jcol85239
Posts:0
 | | 11/14/2007 12:23 PM |
 Alert | | We went to Arena about 5-6 weeks ago. They were running a promotion where the server had to win tic-tac-toe to win a bottle of wine, so we helped her out and ordered more than we usually do. The food was lousy. After we helped her, we barely saw her again, and we had a huge complaint about our food. She said she was going to tell the kitchen and the manager and we didn't see her or anyone else until we got our check. We have been in the industry for 20+ years, and when something is made wrong, it's made wrong. Mashed potatoes aren't supposed to taste like a large pile of white pepper. Someone screwed up, and they served it anyway. We said something, and no one cared. So the "say something" theory doesn't work unless you make a scene, which we are never likely to do. I'm sure everyone is glad you have a nice "family" going, but when the food sucks and the service is lousy, it doesn't really matter at the end of the day how much you like each other. People won't come back. | | | |
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Robert B
Posts:1008
| | 11/17/2007 9:11 AM |
Alert | | Did they clean the spider webs around the ac duct work yet? Just loved eating my food whating for one to fall in my food. | | | |
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Denna
Posts:0
| | 11/20/2007 12:40 PM |
Alert | I ate there and while I didn't love the food, I found it clean and a nice atmosphere. I ate at the Native New Yorker once and a cricket fell out of the ceiling from somewhere and landed in my pasta. It was a HUGE black cricket. I don't even think they comp'd any of the food for that. Also, I ate at the USA Grill or whatever it was that closed, and there were thousands of flies flying around. My mom and I were waving our food like a horse wags it's tail for the entire meal. No joke. They were barely apologetic. It was gross. However, the taste of the food was superior to Arena. Perhaps it was the flies?
Now the Arena is a nice atmosphere overall, as I said, and very clean. Whoever designed the menu recipes, fire him. If the owner is the chef, he needs to realize that, despite his hard work, making food taste good is not something that he is good at and find someone talented to create the sauces. The quantity of food was admirable... even too much. Some people like that. I am impartial to it. I would rather my food taste good. It may be the French in me.
I felt it was upsetting because one of the waitresses was pregnant when I went and she kept looking at me like she recognized me or she was jealous I wasn't. I will say that the wait staff could have learned a few things from the American Grill place (or whatever it was called). Everyone there was extremely on top of their game.
Lets give Arena some time to make better food. I would think multiple critiques would enlighten them. The worst thing a new business owner can do is ignore people complaining about the taste of the food just because he likes it. If you work there, please be honest about the food with the owner. If he fires you for telling him, post it here so we can all laugh. I will return in one month and post a new review at that time. | | | |
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Denna
Posts:0
| | 11/20/2007 12:59 PM |
Alert | | Retraction: My whole talk about Arena and their clean place but bad food and creepy pregnant waitress was actually about Brooklynn Boys. That said, my apologies to Arena. I haven't ate their yet. Please replace Arena with Brooklynn Boys in my excellent review. | | | |
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janedo
Posts:75
| | 11/21/2007 12:27 PM |
Alert | | We went to Arena last week. Didn't really care for it. My problem isn't so much with the ok food. It was ok, I've had better and worse. Our waitress was never around. She took the order, brought the food, and about 20 minutes after we were done eating she brought the bill, and offered to refill our drinks. Not a lot of help by that time. I also didn't like that the establishment allows the customers and staff to stand outside on the sidewalk smoking. Didn't AZ pass a law that says smoking must be done a certain distance from the entrance of a building? We also saw a waitress come in from outside, talk to one of her tables, and get a box for them without washing her hands. I was dissappointed overall. We probably won't go back. | | | |
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Grilladawg
Posts:219
| | 11/21/2007 4:57 PM |
Alert | ^ ^ ^
I think it's 20 feet away from the establishment, a lot of people take that as two feet for some reason. 20 feet is the length of two basketball hoops heights stacked on one another end to end.....
My wife and I went to arenas twice, and each time...we remember clearly that for some reason, the wait staff is always playing grab-ass up in front by the booths and the managers come and join in. Look, my wife and I worked in the restaurant industry for a long time, we know what it's like....but it's very unprofessional to see this kind of behavior on top of the poor training or lack of one for the servers. It just seem like they want to go home, or they don't put any effort into actually doing a good job. They should realize that a good amount of what they bring home, is highly reflected on their service and attention to the customers.
Hopefully they'll turn around, the food was adequate and like another "poster" on this thread mentioned...the sauces for their food is not good at all.
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maricopacabana
Posts:359
| | 11/21/2007 6:05 PM |
Alert | <div class='NTForums_Quote'>Posted By Denna on 11/20/2007 12:59 PM
Retraction: My whole talk about Arena and their clean place but bad food and creepy pregnant waitress was actually about Brooklynn Boys. That said, my apologies to Arena. I haven't ate their yet. Please replace Arena with Brooklynn Boys in my excellent review.</div>
What kind of meds are you on? You don't know where you ate and reference 2 other places that were probably one place USA Grill (never existed) and American Grill Probably Ramsey's. Are you sure you weren't really at Auto Zone? | | | |
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alwaysamytoo
Posts:0
| | 11/24/2007 8:21 AM |
Alert | <div class='NTForums_Quote'>Posted By Denna on 11/20/2007 12:59 PM
Retraction: My whole talk about Arena and their clean place but bad food and creepy pregnant waitress was actually about Brooklynn Boys. That said, my apologies to Arena. I haven't ate their yet. Please replace Arena with Brooklynn Boys in my excellent review.</div>
For us New Yorker's please spell "Brooklyn" correctly. | | | |
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Denna
Posts:0
| | 11/25/2007 1:47 PM |
Alert | <div class='NTForums_Quote'>Posted By alwaysamytoo on 11/24/2007 8:21 AM
For us New Yorker's please spell "Brooklyn" correctly. </div>
Sorry. I thought you were from Pakistan. | | | |
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Denna
Posts:0
| | 11/25/2007 1:54 PM |
Alert | <div class='NTForums_Quote'>Posted By maricopacabana on 11/21/2007 6:05 PM
What kind of meds are you on? You don't know where you ate and reference 2 other places that were probably one place USA Grill (never existed) and American Grill Probably Ramsey's. Are you sure you weren't really at Auto Zone?</div>
Shoosh. Of course I was talking about Ramsey's. I am glad you were intelligent enough to figure that out! Good!!!
