Very disappointing experience at Devil's Peak Taproom on Friday night (19 June), especially because I've always enjoyed coming here and specifically chose it for my farewell celebration with colleagues. I had booked a table for 10 people, but it was only set for 8 when we arrived and we were told to add the extra chairs ourselves. As a brewery, it was also disappointing to find that several beers were unavailable because they were out of stock or the kegs were empty, including First Light, one of their flagship beers. What stood out most, however, was the service. The venue was quiet, with only our group and one other group present, yet we often waited a long time at the bar to order drinks. Throughout the evening, our waiter came across as uninterested, unhelpful and generally unwilling to engage with customers. At around 8:30pm, when we asked to order food, he told us he didn't know whether we could. When I asked whether the kitchen was closed, he said no, but that he needed to check because the kitchen staff wanted to watch the soccer. He then changed the TV from the rugby that patrons were watching to check the soccer schedule. After another discussion with the kitchen, he eventually took our order, but the entire interaction left us feeling as though serving customers was less important than watching the match. Unfortunately, the burgers were also not up to the standard I've come to expect from Devil's Peak. My boyfriend and I both agreed they tasted noticeably different from the burgers we've enjoyed there in the past. What made this particularly disappointing was that I had enthusiastically recommended Devil's Peak to my colleagues based on many previous positive experiences and left feeling embarrassed by my choice of venue. I know Devil's Peak is capable of much better, which is why this experience was so surprising and disappointing.
