Image by Micheal Phinney via Saratoga Living
What a view watching an Autumnal sunset from the beach at 550 Waterfront on Saratoga Lake. I'm actually not sure which to appreciate more; The blue, pink, and orange striations mingled with fluffy white clouds across the sky meeting the red, orange, and green dappled mountains and calm lake below, or the modern architecture with stark white board and batten and a well-blended mixture of black, white, and wood tones. Both are a very beautiful sight, especially for someone in the design field who adores the beauty of architecture. Everything about this establishment screams "Saratoga!"
Having heard both good and bad reviews of this re-born restaurant and bar, I had to find out for myself. I have to admit, as a planner, it was very off-putting that they don't accept reservations, and I wasn't thrilled that my estimated wait time would be an hour and forty minutes for a two-top. When checking in with an attendant in the parking lot, we were told that we would be able to go to the patio for drinks and appetizers while waiting for our table. In all honesty, if they didn't offer drinks and apps while waiting, I don't think I would have stuck around. We walked through the restaurant, and out to the patio and beach area which was adorned with a few gas firepits, Adirondack chairs, and picnic tables. There were people everywhere... so this must be the place!
There were four picnic tables in a sandy spot off to the side, all of which were completely empty. No people, no condiments or place settings, and certainly no signs. Trying to save myself and my date the frustration of juggling drinks and appetizers in an Adirondack chair (if I could even find a group that wasn't occupied), we took a seat at one of the picnic tables. The other three picnic tables quickly filled with other patrons. The table behind us sat themselves in the same manner that we had, ordered and received a round of drinks as we watched the cocktail waitresses taking orders and delivering drinks and food all around us. After thirty minutes without any acknowledgement, my date went up to the bar to try and order us drinks. The bartender said that due to COVID he couldn't serve drinks over the bar, which we understood, and said he would send a cocktail waitress to our table right away. About 10 minutes later we flagged down a food runner and asked if we could order some drinks. She said she wasn't sure if they were serving the picnic tables anymore and would ask her manager. Having overheard our conversation, the patrons at the other two picnic tables asked for clarification... were any of us ever going to get served?
A relatively short time after, Molly, a very friendly waitress approached our table. She said that they are no longer serving the picnic tables, only people sitting on the rock wall and in the Adirondack chairs, but at the request of her manager she would be taking care of us. I'm pretty sure my jaw hit the sand. I was really unimpressed with the complete lack of communication from management to the full 550 team. The attendant in the parking lot, the bartender, and the food runners and waitresses were all on different pages. The patrons at the picnic table behind us had been served but the other three tables were left ignored. It also didn't make any sense to me that they wouldn't be pushing drinks and appetizers on people waiting for their table to be ready. Drinks should be where you make your money! The more a patron drinks, the more they will spend on food. Not to mention, if it wasn't their intent to serve these tables, the tables should've been clearly marked so that we knew not to sit there.
Despite the misunderstanding, I would absolutely praise Molly for her service; She was attentive and prompt. She started us off with drinks. My classic margarita with a sugar rim was perfectly balanced, not too much tequila and not too much mix - kudos to the bartender! We then moved on to appetizers; Maryland Hot Crab Dip and Bavarian Soft Pretzels. They both came out relatively quickly and were so delicious that my mouth is watering all over again as I sit here thinking about them (especially that crab dip)! About another 20 minutes later and we received notification that our table was ready. The timing was great as the sun had set and the breeze coming off the water was chilly.
We headed inside the restaurant and were sat a table near the bar. Our new waitress (I believe her name was Katherine), was also very prompt with service. My second margarita was consistent with the first one, which after watching many episodes of Bar Rescue, is something that I have begun to pay attention to. I ordered the Poke Bowl, which consists of marinated Ahi Tuna, sticky rice, cucumber, wakame, sesame seeds, crispy panko, sriracha mayo, and sweet soy. It was absolutely delicious, and my mouth is watering yet again.
Image by Victoria Pardi via Instagram
I truly appreciated the fact that our waitress returned to our table after a few bites to make sure that everything tasted okay. That is honestly one of the most important things that a waitress can do in my opinion, so I praise her for that. I wish I could speak for the other patrons who experienced the same frustration as us, but I will say that essentially everyone we came into contact with had excellent customer service skills as well as interpersonal skills in general. Of course miscommunication and misunderstandings happen, but it was the way that our frustration was handled that impressed me and restored my faith. At this moment, I have not decided if I will return for another meal. Perhaps when more COVID restrictions have been lifted and the restaurant can operate at full capacity and/or starts accepting reservations I will return. Everyone deserves a second chance, and in all seriousness, the food is phenomenal so I can only imagine what their craft cocktails are like!
Have you tried 550 Waterfront? What was your experience like? What restaurant or bar should I review next? Send me an email at whilethecatnaps@yahoo.com or send me a DM on Instagram!
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