Maggie to Kenny's: Once is Enough

I love Kenny Rogers Roasters! It's one of those restaurants I'd go back when I want to eat a roast chicken with sidings. Yes, definitely a must-try. But despite the good food, there's a branch that really made me just want to forget the experience of eat at Kenny's.

Kenny's Roast & Grill. Located at the ground floor of Powerplant Mall in Rockwell, Makati, Kenny's Roast & Grill unveils to customers an interior design more classy and sophisticated compared to it's usual homey ambiance where one goes to line up and give their orders. The place is inviting, I must say. The serene atmosphere you get is something that really sets the mood for an intimate bonding time with your friends or your family. So yes, I guess that's the reason why I was somehow lured to eat there.

Unlike the semi-self service that most Kenny Rogers restos are, this branch is a la carte, which is a good thing, I guess, considering that all you had to do is tell the waiter what you want to eat, wait for the food to be served and enjoy. Alas, the actual experience is nothing like that. Yes, food is still great, still tasty, still delicious (Will elaborate on this later) but the prices are more expensive there (I absolutely miss the set menus). Maybe to some it's just right, but for me, P325 per person is a little over. Of course, this is not just based on food alone.

Speaking of food, the menu is, as always, superb. Other than its signature roasted chicken, Kenny's expanded its product line. Kenny's serves baby back ribs, which is cooked as a delectable dish. I can't say that it's perfect, though. The food would have been enjoyable had it not been for the service from the crew. Oh boy, how do I begin the regrettable incidents at Kenny's? Sorry, harsh as it may be but truth be told, it is absolutely regrettable.

The service is poor. There's no other way of putting it but that. After ordering, it took about 40 minutes before the first dish was served. Imagine -- there you are, anxiously waiting for your food to arrive and yet your waiter doesn't even have the nerve to tell you what's taking so long. Unacceptable. I could see it. There were enough people to wait on you, and though the place was full, I could still say (from my point of view) that waiters could handle it. It's absolutely frustrating to see that orders of the people who came after you are being served just like that while you're still waiting for yours. Preposterous!

Meanwhile, it took about 45 minutes before the waiter could say, "The Javanilla is unavailable." What was the point of it all? It's a sad thing, I tell you. Everything just went downhill.

And I can't imagine the negligence of waiters. Upon serving service water, I just can't understand how they could miss a lipstick mark on my glass! Right there in front of me, was a glass of water with a pink lipstick on the rim. How could they have possibly missed it?!?

I will continue to eat at Kenny Rogers' Roasters because it's still a favorite resto of mine but I will certainly not eat at the Powerplant branch again.

This is not to influence you or anything. I may have written like a food and restaurant critic in this blog but this is merely to share with you the experience I've had in Kenny's Roast & Grill.

Yes, once is definitely enough.