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View Full Version : Nellies on 90th: Worst "Dining" Experience... EVER.



A790
01-10-2010, 11:40 PM
Went in to Nellie's on 90th (near Glenmore reservoir) at approximately 12:30 today (Sunday, January 10). Got seated in quite possibly the worst table in the house (a corner spot by the bathrooms, jammed in next to a jukebox and some plastic chairs).

We ordered a coffee and a water (both arrived promptly). My girlfriend ordered an orange juice. We finished the checking the menu and waited for our server to come back.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

And then waited a little more.

Approximately 30 minutes went by, during which we did not hear anything from our server. Several tables arrived after us, and she served them diligently. She served the table beside us as well, coming by twice without acknowledging us. We tried to grab her attention (to no avail), and after waiting for nearly 45 minutes, I finally got annoyed enough that I left $5 on the table to pay for the coffee and we left. If I had exact change, I would have left exact change ($2.88, coffee was $2.75 + GST).

I won't be back, period. I understand slow service, but waiting nearly 45 minutes for an orange juice and for someone to take our order is ridiculous. Not only that, but we even tried to get her attention on numerous occasions.

Do not go there. It was completely unacceptable, as they weren't *that* busy. There was no lineup out the door, there was no throng of customers waiting to pay.

Oh, and we never did get the orange juice.

bigbadboss101
01-10-2010, 11:48 PM
Only been to Nellies once. The one in Marda Loop is pretty decent. The little breakfast place across the street is very good.

shakalaka
01-11-2010, 12:01 AM
Wow! That sounds HORRIBLE. Thanks for the head up, I absolutely fucking hate it when it takes that long for them to come and take your order. I can understand some what if it's super busy and all but even then 45 minutes to grab the order is disgusting. I can't believe you left the $5, I would have gone to my car, looked for exact change and left that!

Yesterday I was in Red Deer with the gf and we just quickly went to eat at a Denny's there and the line up was HUGE as it was breakfast time. I was already discouraged from going in but the gf insisted so we went. But I was so pleasantly surprised with the quickness of the services considering the rush, I left my server a $15 tip on $30 bill. I was actually that impressed and if that place had taken about 45 minutes to get me my food, I would have been like okay makes sense. But 45 minutes and not even an OJ is ridiculous. Good chances are she forgot about you guys, which makes it SO much worse. I would have been raging and caused some havoc in that place.

max_boost
01-11-2010, 12:16 AM
That is completely messed up. I really don't know why you got the shaft so bad while others who came after you got served. Forget flagging her down, you probably had to go up to her face and ask her WTF is going on. Shitty deal.

dino_martini
01-11-2010, 12:23 AM
Nellies sucks. had a terrible experience at the one on 17th and have never gone back.

^^JasmineL^^
01-11-2010, 12:58 AM
lol P-OWNED.

xorina
01-11-2010, 01:02 AM
Originally posted by ^^JasmineL^^
lol P-OWNED.

:facepalm:

LadyLuck
01-11-2010, 01:24 AM
I cant believe you actually waited 45 minutes!!! Why not raise hell with the manager?

Either way...what a twat!

A790
01-11-2010, 01:28 AM
I considered raising hell, but our server seemed pretty miserable as it was. She was definitely not happy (it was the first thing I commented to my girlfriend about). I did some quick searching for a website/e-mail address that I could contact them through, but having found nothing, I've simply decided to leave it alone.

But no, I will not be back... ever.

rage2
01-11-2010, 02:26 AM
The one on 7th Ave and 9th Street (in the Plaza 1000 building) is just as bad. Slow service, inconsistent food, order wrong, etc. Anything you can think of going wrong, well, goes wrong. Several people ordered the same thing and each plate was different.

To top it off, they don't accept Debit, Mastercard or Amex. Visa only, paying the bill was a bitch.

TomcoPDR
01-11-2010, 03:05 AM
Originally posted by shakalaka


Yesterday I was in Red Deer with the gf and we just quickly went to eat at a Denny's there and the line up was HUGE as it was breakfast time. I was already discouraged from going in but the gf insisted so we went. But I was so pleasantly surprised with the quickness of the services considering the rush, I left my server a $15 tip on $30 bill. I was actually that impressed and if that place had taken about 45 minutes to get me my food, I would have been like okay makes sense. But 45 minutes and not even an OJ is ridiculous. Good chances are she forgot about you guys, which makes it SO much worse. I would have been raging and caused some havoc in that place.

