Mom's Kitchen Collingswood

[Carlson1105]

Just returned from Mom's Kitchen in Collingswood, What a disaster. Had a reservation, and were told we had 50 minutes to eat and get out. First word from the waitress was " Are youse ready". No specials, no water, no welcome, no wine open. Ordered and heard the owner say " we need table 21 out of here" fired apps and entrees at the same time. Busboy tried to take our appetizer before I was half done. Entrees came way to soon and waitress tried to clear them before I even tasted mine, She told us the real story was that the owners ( Rocco DiSpirito wanna be) wife and mother were waiting for our table and she was told to get us out of there asap.

We paid because it was so unenjoyable that we wanted to go home. The owner came up to me, patted me on the back and said "thanks Buddy", at which point I told him that it was the worst dining experience of my life, I never felt so unwelcome and rushed and would never be back. For the first time all night, he dissapeared from the floor.

The food was very good, however being treated like a 2nd class citizen, eating dinner in 30 minutes amd having my daughter say they should call it "ripoff kitchen" are the realities.

By the way. it was much worse than I made it sound.

[JeanneCake]

At the very least, he should have given you a gift certificate or something to acknowledge the shoddy treatment.

Was there no other table he could have moved you to? I don't blame you a bit for reporting on your experience, the next clients to sit at that table may well be treated the same!

[Carlson1105]

The funny part is that I have worked in and managed restaurants for so long, that I could see everything that he was doing to rush us out. I heard him caling our order out and telling the cooks he needed our food "table 21" asap. The runner who brought our food could obviously see we had just started eating our appetizer, and half heartedly offered to keep our food warm under the lamps if we wanted. The waitress poured our wine glasses so full to empty the bottle that the wine was spilling over the top. She even apologized for the owners actions, but said her hands were tied because it was his wife and mother's party who needed our table. We weren't offered dessert, didn't offer to wrap our leftovers, and at one point, when they were taking my plate out from under me, I asked her if I had to give up my fork too. From the time we sat down, until we paid and left was under 35 minutes.

[Carlson1105]

We would have gladly moved to another table to finish our meal, but weren't offered that option. I don't think the owner was too thrilled that we had a 6 year old with us (a very well behaved one)

Edited November 22, 2009 by Carlson1105 (log)

[gfweb]

I'd post your experience of as many websites as you can. These sorts of places need to be exposed for what they are.

Shouldn't this be on the NJ board?

Edited November 22, 2009 by gfweb (log)

[KatieLoeb]

Wow. That's pretty high level rotten treatment of a paying guest. I can't even believe that they have so little sense as to make a paying guest leave to seat (likely) comped family members. I was always under the impression that employees and family should un-ass the chairs if paying guests arrive, not the other way around. I wouldn't worry. With decision making skills like that they ought to be out of business in no time.

[Greg Salisbury]

Wow. This reads like a primer on what to do to ensure the worst possible initial word-of-mouth for a new restaurant. Ordinarily, I would advise youse to contact the owner (especially since you have probably sold him wares in the past!). Joseph Tucker, who owns Joe Pesce and another place in Collingswood, always struck me as pretty customer-oriented. This just sounds weird. A new place should be going out of its way to accommodate patrons - especially of the paying variety. And the owner's family knows that the paying customers come first. My kids do some theatrical eye-rolling when I tell them we have to go somewhere other than Rx for brunch, but even they understand that there are people in line ahead of us and it wouldn't be right to mistreat them.

There must be more to the story. At least, I hope there is a better explanation.

[gfweb]

Hard to imagine that any explanation would be good enough.

[jmbrightman]

this should be on this board - Collingswood is 10 minutes over the bridge from Philly, and there is not really a South Jersey presence on the NJ board.

[Carlson1105]

Hate to say it Greg, but it wouldn't do much good to contact Joseph Tucker, he was the one that made us leave so his family could have the table.

[Carlson1105]

It was so bizarre, I thought I was being Punk'd. The busboy asked if we were done our appetizer almost before we started eating it.

[Greg Salisbury]

Well, then, I got nothin'. That is just inexcusable behavior from someone in the business of serving people. And kudos to your daughter for summing up the evening so succinctly.

[Lapin d'Argent]

Well, other diners have been duly warned. When you search on Google for "Mom's Kitchen Collingswood" or "Mom's Kitchen Collingswood NJ", this post comes up as the second result, above even the Google Maps entry.

