Delivery
No delivery
Payment
Accepts Credit Cards
Parking
Yes
Good for Kids
Attire
Casual
Alcohol
Reservations
Cuisines:
Southern
Price Point
$
$ - Cheap Eats (Under $10)
$$ - Moderate ($11-$25)
$$$ - Expensive ($25-$50)
$$$$ - Very Pricey (Over $50)
WiFi
No
Outdoor Seats
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06/02/2014 - Cricket
We have eaten here many times over the past 8 years that we have lived in the area. We have always enjoyed coming out here as a treat to us, and it's something different than every other restaurant in the city. We have loved eating here in the past. I repeat, we have loved eating here in the PAST. No more.
We drove out on Sat May 31, 2014 around lunchtime. It was busy but it's always busy on the weekends. We had expected that. We immediately noticed upon entering that the cafe had changed. Everyone stands in the same line now for dessert and cafe food. This is not a bad change, but there are HUGE disadvantages and I'll get to that later. We stood in line and tried to find out favorites that we order from the menu. My husband gets the country fried steak and that is no longer an option. Also the salad bar, soup bar and hot bar are gone. When we eat here with my family from out of town we always come here (we won't now) and my parents love the soup and salad bar. So we found items that we would eat and waited for our turn to order. There is a nice girl who stands and tells you which cash register to go to. Which seems like her time could be better spent at the pickup window helping people get their food or refilling the ice and tea, which were out, which again I will address later. So we walked up to the cash register, if you go to the old dessert registers you can't see the menu very well because of how it is laid out. We ordered and got our ticket number and drinks. When we went to get drinks there was basically no ice. I got a couple cubes and my husband also did. I get the peach lemonade, which is warm so the lack of ice is not good. My husband gets the peach tea, which was basically out and we informed the cafe workers, who said they would take care of it, but there was still no peach tea refilled the entire time we dined in and were on the premises. I can't speak for if ice was refilled or not. There are SO MANY PEOPLE standing by the window waiting for their food I had a hard time getting cup lids and straws. No one thinks they need to move for you and it is SO LOUD when I said "excuse me" I had to bump a guy just to get a lid because he couldn't hear me, and he gave me a dirty look but still didn't move, so I had to reach around him to get lids and straws.
We got a table inside and sat and waited for our food. The wait was about a usual wait for a Saturday we didn't expect to get our food fast. They have always called numbers out over the intercom for your ticket order but not there is a CONSTANT calling of numbers and you can't even talk to people at your table for the noise. Every time I would try to have a conversation with my husband a number or five would be called and then repeated, and I would have to wait to try and say something. "Order number 109, order number 206, order number 302, order number 405, order number 224 is ready", then repeat, then repeat again, pause, then repeat again, the entire time we were in there. Then there was a tour leaving which was so garbled you couldn't understand what they were saying but they had to give that information over the intercom for 2 mins, then repeat whatever they said, then the order numbers would start up again. We mostly just ate in silence except for comment on how loud it was and how unpleasant this was.
I got the Hamburger and my husband got the fried chicken. My hamburger was tasteless. I even had condiments on it and it was very bla. My husband tried it and agreed, so it wasn't just me. It was cooked well, but there was no flavor. His fried chicken was good, he had to ask for white meat but the chicken was fine tasting. I DID like the homemade chips. I am not a fan of crinkle fries, which is what was served as a side so I am a fan of the chips. The chips are not enough to make me come back and dine here though unfortunately.
After we were done eating my husband went to get a refill of peach tea, which there was still none... We had to make our way through the mass of people waiting for their food by the food counter. May I make a suggestion? Get those restaurant numbers on metal sticks. When people get their ticket tell them to sit down with their number and the girl who is directing people to cash registers can carry the food to the appropriate table. We don't need to be directed. Then the noise would be cut down and the cash registers people can just say "I can help the next customer down here" and wave at the next person in line. So that is my suggestion. That would make it a little more pleasant in the dining area.
We always get dessert here, so we got back in the long line to wait for ice cream. So we were again directed to a cash register by the direction girl and we ordered a peach ice cream. That's all. We were given a receipt and a number again and told our number would be called when it is ready. It's ICE CREAM. It would take 30 seconds to get us our ice cream and let us be on our way. So we had to go stand with the masses who were waiting on food. We waited for ICE CREAM for probably 5-7 minutes. When we got it the ice cream was already melting!! I could have poured melted ice cream liquid out of the cup. I wanted to ask for a non melted cup of ice cream but my husband said it was fine. I really just wanted to leave Lanes at this point. We have NEVER gotten ice cream that looked like this,and we have driven out here specifically for ice cream. It looked like it had been sitting out for 15 minutes already!
I am hoping that the cafe will fix these issues, and just give the people who want dessert their dessert!!! Or their ice cream at least. It doesn't take that long to get ice cream and there is still people waiting either way but that would get the dessert people out of the walkway and from standing in front of the lids and straws and everywhere in the middle of the dining area. Plus our ice cream won't have already melted down before we get it!!!
We will maybe stop in for dessert if we are passing through, since it's a 20 mins drive for us to get here, if it's not crowded so our ice cream doesn't melt while they are "getting it ready" for us. We will not be eating the restaurant food here again. Not a fan of the new menu, the food wasn't that great taste wise, it was really loud and unpleasant, just not a great experience. We were very disappointed. Like I said we have eaten here MANY times in the past 8 YEARS. I have even reviewed this maybe 2 or 3 times before on TripAdvisor when we have eaten here in the past. This was the WORST EVER time. We were very disappointed and sad because it was a nice place we could come as a couple and my family usually wants to eat here when they come to visit, but no more. We will just have to find somewhere else eat when we are looking for something different.
If you are just stopping here as your first time, you will probably not notice the differences, nor will you know how good it USED to be. You will just think it is an extremely noisy cafe with mediocre food that taste like food you can get anywhere. Get a dessert because they are good, and hopefully you won't have to wait too long on your ice cream because it is better when it's not already melted. I still like the store and purchasing fresh fruit and nuts, so that is definitely worth the stop in.
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