:werd: IMO that's one of the best Denny's around. (that Red Deer one, in the parking lot of Sandman, right?) Really good staff (as of these 2 years)

Smuggler's inn did that to me and some friends back around Dec 23, 09... waited and waited, other larger tables who got in AFTER our table of 4 were getting their drinks, order and food quicker. (it took forever to get drinks ordered, then waited till food ordered, and then our food came way later than the tables who arrive after)

Asian buffets FTW

shakalaka
01-11-2010, 03:48 AM
Originally posted by TomcoPDR


:werd: IMO that's one of the best Denny's around. (that Red Deer one, in the parking lot of Sandman, right?) Really good staff (as of these 2 years)

Smuggler's inn did that to me and some friends back around Dec 23, 09... waited and waited, other larger tables who got in AFTER our table of 4 were getting their drinks, order and food quicker. (it took forever to get drinks ordered, then waited till food ordered, and then our food came way later than the tables who arrive after)

Asian buffets FTW

Yeap, that's the one. I was honestly impressed with their service, it was better than many of the '5 star' and other upscale restaurants. The manager himself was going around from table to table making sure everyone was happy and enjoying their meal.

nonlinear
01-11-2010, 02:30 PM
A790, we tried that Nellie's location once, and had pretty much the same exact experience that you did. when we went, we had to wait in line for about 20 minutes only to get seated at a really small 2-seater table that was crammed in between 2 larger 4-person tables (both of which were empty). Then, they seated another group of 2 at one of the 4-seaters. we kind of thought that maybe they could have seated us at the larger table because we were there first, and had been waiting longer, but whatever. and then they brought drinks and took orders from those people who were in line behind us and seated at a bigger table. The food was the same boring and unimaginative stuff they have at all the other Nellie's. definitely won't be going back to that location again.

next time you should try out the 99th avenue cafe, attached to the stetson inn motel. IMO the best cafe-style breakfast in the south. :thumbsup:

w_man
01-11-2010, 02:41 PM
Originally posted by rage2
The one on 7th Ave and 9th Street (in the Plaza 1000 building) is just as bad. Slow service, inconsistent food, order wrong, etc. Anything you can think of going wrong, well, goes wrong. Several people ordered the same thing and each plate was different.

To top it off, they don't accept Debit, Mastercard or Amex. Visa only, paying the bill was a bitch.

I work in that building. We were all happy when we heard Nellies was opening up but the piss poor service and inconsistencies ruined it.

There's just nothing good to eat around this area.

kenny
01-11-2010, 03:51 PM
Originally posted by w_man


I work in that building. We were all happy when we heard Nellies was opening up but the piss poor service and inconsistencies ruined it.

There's just nothing good to eat around this area.

Nonsense. Vietnamese Village ;)

Zhariak
01-11-2010, 03:59 PM
Once I went to Wild ginger with 12+ people...

Sat and sat, and sat...

35 minutes went by without anyone even greeting us...

Ended up leaving. I'm surprised some restaurants can operate like this.

atgilchrist
01-11-2010, 04:05 PM
I was eating at the Nellie's on 17 and 9th one day, seated at the bar where I could see the kitchen because the place was full. One of the cooks dropped an omlette on the floor, quickly bent down and scooped it onto a plate and proceeded to garnish it.

I flagged the manager down and told her (in her defence, she looked genuinely pissed and went in the kitchen to sort it out), but needless to say, I haven't eaten there since.

Tik-Tok
01-11-2010, 05:35 PM
We also had a shitty experience at that same Nellies, that was years ago now, but we haven't been back since.

bubbley
01-15-2010, 04:01 PM
Well they just got raped by health authorities 60k in fines :eek: :barf: :thumbsdow

Nellie's Calgary (http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2010/01/15/12484416.html)

E36M3
01-15-2010, 04:58 PM
That does not surprise me.. place is DIRTY.. I actually like it once in a while but it is a shit hole.


