Citrus

07/09/08

Rude server ruins respectable restaurant....

by RodmanClay at Citysearch

The food was great the first two times we went to Citrus, and the service was adequate.

The last time however the food was OK and the one waitress with the short black hair was flat out as rude as I have encountered in a long time. I made a mistake when ordering my salad and asked to change what I had ordered. I was apologetic about it and was more than willing to pay for the mistake. A simple smile and the information that I would still be charged for the salad would have sufficed and I would have continued the meal in harmony....however, the waitress looked at me as if she wanted to kick my face and informed me with attitude that I would be charged. I told her that was fine and that I really didn't want the mistake order but would prefer to have the salad I intended on ordering and was more than willing to pay for the mistake. She was still rude. Later in the meal I tried a further apology for the mix up and reiterated how bad I felt for burdening her with the change and again she was angry and rude. The three of us left disappointed at having our meal spoiled by her poor attitude....The other server was very pleasant and confirmed that the first server was usually rude.

Additionally....the rude server must have informed the chef/owner that I was a bad person for making my mistake because after I tried to apologize a second time he came out and gave me a dirty look. Citrus lost anohter customer then and there.

However...the food is pretty great, depending on what you order.

06/17/08

Great food trumped by bad service

by NickosMichael at Citysearch

Living in the Chestnut Hill area, I have been a consistent monthly regular at Citrus for the last 7+ years. The food is always excellent with imaginative, seasonal menus that incorporate the freshest flavors of the season. Although I have never been disappointed with any of the meals I have eaten at Citrus, the service over the past 3 years or so has degraded from unfriendly to borderline disrespectful.

The service had gone down hill about 3 years ago after all of the (excellent) servers at that time quit over some controversy. The new staff was never friendly, however, reached an all time low at a recent visit on a slow for the restaurant Friday night in early June 2008 (only about 3 or 4 tables were occupied). I was completely ignored by the wait staff when I entered and stood waiting for over 10 minutes before being acknowledged and asked if I "could be helped". The meal was excellent as usual, however, the servers were cold, never checked back after the meal was served to see if everything was okay, did not refill our water glasses and gave the impression that the whole situation was a bother. This experience was so unpleasant that I left less than my customary 20% tip and made the decision never to return to Citrus in the future.

This is a loss for me as the restaurant is local and convenient, and the food is delicious, however, a good dining experience needs to include an attentive, friendly wait staff that does not make you feel unwelcome. It is even more of a loss for Citrus as they are losing loyal, repeat patrons because of the poor attitude of the front restaurant staff. What a shame.

• Pros: Food
• Cons: Service

02/15/08

Creative, interesting and delicious

by sophieb at Citysearch

This is my favorite restaurant in Philadelphia. The food is unbelievable. A friend and I ordered the ceviche recently and all conversation stopped as we ate, entirely mesmerized by the blended flavors of tuna, cilantro, grapefruit and who knows what else. The chef is a genius--he changes the recipe from month to month but the ceviche is always outstanding. Other appetizers and entrees are also creative, interesting and delicious. The menu is mostly fish, with a few veggie/vegan dishes. If you are looking for meat or poultry go somewhere else. Or better yet, read up on how meat is raised (hormones, antibiotics, polution, disease, cruelty to animals) and stop eating it--see eatwild. Citrus's monthly menu is posted at citrusbyob. The one drawback is that the restaurant is very small, and it is sometimes hard to get a table. It is not a good choice for large groups. I try to get there before 6 pm when I go. Service used to be a problem, but has improved and is now very good.

• Pros: outstanding food
• Cons: small size of dining area