$7 In – Bside Bistro

This is probably the most shocking post for me. Benitz and Bsides have always been in my book, the restaurants with some of the best service in Ottawa. In fact, Benitz received one of my tip jar submissions because the service was so good. It kind of kills me to post this because I know, had I had another server, I would have been very happy with the service. To top it off, I found our meal last night to be so much better than the first time we went. Had the service been just as good, I would have re-rated this restaurant under a higher star number. Unfortunately, the woman who served us last night did not fit the bill. From the minute we got there I felt like we were not wanted. Like we were that extra table she just wished she didn't have. I watched her at the other tables, they seemed to get more attention than we did. I also watched the other waiter and wished he were ours. The service i've come to expect at this restaurant had not changed in his books. He was giving those tables impeccable service. The wait to order a drink when we first arrived was a little longer than it should have been. That's ok. But the wait to order, or to try and get her attention for a glass of water was not acceptable. She didn't smile. When asked a question about something she didn't know, she tried to make it like the person asking the question was the dumb one. She forgot one of my friend's main course. And the topper, she asked us if we wanted dessert, a couple of us asked for the menu. When she returned, my original thought to not have dessert changed, I began to ask her a question about the menu and she quickly cut me off – Wait! Do any of you drive a such and such and are parked in the back? It was a rude cut-off, there are many nicer ways to ask. It wasn't our vehicle, but she never returned to answer my question, she just stormed off. Another friend of mine, who felt they hadn't had enough to eat previously and who was very excited to have some dessert lost interest. As did I. When she finally did return, a very long time afterward, we just wanted to leave. We did not order dessert, coffee, port, or anything. At first I thought perhaps I was just being a snot about it all. But I consulted the others after we left and they agreed, the service was just plain bad. I tipped more than I wanted to, but less than 15%. I gave her 10%. She probably deserved about 5. All that to say, here's $7 to add to the tip jar.