⭐ 1 Star – Absolutely Unacceptable Experience at Marlow’s Tavern on Ridgewalk Parkway in Woodstock
Without question, one of the most disappointing restaurant experiences I've had in a long time.
My wife and I stopped in for lunch, and from beginning to end, the experience was a complete disaster.
First, our meals took an unreasonable amount of time to arrive. When they finally did, my New York strip steak was well done despite specifically ordering it medium rare. That's a pretty significant mistake for a restaurant that serves steaks.
I sent it back, only to wait an excessive amount of time AGAIN. When the replacement finally arrived, it was practically BLUE RAW! Not medium rare, not even rare. Nearly raw. They managed to completely ruin the same order TWICE, first by overcooking it and then by barely cooking it at all.
Meanwhile, I was left sitting there watching my wife eat her lunch while I had absolutely nothing to eat.
And here's the most ridiculous part: We literally left Marlow's and had to go to McDonald's because I was STILL HUNGRY! Think about that. We went to a sit-down restaurant expecting a decent lunch, wasted all that time, and ended up going to McDonald's just so I could actually get something to eat. Absolutely pathetic.
The service didn't help matters. Our waitress was mediocre at best, inattentive, and showed very little urgency despite the repeated kitchen mistakes and lengthy delays.
But what really put this experience over the top was the bill. After wasting our entire lunch, ruining my meal twice, and sending me out the door hungry, they still had the audacity to charge us for my wife's meal.
There were no alcoholic beverages, no complicated orders, and no unusual requests. Just a couple trying to enjoy lunch together. When a restaurant fails this badly, I believe management should have the common sense and courtesy to take care of the entire check. Instead, we paid for the privilege of having our lunch ruined.
I've visited the Marlow's Tavern location in East Cobb, and the difference is night and day. The East Cobb location is far superior. I forgot to take pictures of the New York strip, but the second steak was cut in half and visibly extremely rare, with a substantial amount of red juice. Marlow’s needs to reevaluate its kitchen standards, service, and approach to customer satisfaction.
Two steaks prepared incorrectly, excessive waiting, inattentive service, a ruined lunch, and a customer who had to go to McDonald's afterward just to get something to eat. That's an embarrassment for a restaurant charging these prices.
I certainly won't be returning to this location anytime soon.