Originally posted by bubbley
Well they just got raped by health authorities 60k in fines :eek: :barf: :thumbsdow

Nellie's Calgary (http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2010/01/15/12484416.html)

max_boost
01-15-2010, 05:03 PM
Let me tell you this, the Health Inspectors are really easy to deal with. To have it escalate and the violations repeated over and over to the point where it has to go to court and finally heavy fines are imposed, that tells you how dirty this place was/is and how the owner/managers just didn't give a shit. :D

E36M3
01-15-2010, 05:10 PM
That is absolutely true, at least in Calgary.. it would be next to impossible to get shut down, fined etc.. just about anything sketchy you can think of can be rectified and passed.. they are super reasonable, so you can infer that they would have to try really hard to be fined and someone who is shut down must just not give a shit at all.


Originally posted by max_boost
Let me tell you this, the Health Inspectors are really easy to deal with. To have it escalate and the violations repeated over and over to the point where it has to go to court and finally heavy fines are imposed, that tells you how dirty this place was/is and how the owner/managers just didn't give a shit. :D

98brg2d
01-15-2010, 05:13 PM
I had problems at the 90th ave location as well. We sat around for 15 or 20 minutes waiting for coffee, ready to order, and when our waitress finally came back and asked if we were ready and we answered "yes", she turned around and walked away! It took her another 10 minutes to come back at which point we where like WTF! She did the same thing when she asked if we were ready to pay, walked away and didn't bring the bill, even after my brother stood by the cash register for 10 minutes. Total airhead!

rage2
01-15-2010, 06:34 PM
Originally posted by w_man
I work in that building. We were all happy when we heard Nellies was opening up but the piss poor service and inconsistencies ruined it.

There's just nothing good to eat around this area.

Originally posted by kenny
Nonsense. Vietnamese Village ;)
Edo Japan, Paul's, Dakota Deli (for the take out Donair)... lots of choices. And ya, VV 3-4x a week haha.

sloan
01-15-2010, 06:34 PM
Here is a good site if you want to see what the violations are.
http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/707.asp

Disoblige
01-15-2010, 06:47 PM
Originally posted by rage2
The one on 7th Ave and 9th Street (in the Plaza 1000 building) is just as bad. Slow service, inconsistent food, order wrong, etc. Anything you can think of going wrong, well, goes wrong. Several people ordered the same thing and each plate was different.

To top it off, they don't accept Debit, Mastercard or Amex. Visa only, paying the bill was a bitch.

Haha.. What's a good place to get lunch where you are? Is Sate Sub any good? Would kinda suck having to cycle between Timmies, Subway, and McDicks all the time.

Edit: Doh, didn't see few posts above. Didn't know there was an Edo close by.

kaput
01-15-2010, 06:56 PM
.

swak
01-15-2010, 08:03 PM
Oh man, good on you for even leaving the $5...
I would have raised hell, sat back down then waited for my breakfast on the house.

That is complete BS.

I work in the hospitality industry, and customer service is KEYY!!
It is so easy to provide a high standard service, this is completely BS!

Unknown303
01-16-2010, 07:11 AM
I would forget about the bad service and just get out of there because of the 30 health violations between the Nellies in Calgary.

Neil4Speed
01-16-2010, 09:39 AM
Everyone Raves about Nellies but I have always found it to be over rated. There are many better places to go, Coras (which is marginally better), Diner Deluxe, Galaxie Diner, Avenue Diner, Dairy Lane Milk Bar.

403Gemini
01-16-2010, 12:06 PM
Originally posted by atgilchrist
I was eating at the Nellie's on 17 and 9th one day, seated at the bar where I could see the kitchen because the place was full. One of the cooks dropped an omlette on the floor, quickly bent down and scooped it onto a plate and proceeded to garnish it.

I flagged the manager down and told her (in her defence, she looked genuinely pissed and went in the kitchen to sort it out), but needless to say, I haven't eaten there since.

Sadly, welcome to 90% of the kitchens in Calgary... not just breakfast places - restaurants like Earls, Joeys, Moxies, etc. aren't safe from this type of behaviour.

We have all likely eaten a floor steak sometime in our lives.


Originally posted by Neil4Speed
Everyone Raves about Nellies but I have always found it to be over rated. There are many better places to go, Coras (which is marginally better), Diner Deluxe, Galaxie Diner, Avenue Diner, Dairy Lane Milk Bar.

