Sometimes It's Best Just To Stay Home...

[Terry Beeson]

For NYE, Cindy and I decided to go out to eat since she has to work today (NYD.) In retrospect, we should have stayed home and had leftovers...

Stop #1 - Rib Crib in Ozark - We've eaten here several times and it is my step-daughter's favorite. She loves ribs and votes these as the best. I think it's just because she can get "all you can eat" which is a LOT of ribs in her case. They were a bit busy, but 6pm on NYE, who isn't?

We got a seat right off, but our server took his ever-lovin' time getting to us for a drink order. Finally got that, ordered the all you can eat ribs for three, and sat back in anticipation of a fine meal. Twenty minutes later, I hear the server at the next table informing the folks that THEY RAN OUT OF RIBS! Then the next table, and the next... All the while, we are sitting there with empty glasses and hungry looks on our faces and no food whatsoever.

Ten minutes later, our server walks up to the OTHER table and fills their tea glasses, then turns to our table to give Amanda another Dt Coke. He starts to walk off when I stop him and ask him the status of the ribs... Finally at that point he decides to inform us there are NO RIBS, but we can sub another meat. By this time, I'm already ticked off, so I say no... He then says he'll talk to the manager (why?) and be right back. He comes back with a BILL FOR OUR DRINKS! I pay the bill, walk out, and will NOT be darkening the doors of Rib Crib for a while... But I WILL be on their website with a complaint.

Stop #2 - Buckingham's BBQ, Nixa - We walk in, look over the menu for a while as the order taker sits behind the counter twidling her thumbs. Finally, my wife tells her she'll have a rack of ribs to which comes the reply, "sorry, WE'RE OUT OF RIBS."

My reply is a huffy grunt and a quite loud "You have GOT to be KIDDING me!" as I turn and walk out the door. Two places NOTED FOR THEIR RIBS that are OUT OF RIBS on a HOLIDAY before 6pm? WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THIS????

Stop #3 - Ruby Tuesday's, Nixa - Only our second time here, but last time was OK and by now our diabetic kid, who THANK GOD has not taken any insulin yet, is really getting hungry. We walk in, the hostess asks how many - three - and proceeds to walk around the restaurant THREE TIMES in search of a table. Within clear eyesight, I see four freshly dressed and ready tables and one booth that just needs to be cleared and wiped off. But NOOOOOOOOOOO... We are FINALLY (after five minutes... I timed it...) taken to our table in the corner.

OK... we're here... and the first question of the server is if they have any ribs... Yes, they do... So he takes off with an order for drinks. He comes back rather quickly with the drinks, sets them down, and takes off... I catch him and ask if he can get us an appetizer... Sure - and takes off before I can catch him again and let him know we're ready to order our meal. Well, 10 minutes later, he comes back and tells us the appetizer will be right out. Then he finally asks if we're ready to order. We do so, and he takes off again.

Twenty minutes later, I notice that nobody in this area of the restaurant has anything to eat except one table that came in after we did. The table next to us has been there an hour. We've been there 40 minutes. The table across came in right after the one hour folks. FINALLY, the hostess comes by and wipes off the table behind me. I ask if she can check on our order. She says OK and takes off. Ten minutes later, still NOTHING...

Finally, a guy comes out of the kitchen and serves a table down the way. One of the other tables with no food gets his attention. The manager comes over, tries to calm us all down, I've already gotten up to leave but Cindy said we HAD to eat something. My reply was "Eat what? The table cloth?" But I calmed down and waited. The manager offered us drink refills to which Cindy and I asked to have a beer. She said she would buy us a beer. Then she tells two other tables that their meals are on the house... in fact the whole section is on the house.

Well, we FINALLY get our appetizer - broken chips and all - and then our meal... Then the bill... No the beer was not on it, but everything else was...

By this time I am so angry, I just pay the bill and walk out...

It will be a while before I eat ANYWHERE in Ozark or Nixa...

Any restaurant people out there... If you don't have your act together for the night, at LEAST get out there and tell your customers. Offer them something for their trouble... But DON'T treat the next table BETTER than you do me... I WON'T be back... and I WILL let everyone I run into know about how horrible the service is... I don't expect perfection, but I DO expect an effort towards it...

Rant off...

