Any restauranteur wanting to convert a first-time customer into a never-again customer who can legitimately only have bad things to say about their dining experience should look to Cafe Twenty-Eight to show how it's done.
We were annoyed to be served our entrees while only half way through our salad course. Then the server slapped our check on the table before we were finished, let alone offered coffee and desert. We realized they were throwing us out of the restaurant to open up the table! Upon our protest, the hostess claimed we were told we would have to leave at a certain time. That idea may have crossed her mind but she never actually communicated that to us. And we absolutely never agreed to leave at a particular time, and without time to finish our meal. Come on -- who would do that?
This hostess made a mistake in 1). seating us without allowing adequate time to dine, 2). not being clear about expectations to leave at a certain time and by not getting our explicit agreement that we would leave at an appointed hour and 3). even thinking you can seat a party without adequate time, in the first place (had the hostess politely told us we could not be accommodated, we would have just gone elsewhere and made a note to try Cafe Twenty-Eight some other time).
Recently became aware that the owner is a brewmaster for Surly Beer. Hysterical because ""surly"" was the word that immediately popped into my mind as we were badly handled by the restaurant staff. Really! Guess which beer brand, and which future restaurant, will be banished for all my future personal and business entertainment? Will never give my patronage to anyone who treats customers so badly.
My friend and I were on the receiving end of rude treatment by the restaurant staff, taking it out on us for their error and bad judgement. These people absolutely ruined an evening I had hoped to enjoy catching up with a friend visiting from out of town for a holiday weekend.
The food was so-so, not-bad, not good. One of our entrees was served cold and had to be returned to the kitchen. There are so many other restaurants in Uptown, S. Minneapolis and 50th & France area with better food and much better customer treatment -- I CANNOT recommend Cafe Twenty-Eight.
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