Ponderosa - Burton

My son took me out to dinner, and it was a terrible experience. We opted for the buffet, but the food was dry, and there were small children playing in the food and dessert bar, resulting in a messy situation. The overall cleanliness of the place seemed lacking. We arrived hungry, especially after spending over $20 for our meal.

Shortly afterward, our server, Theresa, brought my husband his steak. I knew mine would take longer since I had requested my salmon to be well-done and on the dry side (I know I'm a bit odd!). About ten minutes later, when she finally brought my dish, the fries were burnt, and the salmon was undercooked. I was informed that only the fries were supposed to be well done. I asked her to have them cook the salmon a bit longer. When she returned with my salmon, it was burned, covered in black char, and surprisingly, served with the same cold fries from before. I approached the manager and requested that he have a new piece of salmon cooked for me. I explained that I merely wanted it drier than usual, not charred, and that I didn’t want the fries well done. Fifteen minutes later, my entire family had finished their meals and was ready to leave, but I still hadn’t received the dinner I had ordered and paid for. I asked the manager again for a refund, and he offered me just one dollar back on my eleven-dollar meal. Mind you, I hadn’t eaten because I was waiting for my specially ordered dinner. Our waitress was inattentive; she didn't refill our drinks or clear the used dishes from the table, essentially ignoring us. I told the manager that if one dollar was all he could offer, despite my not receiving the food I had paid for, then it was better for him to keep it, and we wouldn’t be coming back. He agreed, and I left quite disappointed. This experience took place at the Ponderosa on Court St. across from Courtland Center in Burton, MI. I sincerely hope no one else has a similar experience.