Fine Print

What can I say.
Never in my life have I been treated like this.

My boss presented me for working 15 years for him with a bottle of sparkling wine and a 150€-voucher for a visit at a restaurant of my choice.

That was in May and ever since - Ingo was sick inbetween rather often - I was looking forward to spend the money at OX.

We were too early and went to Schadt´s for a small beer and by chance I saw this card from El Gaucho - and took it!

The one Steakhouse we were over and done with.

J said, come back and tell, ok?

Ingo´s expression says a lot, no?

The "best" Steakhouse in town, right?

They really try to be "better" than others.

I wanted an Argentian 180g-steak, Ingo a rib-eye.
The waiter said El Gaucho is their biggest competitor.
Oh. Really?

Maybe that´s why they make the "efford" to have their own wine and...

70C-hot beef stock.
Which, sadly, didn´t taste good.

I asked if there was roasted bread aside (as in El Gaucho).

The 20-something waiter told me: No. Just the meat.
Strange, but ok, we ordered bread.

Guess what.
10 minutes later the waiter comes back and announces: The salad bar is open now for you, take as much as you like.

??? I said, well, we wouldn´t have ordered the bread then!

Waiter, nasally-arrogant from high, high above: It says so in fine print.

That was the moment I actually wanted to leave.

Very obviously we´re not good enough for their fine restaurant.
I call it "lying", but who cares.

We waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.

Got up, took our stuff, went to the bar and Ingo said, we wanna pay our beer.

I mean, seriously over 30 minutes???
We´ve been in some steakhouses, it took 15 minutes max. And we were the first "guests" to order, too.

We have a different method, that takes longer.

That´s fine, inform the guest!!! Before letting him wait endlessly.

In the end we didn´t have to pay at all and had this instead:

A told us she´d learned in such a "fine" restaurant and was advised, too, to not inform "innocent" guests about the fine print.
And that she´s happy to work at Schadt´s, too.

Hey, OX.
We´ll pay your biggest competitor another visit.
Never say never, right.

Such a huge disappointment.

Such arrogance.

I´ll happily give my bosses` money to someone else!

Call me naive, I´m happy to not visit restaurants that work with fine print for fine people.

Btw, we heard other guests order their meat "well done"!
HA! So much for "best in town" - having money does not mean you know how to order a best steak.