3 /5 Karen Stepherson: My waiter Meek was the best. He was personable, listened, had a sense of humor because I kept teasing him about his name, was attentive and made sure our order was correct and that our food came out on time. I was in town from Dallas, Texas visiting my family that I hadnt seen in four years and since the death of my father. I was excited to see my cousins and my aunt and we were having a great time until the manager came over to micro manage Meek. Everyone was laughing and chatting as I was thoroughly enjoying myself. I guess the manager didnt like the fact that we were having such a good time and informed Meek that there was a long line (which was a lie) and people were waiting. Basically, he wanted us to leave. There were tons of open tables all around us, but for some reason those tables I presume wasnt good enough. One of my cousins is a retired sheriff and she asked him if there was a problem. The manager informed her that there was a long line at the front. She asked what did it have to do with us. He ignored her and called Meek over and said something to him. By the look on Meeks face you could tell it wasnt good. After the manager walked away, we asked was he ok and he stated yes, but he was obviously upset. We decided to sit a little while longer and ordered dessert. The manager came back and glared at us a few times and surprisingly there was only ONE group of 5 people who were waiting to be seated and they were seated in a booth behind us. They also glared. Then I stated where they could hear me clearly..."My name is Karen, dont make me act like one!" My family laughed as well as I. What started out as a great family dinner was interrupted by a rude manager who couldnt stand to see the joy these Black folks were displaying in "his" establishment. I contemplated whether I would write this review because I was torn, but I wanted to document the fact that MEEK was an excellent waiter and that he shouldnt have had to be subjected to whatever negative thing the manager said to him as it related to his interactions with us. Needless to say, I wont patronize that particular BJs again when Im in town, because we werent welcomed as we shouldve been and my family stated they will find another location. It was more like we were tolerated. The manager needs some training on how to handle people who dont look like him. Specifically on his facial expressions and the tone in voice as it was very different in the way he addressed us compared to the way he addressed the other groups that didnt look like us! Its 2026, not 1826! I will say the patron margarita was excellent. The Ahi salad I had was divine. The avocado egg rolls were delicious. Everything was great EXCEPT the managers attitude towards us!