This is what we in the interactive business call an SEO problem (Search Engine Optimization). However, since they don't seem to have any web presence at all, the problem is entirely of their own making, apparently in more ways than one...

[gfweb]

But if you leave out the " " it goes to the newspaper articles about the joint. I really cant figure out searches sometimes.

[emmalish]

I searched without the " " and it was the third item in the list, topped only by google maps and one article.

[john b]

I wonder how the restaurant would have handled the situation if you, recognizing that you were intentionally being rushed, "fought back"?? Take the wine bottle away from the waitress. Brush off the runner when he comes for your app plates. Send the main courses back when they're served on top of the apps, and take your sweet time eating each course, etc. I'm not one for confrontation in public places, but I'd be very tempted to drag my meal to two plus hours if someone tried to pull bs like this on me.

[JAZ]

Had a reservation, and were told we had 50 minutes to eat and get out.

I wonder how the restaurant would have handled the situation if you, recognizing that you were intentionally being rushed, "fought back"??

My first thought when I read the original post was to wonder if you objected up front to the 50-minute requirement, given that you had reservations. I once had to push back the time of a reservation for a fairly large group, and was told in advance that the restaurant could do it, but it would mean we'd have to turn over the table faster than usual. That's one thing (and I thought it was reasonable -- they said we could have up to an hour and a half), but if I showed up with reservations and was told out of the blue that I couldn't even have the table for an hour, I'd turn around and walk out. That's just not acceptable.

[Carlson1105]

In the few minutes I was permitted to eat I noticed something was wrong with my entree. The menu, which was still on the table said that the Sausage & Peppers was served with some sort of tosted bread and topped with provelone cheese. There was no cheese at all, so I asked the waitress. She went to the owner, and the 2 of them had to pull out a menu to see if I was right (way to be familiar with your own menu). After seeing the error, the owner came over, said it was a misprint and brought me a small plate with a couple slices of cold provelone cheese. Of course there was no time for them to take it in the kitchen and melt it since they were so anxious to get us out. I had no idea what he thought I was going to do with this cold cheese. This being said, the sausage and peppers were very good.

[KatieLoeb]

Wow. This just gets better and better (or worse and worse, depending on your perspective). They don't even know the preparations on their own stinking menu and then bring you two slices of cold cheese as a way of making it up to you??? Astonishing on so many levels I don't even know which one to address first...

As I said, they'll be out of business in no time. Lightning should strike the place and restore the karmic balance of the universe before these buffoons can serve another patron with that level of arrogance and inhospitable attitude.

[gfweb]

Paging Gordon Ramsay, STAT to Collingswood.

[Greg Salisbury]

Every time I click on this thread, I find myself in danger of self-induced vertigo from shaking my head so much. How can this guy make so many mistakes after so many years in business? My mind is boggled. And Katie, I'm with you. We have both been around long enough to know that, sooner or later, the karma bus always stops, reverses, and runs over the appropriate parties.

[tino27]

I don't think that a lot of restaurant owners and managers realize how much the widespread use of the Internet has really leveled the playing field, in terms of the availability of information. Now more than ever, everyone needs to be treated with respect because you never know who will write about it on a publicly searchable venue (such as a blog or eGullet). The fact that this thread shows up on Google search results page above even the restaurant's own website (if they even have one) is going to haunt them for some time. Like most of you, I search out information about a restaurant before going, especially the first time. Had I read this thread prior to my first visit, you can be pretty darn sure I wouldn't have even given them the chance.

[KatieLoeb]

Every time I click on this thread, I find myself in danger of self-induced vertigo from shaking my head so much. How can this guy make so many mistakes after so many years in business? My mind is boggled. And Katie, I'm with you. We have both been around long enough to know that, sooner or later, the karma bus always stops, reverses, and runs over the appropriate parties.

Sometimes when they've really earned it, the bus backs up and goes forward over and over again...

Greg I'm in complete agreement with you about the rookie level treatment/decision making/management here. Truly astonishing. How can you even open the doors if that's how you intend to treat people? Even if it's just the one table, how do you explain it away in your head? I can't imagine being that rude to paying guests even if they were unruly and high maintenance. There's just no parallel universe in which the scenario described can coexist with being in the "hospitality" business. None.

[Jaymes]

"Mom's Kitchen."

And sounds like "Mom's Table," too.