I went to Pambiche last night with three friends. We are all professional women who get together every month or so at a variety of places around town. We have never experienced such horrible, inconsiderate service as we had at Pambiche. \r
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Nothing was easy or simple. Not only was service incredibly slow, but at each stage of our meal we were subjected to unreasonable ""house rules"" by the server. Individually, those rules were frustrating. Together, they were excruciating. We received no explanation or understanding, just constant barked orders.\r
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Just a few examples -- \r
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- They would not seat us until at least half the party was there.\r
- They seated us in an area where some of us had blinding sun in our faces. When we borrowed an extra chair to sit out of the sun, we were told that was ""against the rules"" (no path was blocked, by the way) and that we should ""just squish in and lean a little closer together."" (Quarters were already tight.) When we asked for another table, we were refused. When we complained that it was intolerable, they turned around the table, thus putting the table in *the very area* we were told it was ""against the rules"" to occupy with an extra chair. (And it didn't solve the sun problem.) \r
- I was not allowed to order a drink for my friend who was on the way -- that also was ""against the rules.""\r
- They were out of or did not stock seemingly basic items (out of plantains at a Cuban restaurant at 6:30 PM on a Tuesday? out of the drink special by 7 PM? no lowfat milk at a restaurant that has a large part of the menu dedicated to coffee drinks? )\r
- After spending a considerable sum on our dinner, we were not allowed to split the check four ways as we normally do. When we complained to the manager, she snidely told us that she would do it ""just this once"" but never again. \r
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Don't worry, madam. We won't be back. At Pambiche, we were not treated like guests or even customers -- our ""hosts"" acted like surly and irrational drill sergeants instead of waitstaff.
Pros: Nice outside seating area
Cons: Constant, frustrating, arbitrary, inexplicable nitpicking!
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