"Where do I start? I'll start with the bottom line up front... Cons: Terrible experience with picking up an online order. I would have gotten my food faster if I ordered at the restaurant and waited. Also, I paid for an appetizer that I did NOT receive. Pros: Hostess stayed polite. Manager apologized and attempted to ameliorate the error(s). This was my first (and last) time ordering online from Clyde's in Chevy Chase. My dad's favorite birthday meal is lobster from Clyde's. I decided to pick up a few lobsters and two appetizers (soup and calamari) for my dad's 71st birthday. I ordered the food online and was notified that the food was ready for pickup prior to me getting there. I inquired at the front desk when I arrived and the very nice hostess told me it would be a few minutes. About 15 minutes later she said she would check with the kitchen. She returned and told me they were packing up the food and it would be just a few more minutes. A lot more than a few minutes passed and now I'm getting annoyed. The annoyance must have shown on my face because a guy (maybe an assistant manager) approached me and asked if I was waiting for an order. He said he would check on it. When he was back in my eyesight he was holding a to-go bag and I was glad the wait was over. However, it wasn't. The food wasn't mine. He didn't come back to me to give me a status update, but I saw him speak to someone else (another worker). Shortly after that a manager approached me and she said there had been some confusion about my order. It would be another 10 minutes. I explained that I was frustrated because I ordered the food a long time ago and that this was for my dad's birthday dinner, which is now behind schedule. She apologized and offered two free desserts. I said fine because I was just really annoyed and trying to keep calm about the whole situation. But we had absolutely no need for two desserts since we already had his favorite cake. Anyway, the 10 minutes pass and I'm still waiting. Around the 15 minute mark I approach the hostess and ask her to please check on the food again. She returned and told me it would be about another 5 minutes. At this point I'm thinking to myself this has to be a joke. If it were not the fact that the lobster was for my dad I would have respectfully asked for a refund in full and been done. Anyway, the manager comes back to me and tells me it will be another few minutes. In addition to offering the two free desserts, she apologized again and gave me a gift card for a solid amount (which I gifted to my dad, of course). After the very frustrating experience, I did appreciate the effort to try to make it right. However, when I got to my dad's house and took the food out of the bag, the appetizer (calamari) was MISSING. After all that...an hour for the food that was supposed to be ready when I got there and didn't even start getting made until at least 15 minutes after I arrived...the order I received wasn't even complete. Like...REALLY?!?!"
