Stranded (and seething) in 'Bag of Beans'... and the story of THREE.

(photo: http://coffee.groups.vox.com)

(Warning, this is a rant.)

I'm a semi-foodie. I love going to places with nice and unique ambiance, and of course good food (duh!). And if i really liked the place, i go back again and again, despite whatever minor mishaps i might have experienced.

Except for now.

I just arrived from Tagaytay via Coastal road in Cavite (w/c i've never tried before). It would have been a pretty normal, maybe even adventurous drive for me except that my mood was ruined already by my less than an hour stay at Bag of Beans. 

You see, I never miss an opportunity to drop by this famous coffee shop whenever i'm in Tagaytay (I love their strawberry cheesecake). Even with their not-so cheap prices, i always savored these rare visits... and somehow tolerated their poor service because the ambiance always make up for it. Today however was different... and may i point out, exceedingly annoying.

When arrived in Bag of Beans (still smiling and giddy as always), i chose one of those cute and cozy nooks they have in the garden. After settling in, i scanned the place for waiters so i can ask for the menu. After a while, i saw one and mouthed to her that i wanted to see the menu. She saw me and acknowledged my request... three minutes later, no menu arrived. I decided to stand up and let myself more 'visible' since as i said, i was in their corner table, and again signaled to the next waiter i saw, but still no menu came. I was getting a bit impatient this time, and finally after the third try, the 'menu' finally arrived in my hands. Deciding what to eat took less than 2 minutes since i was already hungry, but getting their attention took another 5 minutes or more! Good thing they were able to serve my order faster than i was already anticipating. While waiting for my food, i learned that i was not the only dissatisfied customer -- i heard others already coming up to the cooking area following up on their orders and complaining of the slow service.

(photo: http://pinoycentric.com, the 'nook' i was stranded in)

Tsk, tsk... i said to myself. It's too bad that their food and ambiance would be marred by their poor service. I surveyed the area and saw that there were quite a number of waiters working, but they never seem to look at the customers -- as if avoiding your eye. Maybe there were just too many customers that day that they felt overwhelmed, but still asking for an order should not take three (or more) requests/follow-ups. It gets annoying having to repeat yourself over and over again.

After having my fill, i decided to mellow down and savor my kapeng barako. I would have stayed longer except that it was starting to rain and i remembered that i didn't bring an umbrella, and i was parked quite far. So i signaled for my bill (and yes she saw and acknowledged my request). About 5 minutes later, no bill came. The rain was beginning to come down hard and i saw many of the other customers being ushered inside and attended to, but my bill never came. I again stood up and saw the same waitress i signalled to, and indicated that i wanted my bill. "Oh great, she remembered!" -- was what i thought after seeing her reaction. Ten minutes passed, the rain was pouring hard already and i was getting really annoyed. The last family sitting in the garden was ushered in and attended too, yet ignoring my 'ate' and 'kuya' calls. This time i was really getting pissed off coz it seemed that they were purposely avoiding me! Being the only customer left outside, stuck in my own little 'nook', getting wet from the rain splatters... and yes, extremely annoyed, I was already contemplating on leaving without paying or at least contest the service charge i know they would charge me (WHat service??!! Why should i pay for your poor service?!). Finally, after what felt like forever (and me already seething), the third person i signaled for handed me over my bill. At that time I couldn't help but snap at him, and demanded that he send me off near the parking area with an umbrella after i pay the bill! I felt sorry for the guy but i was really, really extremely pissed off! And to top it all off, the cashier decided to finish calculating all other bills first before giving my change, even if i was clearly waiting for it and asked for it... guess what... yes, THREE TIMES!!!! 

This event sealed Bag of Beans' fate in my foodie scale... my patience was tested too many times (count 12 times in less than an hour!!). NEVER again would i visit that place, nor would i recommend it to anybody i know. They should develop a scheme or plan to improve their service, or pretty soon 'ambiance' alone won't knack it.

My new rating? TWO out of FIVE stars (and that's still being a bit kind).