Cydney's----Bad Experience

[shielamex]

Just moved here 1 month ago and after all the reviews, thought we'd give Cydney's Lunchtime a try. It really bothers me that my very first post on this board will be so negative but our experience there was terrible. My girlfriend and I both ordered burgers medium. She ordered slaw and I was curious abour the curly fries. Both burgers came out well, well, well done. The fries were limp and oily and we both agreed that the slaw needed a lot of help. I guess she uses yoghurt instead of mayo....nasty. She wasn't there so there was no one to compllain to as right now my Spanish is limited to good morning, good afternoon and where is the restroom. Doubt if we'll return! 

[mhopkins2]

Shiela,  Sorry to read about your exoerience since ours was so positive.  Cydney was, however, there when we were and extremely attentive to us.  She reads this forum so I'm sure will look into your comments and perhaps respond publicly. 

[dcstroker]

3 hours ago, shielamex said:

 My girlfriend and I both ordered burgers medium. She ordered slaw and I was curious abour the curly fries. Both burgers came out well, well, well done. 

Glad to know it wasn't just me. Really enjoy their food and the service but the last hamburger I ordered I ordered medium also and it definitely came out well done (almost to being hard).

[shielamex]

We had a little neighborhood Italian restaurant named Geno's. When he was there, the food was great. When he wasn't, not so much. I just talked to someone else who highly recommended Cydney's so maybe we'll give it another shot...when she's there!

[SunshineyDay]

How will you know when she is there?

[Travis]

That's strange. I've had two hamurgers there and both were perfectly cooked. Cydney and I have even joked about it because I was really speciic the first time I ordered one...."between medium and medium well"....then I heard her back in the kitchen trying to make sure the young woman cooking it would get it right. I finally yelled back to them, "Relax!!! I'm not THAT particular!"

I encourage you to give it another try.

[CBGUY]

Cydney is in Texas and I think she's coming back around the 26th. My wife and I have eaten there many times and have always been pleased with the food and service. I was one of the very first to "sample" her burgers and thought it was excellent. Give her another try, you won't be disappointed!

[Kevin K]

A group of 5 of us, all of whom had eaten there before, had lunch at Cydney's yesterday. Cydney wasn't there. 

4 of us ordered the exact same lunch special from the blackboard: a pulled pork sandwich with fries or slaw and iced tea. The other person ordered a tuna wrap. It took over 40 minutes for the food to arrive, and there was only one other table occupied (by a couple who received their food as we sat down). Now considering that the pork BBQ had to already have been made, that's an amazing amount of time to assemble 4 sandwiches, fry up some fries and make one wrap. 

The kitchen here has always been slow but this is a new record and despite the good quality of the food I won't be back unless I hear things have improved substantially. A place with such limited hours (lunch only, M-F only) needs to be a whole lot better to compete with the likes of Gossip's, Adelita's, Trip's or even Bruno's (which used to often win the slow kitchen prize until Cydney's came along). Made-to-order and fresh is great and no one expects N.O.B. service here but Cydney's has problems. 

 

[RVGRINGO]

I have a suspicion that may explain the frequency of long waiting times for food in many small restaurants, where there is not a steady stream of customers:

Could it be the high cost of electricity?  Note that many small businesses, of all types, frequently remain dark until a customer arrives. Then, they turn on the lights. So, I suspect that many small restaurants do not keep the deep fryer, or the grill hot when they are not in constant use. Therefore, it would require waiting for them to get hot enough to cook after a newly arrived customer ordered something which required the use of those appliances.  That takes time; especially for a deep fryer full of cold oil.

[gringal]

40 minutes ago, RVGRINGO said:

I have a suspicion that may explain the frequency of long waiting times for food in many small restaurants, where there is not a steady stream of customers:

Could it be the high cost of electricity?  Note that many small businesses, of all types, frequently remain dark until a customer arrives. Then, they turn on the lights. So, I suspect that many small restaurants do not keep the deep fryer, or the grill hot when they are not in constant use. Therefore, it would require waiting for them to get hot enough to cook after a newly arrived customer ordered something which required the use of those appliances.  That takes time; especially for a deep fryer full of cold oil.