I always goto Cora's down in okotoks... their crunchy crepe = :drool:

gatorade
01-16-2010, 04:54 PM
what a crock of shit, the owner tries to portray herself as a struggling single mother with two kids but she has the money to open 6 restaurants, one just recently, she isn't struggling at all.

badatusrnames
01-16-2010, 05:09 PM
Originally posted by bubbley
Well they just got raped by health authorities 60k in fines :eek: :barf: :thumbsdow

Nellie's Calgary (http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2010/01/15/12484416.html)


The breaches, which occurred over a period of 12 years, included having mouse droppings in food, prosecutor Rob O’Neill told court.

:barf:

JordanEG6
01-18-2010, 01:12 PM
Gross, I heard about their shitty service and poor health standards.

Cora's FTW. I had great service there, and the restaurant had excellent lighting, clean tables and was big overall compared to a couple Nellie's locations I've been to.

Mar
01-18-2010, 01:43 PM
You actually paid? I have a maximum wait time in restaurants. If they don't bring me the bill or take my money in that amount of time I just get up and leave. Kind of a dine and stroll.

Quickstrike
01-18-2010, 03:09 PM
That is pretty nasty.

“It’s not easy in these times it could conceivably put us out of business,” she said, of the large fine she now has to pay."
Next time clean the fucking place! Lesson learned, I hope.

aragingbull
01-18-2010, 09:04 PM
..., Nellie’s outlets to pay $61,870 for Public Health Act violations

http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2010/01/15/12484416.html

Restaurateur eats meaty fine for serving filthy food
By KEVIN MARTIN, Calgary Sun

Last Updated: 15th January 2010, 5:41pm


Soap, water and a little elbow grease may have saved the owner of a chain of Calgary restaurants more than $60,000 in fines and surcharges, a judge suggested today.

Provincial court Judge Barb Veldhuis, in accepting a joint Crown and defence submission, ordered Roxanne Taylor-King and her five Nellie’s outlets to pay $61,870 for Public Health Act violations.

The breaches, which occurred over a period of 12 years, included having mouse droppings in food, prosecutor Rob O’Neill told court.

Other violations included storing food on floors and in customer areas, keeping eggs at room temperature and inadequate cleaning.

In all, Taylor-King, 50, admitted 43 separate violations at her five restaurants, Nellie’s Cosmic Cafe, Nellie’s Kitchen, Nellie’s on 4th, Nellie’s on 90th and Nellie’s on Kensington.

Veldhuis said the health act breaches involved “absolutely filthy conditions” going back to 1998.

“In my view there’s absolutely no excuse for the filthy conditions which soap and water and elbow grease can take care of,” she said.

“The fact that your operation was not closed down ... is truly amazing,” Veldhuis said.

O’Neill outlined dozens of inspections by health officials who found repeated violations.

Veldhuis said the continued breaches forced inspectors to return to the restaurants over and over again.

“The public health authorities are not here to babysit you,” Veldhuis said.

“There should be a limit on the amount of education that they have to give you,” she said, of a policy that use charges as a last resort.

“You far exceeded the patience of the public health authorities.”

Outside court, a teary Taylor-King vowed to keep her chain, which now numbers six outlets, up to standard.

“I’ve done what I thought was my best to try and run restaurants that people would come to,” she said.

“Can we do better? Yes. Do I want to do better? Yes, Do I hope my customers will keep coming? Yes.”

Taylor-King said the problem keeping employees in the service industry and getting contractors to do repairs contributed to many of the violations.

“It’s not easy in these times it could conceivably put us out of business,” she said, of the large fine she now has to pay.

“It’s definitely a wake-up call for me.”

bigboom
01-19-2010, 10:05 AM
she needed a $60K fine as a wake up call? They will never get another dime of mine.

tarrantas
01-19-2010, 01:53 PM
The one in Marda Loop is owned by the person who owns one other Nellies in Calgary, the other edit: 6 are owned by this lady who obviously fucked up big time. This is probably why you had a good experience there. Personally I think the Marda Loop Nellies is deliciious but they should change their name now or something haha

A790
01-19-2010, 03:56 PM
Originally posted by tarrantas
The one in Marda Loop is owned by the person who owns one other Nellies in Calgary, the other edit: 6 are owned by this lady who obviously fucked up big time. This is probably why you had a good experience there. Personally I think the Marda Loop Nellies is deliciious but they should change their name now or something haha
Do you mean "IS NOT OWNED"?

creeper
01-25-2010, 10:52 AM
I went there mid-week around 11am for a quick breakfast once. Worst dogshit food ever. No $$ for them, and no return trip. Also, the waitress was a complete bitch (shocking, I know).