TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Monday, Monday.......

Monday, Monday - can't trust that day........

Awoke at 5:45 to pitch black skies so I rolled over and decided to read in bed for a while and the next thing I knew, it was quarter to seven and the sun was pouring through our balcony slider. Darn! I missed the actual daybreak again!! I'm definitely slipping. But clearly, you could see it was going to be a spectacular St. Maarten day.

We more or less dilly-dallied around much of the morning doing the typical coffee and pastry out on the balcony because I had something to do at ten.........we finally set out for the Royal Palm to pay a phone bill and got to chinwag with Sharon Harris for a bit and catch up on 'stuff' before we landed back at El Zafiro. For all who were worried about them making a good name for themselves there, worry no more. We spent the day with them once again and virtually every available chair on their stretch of beach was occupied and most of the guests were doing lunch as well as drinks. Needless to say, we were no exception - DH had a burger that he thought was great and I had the shrimp Caesar Salad which I enjoyed as well. Good choices and a really nice day there.

We hung out on the beach till about 2:30ish at which point we headed back to the Towers, all the while trying to plan our evening. So many great places and so little time to enjoy them all, but remembering the excellent evening we spent there last April with the family we decided to return to a particular Simpson Bay restaurant. I called and was assured reservations weren't necessary. Hmmm!

So naps, showers and cocktails all behind us we headed out for an early dinner and then a little time at the casino maybe? We were so disappointed in our evening....... I even wanted to speak to the manager but This was vetoed by my DH.

I really don't know what the problem was but our service was so slow and then we saw sixteen dinners served to patrons who either ordered well after us and in two cases, even arrived after us. And no, we didn't order involved meals or appetizers which might have slowed the entrees down. Our server came over at one point and told us she was sorry it was taking so long but two of the waitstaff hadn't come in tonight (and this had what to do with our meals being so delayed?), but our meals would be out shortly. Finally, after another twenty minutes we were served and don't you know it - the meat was over cooked in one case and medium raw in the other.

Our disappointment in both our meals was obvious and in all fairness, our server did offer to redo the dinners but at that point it was almost 9pm so we said no thank you, and at least enjoyed the lobster tail portion of our surf and turf. I can't tell you how disappointed I was and I still believe we should have spoken to the manager but he wouldn't come anywhere near our table or us as we were leaving and my DH hates to complain about anything. And this is but one of the reasons I so strenuously object to the now customary habit of restaurants adding in the 15% service. Usually we will add a little more to bring it up to at least the twenty percent mark but this was definitely not one of those occasions, for sure, and had I had my way I would have seen the sc removed. We paid our bill and left and I doubt I'll be inclined to return or recommend it.

Oh well, we're generally pretty easy to please and I will openly admit. we're not food connoisseurs, but I can honestly say this is only the second dinner in all our many SXM trips that really ended up as a disappointment so I guess it is what it is! By the time we finally left it was getting late and I was getting cranky so we decided perhaps this wasn't a good night to waste more money making our regular contribution to the SXM casino industry.

So home and to bed and today's a new day.

Monday, Monday - sometimes it just turns out that way!

Thanks for the update. I would have dealt with the manager.

I think I was right behind you at El Zafiro. Yes the place seems to have been discovered. The people that work there are super friendly and competent. And the kitchen seems to have worked out the problems.

Sorry to hear about your poor dining experience. About El Zafiro- if we arrive by 10 do you think we could get chairs? Plan on checking it out in 2 weeks. Thanks for the daily reports- they are always appreciated.

It must have been Skipjacks. We run into that same problem every time we tried eating there. Will not go back.

I thought the description fit our experience with I'isola next to the Hollywood Casino. It was one of our worst dining experiences ever!!

At ten you should have no problem getting chairs. It seems to get busy around 11-12 now.

I would think that the OP would have mentioned the name if she had wanted it known. On what information do you base your wild irresponsible conjecture <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/cloud.gif" alt="" />
I'm willing to bet that if you took a poll on restaurants on SXM Skipjack's would score very high.

Sorry to hear of your frustrating dining experience. Perhaps it is not too late to address your problem with the owner. If it is a restaurant you have enjoyed in the past, it is a good idea to make the owner aware of the situation. Most owners do appreciate constructive feedback and addressing the problem may eliminate a repetition for others in the future. Depending on the resolution, you then would be able to release the name of the restaurant to warn others and stop the guessing. Hope your dinner experience today will be great and you continue to enjoy the good weather.

Wild irresponsible conjecture??? Pretty strong language to a person who was only voicing an opinion. What do I base my information on? Maybe the fact that I have been there a few times, first hand information, not hearsay. After 45 plus trips to SXM I feel I have a right to voice an opinion, it's only mine. By the way, I am sure I am not the only one on this board that has had differences with that restaurant as I have read many. Why don't you do a poll? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/cloud.gif" alt="" />

Sorry to hear that you did not enjoy your meal or the service last night--but not knowing where you were doesn't help the rest of us to make a decision on where to dine. Everyone knows that a restaurant can have an off day, for sure, but in high season restaurants need to go above and beyond to make sure their loyal clients have a good dining experience.

OK, time to step back a little bit and everyone take a bit of a breath. You are certainly entitled to your opinion as to Skipjacks, or any other restaurant. Pat is a big girl and can speak for herself, but she doesn't want to name the restaurant, but it was NOT Skipjacks.

Okay, then! It seems I have unintentionally opened a can of worms here regarding my dinner last night.

I will NOT give out the name of the Restaurant for many reasons.

1. We didn't seek out a manager which we should have done. DH is an easy going guy and didn't want to create any issues.

2. The Restaurant in question was not Skipjacks and we had a very nice late dinner there with daughter and son-law on the weekend and it was fine, as all our evenings there have been.

3. I was at the restaurant in question once and had an awesome dinner experience. Now I've been there twice and had one good one and one poor one, but when you do the math they're still batting 500 and that isn't a bad average - at least not in baseball.

4. We run our own small business at home and one cranky customer can really raise havoc with a business' reputation and I would hate to do that to any struggling businessman.

5. And lastly, as has so often been said, anyone, be it a person or a business, can have a bad day. I choose to believe that's what happened to them last night and since we gave them no opportunity to do the right thing, I believe it would be unfair to besmirch their otherwise good name.

I'm hardly one of their regulars but their obligation should be to give each of their customers a great dining experience so I'm hoping you all will not develop any preconceived notions about them based on one dissatisfied customer. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

We had very good Lobster at SkipJacks not too long ago. Also very good service.

I don't consider that phrasing an "opinion".

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

You have far too much time on your hands to worry how someone posts a response incorrectly. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Gracious of you to admit your error. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Would you guys please stop it or take your disagreement offline? You are making for a very unpleasant reading experience for the rest of us!

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" />