get ignored...a server must earn that tip, while the larger parties have an gratuity added on to the bill. Yes, there is always the posibility of someone adding to the 15%, but that was rare where I worked.

 

[RKC]

I have to tell you, this sounds like a dream I used to have when I used to wait tables. I call these kind of dreams "workmares". In my dream I was waiting on 4 or 5 tables and eveything was fine 'til I had to get the checks. Suddenly the computer (where you enter your orders and print your checks) wouldn't work for me!!!! I couldn't print any checks!!! Time was passing, I tried to avoide the customers, I pretended I couldn't see them... of course I could.. they were MAD..............keep in mind this is a dream, and I'd kind of wake up and go back to sleep, but the dream wouldn't stop!! I can't remember everything I ended up doing but I do know that I had to finally drive to an ATM to get the checks to print ... As soon as I gave the people their checks the dream was over. Scary!!!! Never had anything remotely like that happen in real life while I was working.
As a customer though...................................

----Rachael

 

[jann1033]

even at 15% and nothing extra like desserts and drinks at the bigger table they still are getting 3 x the tip since the price is basically fixed at Ohana's ( & that's at 20 %for the 2) so I guess it makes sense ecomonically, just stinks to be the 2!

 

[princess pooh]

We had the same experience, hardly saw our server at all. When we did see him, he always had steak and I had to ask a few times to get the shrimp. He was also not very happy when we didn't order dessert. I felt so bad paying all that money only to be sneered at by our server.


I didn't see any big parties in our section but most tables around us had ordered lots of drinks and dessert. Our server couldn't get us the check fast enough!

 

[mickey7861]

We've eaten at O'Hana several times with parties sized from 12 to 2 and always had great service (luckily). My kids were there on Spring Break in March however and had a terrible server. Slow on soda refills, skewers, etc. My DD only eats the steak and it has to be WELL DONE. She asked the server for well done steak and waited 20 min. for it to arrive, then the server never returned. In August we ate there, again with the request for well done steak, it arrived after 10 min. and the server returned several times asking her if she wanted more so she could order it from the grill.
I hate when bad service interferes with your favorite restaurant.

 

[Suzanne74]

O - I am getting nervous!! I am booked there with DH and our 3 yr old DD next Friday. Is there a server I should ask for?? I have never been there before - where is this wall I should ask NOT to be near!!

 

[Scrubjay]

Don't be nervous, Suzanne74, Ohana's is a great restaurant. Even the best restaurants occasionally come up a little short. My advice, given my past experience, is to not get a late PS and request that they seat you in the large main dining area.

 

[sleepydog25]

Here are a couple of tips (pun intended) for those who notice their service is poor at any restaurant (based on years of experience and from having known many servers in my life):
1) Go find a manager. The last thing he or she wants is an angry or upset patron. If the service has been bad enough, you'll often get comp'd a dessert or something.
2) Stop another server and ask that person for help in resolving your situation. That server won't like the idea of having to deal not only with his party, but with the complaints of another not his own. Peer pressure can work, especially if the other server goes to the floor manager with the complaint.
3) Stop your server and calmly explain what is happening. Sometimes servers don't realize they have been ignoring you so much.
4) If none of these ideas works, do not leave a tip. Or leave a tip of, say, two pennies. The server will get the not so subtle hint and at least you've made your statement in economical terms.
5) If you're having problems just getting your check, get up, go to the host/hostess and tell that person. They will get your check for you, usually quickly.
6) Above all, don't be afraid to let someone in charge know of your poor service. You don't have to be rude (though that is understandable when your child is letting you know enough is enough!), but you can take some control over the situation.

 

[MickeyMike]

Must be something about being seated behind the "wall" that is the problem. We ate there 4 years ago (table for two, no large tables anywhere near by), got seated behind the wall and had the same terrible service that many here have mentioned. Maybe the server covering that area of the restaurant is the culprit. We have had no desire to return even though we previously had Ohana on our list of favorites. It's easy to be fickle about it when there are so many other great restaurants to choose from!