A well-known Dublin bar and restaurant has slammed what it calls a "false and exaggerated" review given by a customer who complained that they had a "disappointing experience".
The owner of Oscars Cafe Bar in Smithfield tried to "defend their reputation" by posting his response to a harsh review on social media, along with a telling CCTV image. The customer left a review on Google this week, complaining that the hot chocolate was 'warm', the chicken was 'dry' and the steak was 'not pink'.
They wrote: ”I was recommended to come here for a meal from a gentleman at the Jameson Distillery. Really disappointing experience. Wife had a hot chocolate, it was served warm and not hot. Her meal was a chicken burger. The chicken was dry to the point where she couldn't eat it.
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“I had steak and eggs. Waitress asked if it should be pink or not. I said pink. Nothing pink about the steak... When the waitress asked about the food and I informed her, her response was that chicken breast is dry so it's to be expected. I know I'm not the chef, but I do cook and I said that it shouldn't be this dry, her response was ‘maybe you should come work here’. Of course she was joking, but that's not what I wanted to hear.
“She offered no explanation for the steak, but did confirm she told the chef pink. She said she'd tell the chef my feedback, but I just paid the bill and left after the disappointment and responses from the waitress. I can excuse bad food because every chef has a bad meal once in a while, but bad service I can't accept in these circumstances.”
However, despite claiming his wife’s meal was "so dry to the point where she couldn't eat it”, the restaurant hit back with a mortifying CCTV image that tells a different story. They said the photo shows a server removing plates after their meal, which are all completely empty.
In response, the owner of Oscars replied: “Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, albeit a review that we feel is grossly unfair. I am sorry to read you are of the opinion that the hot chocolate wasn't hot, the chicken burger was dry and your steak was overcooked. However, your table was checked on a number of occasions and no issues were brought to the attention of a staff member.
“When your meal was finished you brought these matters to the attention of your server. She was unsure of what to do as all that was left on both your plates was the enamel. I'm sorry her joke caused offence but I can only assume she was as lost for words as I am right now.
“Our manager Dhillen subsequently spoke with you. As the meal had been eaten in its entirety, he offered a 10% discount on your overall bill. You graciously accepted this discount.
“Sir, we are happy to receive constructive criticism at any point. However, feedback that is littered with exaggerations and downright lies will be treated with the contempt it deserves.”
Sharing the exchange on social media along with a CCTV image, Oscars added: “Before we get attacked for ‘shaming our customers’ , all we are doing is defending our reputation. A false and exaggerated review such as this causes a lot of upset to our entire team , from the kitchen , to servers , to management.”
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