James Parker
I made reservations well in advance so we could enjoy dinner before a comedy show at Chase Center. Unfortunately, the experience fell far short of expectations. When we arrived, there was no host at the door for nearly five minutes. Not a huge issue, but surprising for an upscale restaurant. We were seated upstairs with a nice view and ordered cocktails and appetizers. The appetizers arrived quickly—before our drinks even showed up. It took about 45 minutes to receive our first round of cocktails. I had asked our server to put in a second round while he was “checking” on the first, but he waited until the first set finally arrived before doing so. The appetizers themselves were excellent. The beef tartare on bone marrow was delicious, and while the oysters were just okay this time, I’ve had better here before. The service, however, continued to decline. We had ordered mac and cheese as a side with our main course, but it never arrived at any point during the meal. Our server didn’t mention it, didn’t apologize, and clearly didn’t even remember we ordered it. After more than an hour, we still hadn’t received our second round of cocktails or our mains. Our server told us he was going to personally check on everything. The drinks finally arrived, and when I asked if I had time to step outside for a quick smoke before the food came out, he told me it was already “up” and about to be served. Moments later, I watched him walk past us holding a hamburger and deliver it to another table without saying a word. Then he disappeared for another 15–20 minutes. When my burger finally showed up, it was completely overcooked—well done, even though I ordered it medium-rare. The manager offered to replace it, but after waiting an hour and a half already, I didn’t have time. She ultimately comped the meal, which I appreciated, but the overall experience was still extremely disappointing. To make matters worse, I saw Tyler Florence taking photos with customers and heading out to the same show. As the owner, you’d expect him to ensure the restaurant was running smoothly—especially on a busy event night. My first visit to Miller & Lux was great, and the food is clearly high quality. But this experience really soured things. The explanation given was that a large crowd came in before the show—yet being located in a venue, this restaurant should be prepared for exactly that. Tonight, they weren’t.