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celltech
Posts:0
| | 11/26/2007 7:25 PM |
Alert | | I have ate there twice in the last week, last time with the wife. The food and the service was good. No complaints here. Keep up the good work Arena! | | | |
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alwaysamytoo
Posts:0
| | 11/27/2007 8:53 PM |
Alert | <div class='NTForums_Quote'>Posted By Denna on 11/25/2007 1:47 PM
<div class='NTForums_Quote'>Posted By alwaysamytoo on 11/24/2007 8:21 AM
For us New Yorker's please spell "Brooklyn" correctly. </div>
Sorry. I thought you were from Pakistan.</div>
Denna, You are a very bitter and unhappy person and appear to be prejudice to some nationalities. I actually feel sorry for you. I have not seen one post that you have been positive on anything in Maricopa. I do hope the housing market picks up so you can Leave. That would be a very positive thing that you could do. | | | |
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BIGG
Posts:9
| | 11/28/2007 1:28 PM |
Alert | Arena sucks
the food sucks
the service sucks
and the kitchen is always slow
also to expensive | | | |
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Grilladawg
Posts:219
| | 11/29/2007 12:21 AM |
Alert | You'll never hear anything positive from Denna because she is a natural whiner. probably a hardcore liberal from the way she sounds, whine whine whine whine whine.....
whaaaaaa.
Her new name is Denna downer! | | | |
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hvgal
Posts:17
| | 11/29/2007 10:21 PM |
Alert | | Been to Arena many many times. Love the service and food. Feel at this time the only good place to have a sit down meal. | | | |
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asugrl
Posts:725
| | 12/02/2007 1:16 AM |
Alert | <div class='NTForums_Quote'>Posted By Denna on 11/20/2007 12:59 PM
Retraction: My whole talk about Arena and their clean place but bad food and creepy pregnant waitress was actually about Brooklynn Boys. That said, my apologies to Arena. I haven't ate their yet. Please replace Arena with Brooklynn Boys in my excellent review.</div>
I love how you compliment your own review. Your review was excellent only to yourself; I think to most people a good review involves decent spelling/grammar and also the ability to pinpoint the correct restaurant name. And I think you are paranoid; why would a "creepy" pregnant woman be staring at you??
<img src='http://www.85239.com/desktopmodules/ntforums/images/emoticons/confused.gif' height='20' width='20' border='0' title='Confused' align='absmiddle'> | | | |
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Jetdreams65
Posts:15
| | 12/08/2007 11:27 PM |
Alert | | Hey I totally dig Arena 99.9% of the time, esp the Fish fry. Its awesome. | | | |
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CODEBLEU
Posts:311
| | 12/09/2007 2:48 AM |
Alert | I have really tried to give Arena my business on three different ocassions but I guess I struck out finding a reasonable place to dine. They just dont get it! Arena Rating: Extremely Bad Service and Attitudes, BAD FOOD, BAD Management.
Arena Loss from my group of friends and their spouses = Approximately 10 Couples. Average estimated bill for each couple eating there once a week of $25 - $40 per couple.
Total Estimated Loss of Business $250 - $400 per week/ or $1000 - $1600 per month/ or $12,000 - $19,200 per year. I wonder how much tax money that would have been for this city. I guess it would be approximately $1,536 yearly tax. I guess everyone loses here.
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RichTig
Posts:0
| | 12/30/2007 10:40 AM |
Alert | Went to the ARENA 2 nights ago during the ASU football game. They were full and I expected the food to take a little longer than usual.
The order (2 phillys and chicken picata) took over 45 minutes to bring to the table. During that time, we didn't get drink refills and no one even stopped by the table to let us know we weren't forgotten.
My philly was warm to the touch and I told the server that it wasn't hot but I would eat it as is, as I didn't feel like waiting another 45minutes.
He sent the manager over to try and salvage his tip (too late for that) and she explained that they are busy. NO I am sorry or any other apology of any kind. I let her know that if her kitchen couldn't keep up with a full restaurant, then perhaps they should have less tables. She sneered at me and roller her eyes, charming. Then I told her that maybe more cooks would help as there is obviously a capacity issue between the front and back of the house.
I called the manager the next day to let him know that we were not happy with our service and he said they were busy, again no apology.
They have finally lost my business as well as my 2 neighbors!
TEAKWOODS CAN'T OPEN SOON ENOUGH FOR ME! | | | |
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Colgate
Posts:642
| | 01/06/2008 11:47 PM |
Alert | | Well, I happen to like the food and had great service the other night by a male server. I will be asking to be in his section next time too! Was not there to see all of this inbread stuff but, come on people if you really want to see inbread go to the hills of TN or WV! That is inbread at it's best! Arena I think you will stay on my list for one of the better places to eat. I enjoyed the other place not mentioned as above, however, their food left little to be desired. Hope ya'll put a patio up soon, that would be cool. Just do us all a favor, don't do the poker nights save that for Vegas! | |
Live every day as if it were your last and smile! | |
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