It's probably the natural result of trying to run a restaurant out of your garage.

[shielamex]

I guess my biggest problem is trying to run a successful business when you're gone most of the time! My partner and I had a small breakfast and lunch restaurant for a little over 23 years and there was never a time where one or both of us weren't there.

By sharp contrast, we went to Panino's the other day and were blown away by the service!!! That's the way to run a restaurant,

[ComputerGuy]

I'd say RV is probably right. There are places here that offer wood-fired pizza, too, but don't start the fire... just in case. And one place I went for grilled steak didn't start the BBQ 'til after I ordered, resulting in over an hour's wait. And this isn't even electricity or gas, for deep-frying oil or grills. If a place here opens at 1 for lunch, I don't go until 2.

That being said, I have to wonder: if you are going to run a restaurant, these are things that are an accepted cost of doing business... unless the culture is different here, and Mexicans expect everything to be slow and late? I doubt, however, this would go over well in Guadalajara.

[bdlngton]

10 hours ago, shielamex said:

I guess my biggest problem is trying to run a successful business when you're gone most of the time! My partner and I had a small breakfast and lunch restaurant for a little over 23 years and there was never a time where one or both of us weren't there.

By sharp contrast, we went to Panino's the other day and were blown away by the service!!! That's the way to run a restaurant,

I think Panino has the best service at Lakeside.  The food is always consistent too.  Lupita really knows how to ru a restaurant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[desafinada]

I agree, Panino is consistent.  I have never had a good meal there.

[Kevin K]

There were others dining already, as there have been every time we've eaten at Cydney's so it's clearly not a question of the grill not being fired up or someone conserving electricity. Each time the routine has been the same: drinks orders are taken and menus offered immediately, and then everyone (not just our table and not just this time) waits for the kitchen to do its thing. This last time was the only one where I've actually looked at my watch and was undoubtedly the worst experience, but I'd estimate the time from ordering to receipt has never been much less than a half hour for any table. Makes Bruno's look like Trip's Burgers by comparison. Not a winning (or sustainable) proposition, even in mañana-land. 

[Wookie]

I know this thread is not about Panino's, however, the comment from desafinada can not be ignored.  We have been going to Panino's for many years as have countless others as witnessed by the busy parking lot every day Monday thru Friday every week ... week in and week out .... year in and year out.  The food is excellent and so is the service.  There have been a couple of times when we have ordered the chicken fried steak that it has not been up to par and Lupita has immediately changed our order ... I know from experience of cooking such meat at home that you can not always know how tender the meat is going to be.  Just think this was an extremely hurtful and unfair comment on one of the best restaurants Lakeside.

[shielamex]

Hi Kevin! I'm sort of the "new kid on the block" and I was just curious. After your extremely long wait at Cydney's, how was the food. When Janet and I were there, no one asked us if the food was ok or anything. The 2 girls just stood behind the counter and talked. After our bad experience, and, reading your review, we won't be going back!

[ficklepie]

On 8/8/2016 at 0:25 PM, shielamex said:

Hi Kevin! I'm sort of the "new kid on the block" and I was just curious. After your extremely long wait at Cydney's, how was the food. When Janet and I were there, no one asked us if the food was ok or anything. The 2 girls just stood behind the counter and talked. After our bad experience, and, reading your review, we won't be going back!

 

It's extremely uncommon to have anyone come up and ask you if your food is ok in Mexico. To exaggerate greatly, in 6 years I could probably count the number of times that's happened on two hands. 40-minute wait for five people? Sounds like nothing to write home about, really. I've found adjusting my expectations for how things "should" be has helped greatly with living outside the United States.

