Iron Skillet # OKC Petro

I had the worst service and worst food ever, and I'm posting this less than 30 minutes since I left, that's how mad I am.

After a long and annoying day of trucking I was on my way north and since there aren't many large truck stops north of OKC on I-35 I decided to go ahead and shut down a little early at the Petro in OKC. I don't recall if I've ever been here before, but I digress. It's been a long day, I haven't eaten very well lately, I just wanted a good sit down dinner for a change.

So I walk in and notice a BBQ buffet going on. Sweet! I'll take it. So I go back to a counter seat and sit..and wait...and wait...and wait...and wait.
As I'm looking around I see one waitress sitting down behind the registers talking to the manager and another lady. I think to myself "I hope that's not my waitress". Oh and I'm still waiting. You'd think for being slow people would be more attentive. Finally the manager comes over and hands me a menu. I ask her how long the buffet is going on until.

"10 o'clock."

I look at the clock, 9:55. Dang. She asks if I'd like the buffet and I tell her no, I guess I'll order from the menu since they're about to take it down. She tells me she's about to make a last call announcement regarding the buffet shortly. The waitress comes over and gets my drink order. Several minutes later (she had other orders to run and some side work to do) she asks what I'd like so I order the 1lb top sirloin, medium rare, mashed potatoes with brown gravy.

I turn and get up and head for the salad bar. Make my usual salad and then I go to take a look at the soups. Beef and cabbage. Open it up, lift a ladel of it up a bit. Um, no. Other soup, chicken and vegetable. Open it up, lift a ladel of it. Doesn't look too promising either. Can't be that bad, I'll give it a shot.

Walk back to my seat and try the soup. No...no..not so great. I'll give it another shot when it cools off some. So I start munching on my salad. About half way through the salad my dinner comes. Odd, I've never had a steak brought out to me that quickly. I hope it's done enough. I decide to let it sit while I finish my salad.

Try the soup again. Nope, not that great. Ah but that's okay. I move it to the side and cut into my steak.

Um...that's not medium rare. Cut further into the steak and look.
Um, I don't even think that's rare. Screw it, it took forever just for some service around here, I'm not going to bother to send it back. Try the mashed potatoes...barely warm. Now that's a shame, this meal is going down hill quickly. Try the roll with butter that was brought with it....cold.

Finish the steak, finish the potatoes. Drink was already finished but I'm not exactly sure where my waitress was. I guess she had some side work that needed doing. The tray to refill the sugar, salt, pepper, etc. was still sitting next to me from earlier when she was doing that.

She comes by and clears my plates out. A few minutes later she comes back and offers another drink. I tell her I'm set.

Then I wait....and wait....and wait...and wait...(she had some side work to do, and she told me it's been really slow)...

Now I'm starting to wonder...did she bring my check and I accidentally threw it out with my napkin? Did it fall on the floor behind the counter? Should I go up to the cashier and ask her to reprint it so I can pay and leave? Should I try to get her (the waitress') attention to see if she did bring it and it got thrown out by accident?

...and wait...and wait...(she had some side work to do. she did finally get that tray that was sitting next to me). Finally after running out an order for a nearby table she asks if I want my check. I tell her yes and she goes up to the counter she has them laying out, looks them over and finds mine and comes back and hands it to me.

So I get up and walk to the cashier to pay my bill. I put it on my debit/credit card. Oh I remembered to bring in my UltraOne card this time so she swipes that first, then my card. I sign. I get my copy, I leave.

Walk into the C-store and grab a drink for back here at the truck. Do some small talk with the guy behind the register, which was actually the highlight of the trip inside. As I'm walking out of the C-store I see my waitress at one of the registers and on the screen is some touch screen keypad. I almost wonder, since I left no tip where I was sitting, if she was looking to see if I left a tip on the bill....which I didn't. I got the impression that the cook may have been new, or someone who hasn't done much short order cooking but may have had to fill in for someone tonight.


I'm not sure if the man who posts here that works for Petro is going to see this. I hope he does. I'm sure the restaurant manager is going to hear about this as well. Now as for me, sure I'll be a little mad for a day or two but eventually I'll get over it. I'll keep going to Petros whenever the mood strikes. Don't worry about making things right with me. Just focus on making things right for the customers after me.