3 /5 margaret sweet: On Tuesday evening, after Deck the Chairs with my neighbor, we stopped by Miller’s Ale House on Kids Eat Free night with two adults and four kids (all 4 and under, one being an infant). Everyone was hungry, and since this is a promotion the restaurant chooses to offer, we didn’t think twice about coming in.
I was a waitress for 14 years before becoming a mom, so I tend to be pretty understanding, but from the moment we walked in, the tone felt off.
We were greeted by Colleen, who visibly seemed put out when I said “two adults and four kids.” She told us she needed time, which was completely fine. I explained we still needed to unload the kids and were in no rush. When we returned, she said she still wasn’t ready, again, no problem. We used the restroom and continued to wait patiently.While waiting, the toddlers grabbed menus and sat quietly on the bench. Colleen then told us there was “no need to sit” and instructed us to “put the menus back we took”, making it very clear we were an inconvenience simply for existing there.
Our waitress, Madelyn, began the interaction by immediately explaining (before even greeting us) that we had to order adult entrees to participate in Kids Eat Free and that we’d be capped at two kids meals, stating she was telling us this so we “wouldn’t get mad at her.” The policy itself wasn’t the issue, we fully expected to order meals, drinks, and an appetizer. It was the delivery.
We are two 30+ military wives who walked into an establishment on a night they created, not one we demanded.
Our kids eat like birds. Kids Eat Free night is honestly a great way to let little kids explore a menu without wasting food when they decide one fry is enough. If they ate like adults, we’d feed them like adults.
What was frustrating is that we were made to feel judged for being moms with young children. For the record, our kids are what we lovingly call feral, but we hold them to expectations. We clean up before we leave, and we will absolutely leave if we feel we’re disturbing others. This night? They were angels. No screaming, no crying, no spills. The wildest moments were my infant making googly eyes at a man behind her and a toddler playing peekaboo over the bench with another guest.
The food was good. A soup was forgotten and a bit brushed off, but as a former waitress, I get it, things happen.
What lingered was the feeling that we should never have walked in the door simply for participating in Kids Eat Free night as intended.
I do want to recognize one bright spot: a very kind waitress (unfortunately didn’t catch her name) noticed I left my phone in the bathroom, took it to the hostess stand, and even offered to grab it for me. She was also the first (and only) person who smiled at us that night. Thank you for that.
Service matters. Especially to families who are trying to enjoy a meal out and teach their kids how to exist politely in public.