[Wookie]

ficklepie, I don't know where exactly you have been dining here in Mexico because it is rare that the waiter or owner of a restaurant here at Lakeside doesn't come up to the table after the food is served and ask if everything is o.k.  We are most always asked if our food is o.k. at Panino's; Angelina's; Ninette's; Simply Thai; Mom's; Gosha's; La Mision; Rick's; Yves ... just to name a few.  Also, I believe that 4 of the people ordered the special, a pulled pork sandwich.  If it was the special, then the pulled pork should have been ready and the other sandwich was a simple wrap ... maybe 40 minutes might be a little long.

[Kevin K]

On August 8, 2016 at 0:25 PM, shielamex said:

Hi Kevin! I'm sort of the "new kid on the block" and I was just curious. After your extremely long wait at Cydney's, how was the food. When Janet and I were there, no one asked us if the food was ok or anything. The 2 girls just stood behind the counter and talked. After our bad experience, and, reading your review, we won't be going back!

Our waitress did ask how the food was, and they've done so quite consistently. And the food was just fine. The front of the house has their act together, but the kitchen obviously doesn't. 

Asking how the food is is something I only experience in gringo-oriented places here, and we eat at Mexican-oriented places most of the time. Whether it's a taco stand, an excellent sit-down place like Mario's or Chile Verde my experience has been they know they've offered you the best quality they have to offer and are confident, and don't want to interrupt your meal with questions. Personally I'll take that kind of diffident service any day over the typical U.S. restaurant routine ("hi I'm x and I'll be your waiter today, followed by multiple later "how's everything/are you still working on that?" interruptions). 

[ComputerGuy]

I've eaten in many places between here and the U.S. that do not cater to expats, and am always asked how the food is. It's pretty universal. I have to chuckle though, Kevin, if you feel that Chile Verde doesn't cater to us.

[More Liana]

9 hours ago, ComputerGuy said:

I've eaten in many places between here and the U.S. that do not cater to expats, and am always asked how the food is. It's pretty universal. I have to chuckle though, Kevin, if you feel that Chile Verde doesn't cater to us.

I agree with ComputerGuy about being asked.  Even if the server simply says, "Todo bien?", you've been asked if everything is okay.  I can't remember the last time I ate anyplace that catered to expats.  With one glaring exception, I have always been asked, and sometimes more than once.  The glaring exception was the single worst restaurant meal I've eaten in the last five years.  Near the end of my meal there, the chef/owner (a friend of mine) came to the table to kiss, hug, and chat--and not once did he ask how the meal had been.  Trust me, he should have asked.  Read all about it: 

http://mexicocooks.typepad.com/mexico_cooks/2016/07/nudo-negro-daniel-ovadía-in-mexico-city.html

[gringal]

1 hour ago, More Liana said:

I agree with ComputerGuy about being asked.  Even if the server simply says, "Todo bien?", you've been asked if everything is okay.  I can't remember the last time I ate anyplace that catered to expats.  With one glaring exception, I have always been asked, and sometimes more than once.  The glaring exception was the single worst restaurant meal I've eaten in the last five years.  Near the end of my meal there, the chef/owner (a friend of mine) came to the table to kiss, hug, and chat--and not once did he ask how the meal had been.  Trust me, he should have asked.  Read all about it: 

http://mexicocooks.typepad.com/mexico_cooks/2016/07/nudo-negro-daniel-ovadía-in-mexico-city.html

I read the review.  Oh my!  Well, at least they understood your displeasure well enough to comp the meal. 

[ComputerGuy]

That was quite the review. Each of the dishes sounded and looked so interesting. Now, I know More Liana is picky, but she also has a wise pallette that knows the difference in expectations when eating at a roadside stand or a starred restaurant, and I trust her judgment completely. This place certainly failed the grade on every level.

[Mainecoons]

Well that review sure dismembered that restaurant, More Liana!  It should be considered a gold standard for seriously negative reviews.  Makes what we see on this board look pretty tame. 

Sadly, it appears that we have here at Cydney's yet another example of a place that starts out great and then the owner/chef gets distracted or loses interest and the quality goes straight down.  That's a shame but it is a pretty frequent occurrence around here, we've sorta gotten used to it.

Not to worry, there's a new one springing up practically every week.