Viceroy Hookah Lounge

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My friends and I found this place by driving down Ventura, and we thought it looked pretty cool, so we stopped to eat and have a few drinks. For starters, the decor is really nice, but don't let that fool you. This was the worst restaurant experience any of us have ever had.



We got there around 8:30 and the restaurant was pretty dead, so we ordered some drinks and an appetizer while we perused the menus. The waitress asked us twice if we wanted to order food (once when she took our drink orders, and again when she brought them back) and we asked for some more time. Cut to, 30 minutes later she has not come back to our table and is instead serving the now more crowded restaurant area. We had to wave her down to order our food. (STRIKE ONE.) She takes our order (a pasta dish and a club sandwich. Another 30 minutes goes by and still no food. (STRIKE TWO.) We also have not been approached or asked if we needed anything since she took our order -- even though we were quite obviously looking around and even made eye contact with our waitress twice, on top of having empty glasses (you'd think they'd want to sell us more of their overpriced drinks) and still not so much as a smile in our direction. (STRIKE THREE.)



All of this wouldn't bother me so much, because it seemed they were short staffed (whether they staff that way normally or not I do not know) BUT the menu states that a 15% tip is automatically added to all bills. So, feeling I have not received the type of service that mandates a 15% tip -- and let me preface this by saying that I normally tip VERY well, 20% is usually my minimum -- I asked to speak with the manager (I again had to HUNT DOWN our waitress because she was not going to come to us). I asked for the manager and she very nicely got the manager for us.



THIS IS WHERE IT ALL BROKE DOWN. The manager comes over and asks us what the problem was. The conversation went something like this:



ME: I saw that you charge a mandatory 15% tip, however, it seems she's the only one in the whole restaurant, and I don't feel we've been given the service that meets a 15% tip.

HIM: On the menu it states that there is a 15% tip added to all bills.

ME: I understand that, but since we were approached by our waitress 3 times in the last two hours, and it took over 30 minutes to receive our food, I don't think that's fair.

HIM: So you don't think you should have to pay the tip?

ME: No, I don't think I should have to pay for service I didn't receive.

HIM: Well then don't pay it. Since you're making up your own rules, don't pay it.



Then he walked off and sat outside with a group of people smoking. He didn't go talk to the waitress to tell her the situation. He didn't attempt to be a decent human being. He walked off. (STRIKE FOURFIVESIXSEVENEIGHTNINETEN.)



After fuming for a bit, I again had to hunt down the waitress to ask for our bill. I told her to discuss it with the manager because he stormed off without telling us what he was going to do. She found him, he was sitting on the opposite side of the window we were next to, still hanging out with a group of people. She brought us our bill and told us we didn't have to pay the tip (a whole $11 -- but that wasn't the point). We paid the bill, gave it directly to the waitress and left.



As we walked out his group of "friends" stared us down and when my friend took a handful of mints, he stuck his tongue out and spit at us -- a la a 5 year old child whose toy got stolen away from them at daycare. (STRIKE ELEVENTWELVETHIRTEENFOURTEENFIFTEEN.)



Overall, the WORST experience I've ever had, and based on the reviews I've read (after the fact -- shame on me) this is not the first time the manager/owner has acted completely inappropriately.



DO NOT EVER GO HERE.