[davekeim]

Great rant Terry! I can relate to that given my dining travels. Bad day to pick to go eat though. Not that they shouldn't be doing their jobs, but who wants to be working on NYE especially if your a kid. The parties are calling, your date is waiting, your backup date is waiting, your buddies are waiting to eye your date! The cold beer, shots, other party items are waiting!

Oh to be young again! I remember when I couldn't wait for that night. Now.................in bed by 10 on NYE!

Signed,

Cardiac

[Quillback]

At first I thought that Rib Crib place sounded pretty good, until you mentioned they did not have any ribs - that's unbelievable. Kinda like KFC saying they are out of chicken.

[catfish]

Makes me glad now we opted for the just Stay At Home last night. Was hoping to meet all today but due to illness in the family will be spending NYD here at home. Happy New Years to all.

[brittsnbirds]

Terry-

I guess I will tell you how good my ribs were! Just me and the 3 dogs at the house, the wife is up in Idaho with our son and the daughter (still at home) was at a friends.

Mind you this is after I get home from BSP and leaving my fricking vest at home but that is in another post.

I thought about grabbing a steak at the store and grilling it. But I forgot I had MacDaddy's leftover ribs in the fridge from the other night. My other daughter was in from NYC for the holidays. When she comes back she begs MacDaddy to BBQ. Now I'm not braggin but everyone at the PD thinks I'm the man when it comes to my BBQ. All in all the ribs warmed up nicely and the pooches will be in hog heaven today when they get their part.

As far as staying at home. I stay off of the streets on NYE, I've taken too many of those nuckleheads to jail on that day. Thank god I don't have to work it anymore. I just pray my partners (or anyone else) don't get taken out by one of them.

Good thing to your rant. It was the last day of the year, and you can start this one off much smarter on a clean slate!

Happy New Year all!

Pat & the pooches

[Phil Lilley]

We went with friends to the Fish House (BPS) on the Landing. 60 minute wait. For some reason they were short on help and didn't fill all the tables. Not sure if they miscalculated the night or sickness? And Terry- they were out of ribs too. Prime rib too. No biggy- ordered a sirloin and it was excellent. We had a great time. Food was all good.

I've talked to several business people and they've all said Branson has had it's busiest December ever, esp this past week. So I think alot of people have been caught off guard.

[techo]

Hard to beat Buckingham's in Nixa. I love that place. I hope you will give them another chance! I won't comment on some of the other places (Ruby Tuesday's)you mentioned. Mamma said not to say anything unless I have something good to say.

We always stay home on New Years Eve. It is dangerous out there. I would rather fish in a thunder storm.

[Terry Beeson]

My beef with Rib Crib and Ruby Tuesday is they left us high and dry. As I said, I don't expect perfection, but at least give it the ol' college try. I have no real beef with Buckingham's - at least they told us they were out before we actually ordered - and they do have the best BBQ around here for my money. I was just blind-sided with two restaurants not having ribs at the same time. I was already PO'd and just decided they didn't need me any angrier...

I'll come to your house next NYE, Pat...

As for NYE and the "dangers" I'm with you. We were planning an EARLY dinner and then home. My wife has been an ER nurse and has seen the results of those "nuckleheads" you talked about.

[strangercreek]

I see this alot on holidays at various restaurants, people who act like you are inconveniencing them because they don't want to be working that day in the first place (bad attitude)...the running out of supplies/food I guess is another issue due to a busier time than usual as Phil mentioned, but I don't like being treated like a burden when I am a paying customer. I am a good tipper but I will walk out of a restaurant without paying a tip in a situation like this (for a bad attitude)

[Trav]

You will find that the last day of any month restaraunts will have a limited stock. Especially end of the year.

This is primarily because after the store closes at night they have to do "end of the month" inventory. Well, since everything has to be weighed, measured, and counted, a smart manager will allow the amount they have to count dwindle the last few days of the month. Am guilty of that practice myself. Makes for a faster count since there is less to count.

Now that is no excuse in failing to let customers know what is not available. And you should never run out of any signature items. Especially if the product is part of your company name.

I went to Ryans Steakhouse a few years back and believe it or not, they were out of ribeyes, t-bones, filets, and Strips. All they had was sirloins available and I wont eat sirloin. I consider it a cheap peice of meat. Needless to say I had the grilled chicken.