Delivery
No
Payment
Credit Cards Accepted
Parking
Street, Parking Lot
Good for Kids
Attire
Casual
Alcohol
Yes - Full Bar
Reservations
Yes
Cuisines:
French
Price Point
$
$ - Cheap Eats (Under $10)
$$ - Moderate ($11-$25)
$$$ - Expensive ($25-$50)
$$$$ - Very Pricey (Over $50)
WiFi
No
Outdoor Seats
Yes
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03/26/2024 - MenuPix User
03/14/2024 - MenuPix User
12/21/2023 - MenuPix User
08/28/2023 - Adam
Wasn’t the experience we had hoped for; actually no where close. Please read this review and take it constructively.
It was my girlfriend’s birthday and she has been wanting to eat at Jolie for the longest time so I finally made reservations. When I spoke with “Zack” on the phone he asked if it was a special occasion and I told him. He said he would make a note on the reservation.
Service was pretty good from the start. We had wine by the glass and the summer tart for an appetizer. We also told the server that we were already pretty dead set on medium rare steak frites which she said she would stagger out for us. We actually spoke in length with the server about how my girlfriend would like her steak cooked. The server also reviewed the features/specials and asked if we were celebrating anything special to which we replied “yes”. We spoke about how we actually met on her birthday and so it was a multifaceted celebration. Anyways, the tart was out in no time and was pretty delicious.
We then proceeded to wait around 30+ minutes for our entrees without being checked on and almost had to ration our wine. When the food showed up it looked delicious but first cut into my girlfriend’s steak was almost completely rare so I slid her my plate and when the server assistant came by I showed her and asked for them to bring it up for me. She agreed it was well undercooked, took my steak, and brought back my frites and poivre sauce which was odd but I don’t think she wanted me to go hungry while I waited.
The server never came to speak with us about it while I waited and when another FOH member brought it back out, it was still undercooked. Same steak that I had cut in to earlier but with fresh frites was almost just as rare as before. Maybe a little more cooked this time but still way too rare and no where close to medium rare.
So, when the server came back to check on it, she saw it and we explained how I’m not usually picky and that I would normally eat it but I just couldn’t. She asked me if I would care for something else instead because I had already expressed that I really didn’t want the steak anymore after she offered a re-fire of the entire dish. I just didn’t want to wait that long especially since it took forever the first time and obviously the grillardin was not having a good night. I mean it’s flat iron steak; not that hard to cook nor is it all that time consuming of a process.
She offered the gnocchi because it was a quick fix and I countered with some fromage and frites which she quickly brought out. The cheese was great and the frites were perfect. They also added on some garlic aioli that, in my opinion, should be regularly served with the steak frites. Oh, and by the way my girlfriend thoroughly enjoyed her steak. It was cooked to perfection and very tender.
After we finished and had ran out of wine again, the server returned to ask if we would like dessert. We passed although she was persistent by bringing a dessert menu over after we had already declined. We opted for a third glass of wine and asked for the check.
The manager came over and inquired about the steak issue, apologized, and told us he was going to comp my meal. Well, when we received the check… they had charged me for frites and the fromage plate. That really was insulting so I called the server back and told her that I didn’t think it was fair to be charged for the frites. I really shouldn’t have been charged for the cheese either but I was willing to meet them halfway. Steak and frites were $35, fromage and frites =$20, so technically if you’re going to comp a meal and replace it with food then don’t try to charge me for something that I initially ordered and maybe offer free dessert.
Btw, we never received anything special so I have no idea why they asked if we were celebrating. However, we did see that another couple was brought a lit candle on something AND the couple next to us also declined dessert but was given an ice cream cookie for FREE by our same server. It’s tight quarters in there and we could hear every word the people beside us were speaking so we overheard her explaining how she wanted them to try it because it was so amazing. She told us it was delicious to but coincidentally, we didn’t get anything for free.
Anyways, back to the check. She responded with “I’m just going to give this to my manager”. When she came back she stated that she just took it upon herself to pay for the frites so I gave her my card and asked her if she was upset with us to which she replied teary eyed “It’s just been a really rough day”. We felt bad and gave her our condolences. She took my card and we didn’t see her again but the manager brought us back my card and didn’t say a word. We were appalled and just quickly left.
I have worked in the food and beverage industry most of my younger working life but front and back of the house. I was a chef for 7 years in Charleston, SC working in some of the most highly acclaimed restaurants groups in the city(one being a French Brigade kitchen). Not to mention, I went to culinary school and studied hospitality management as a minor for two years so I kinda know what I’m talking about if you couldn’t tell be my lingo and description of the night’s events.
I hope someone reads this and learns from it because if they don’t, expect to close the doors or sell to someone who will. There aren’t that many tables in your restaurant and for things to get mishandled like they did means you might want to re think your operation. Everyone has a bad day every now and then and sometimes you just get that costumer that you can’t make happy no matter what but last night was neither of those cases. It was simply a clear example of poor decision making and conflict resolution.
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