Mary Grace Cafe Review

It took me almost a month to post this review on Cafe Mary Grace. I had to give it time for a more objective recount of my sad experience in one of their branches, in Trinoma Mall. Had I written about it minutes after it happened, I might have blurted out words that will only compromise the integrity of this blog.

I was in Manila for an intensive 4-day seminar. The schedule was so hectic that I didn't even have the time to check out the latest cosmetics in the nearby malls.

On September 9, 2011 (Friday),  my friend and I decided to pass by Cafe Mary Grace on our way back to where we were staying.  I've heard a lot of great things about it, especially its cheese rolls.



Since it was already 8:00 PM, I opted for a take-out of pasta Amatriciana and a cheese roll.  I was considering on bringing a box of cheese rolls home to CDO so I had to try it out first. The cashier told me it would take around 10-15 mins to prepare the pasta. We were already tired but I thought the wait should be worth it.

We got ourselves seated while waiting for my order. Fifteen minutes have passed and my friend was already getting impatient. I followed up the order with one of the waitresses who told me it wasn't ready yet.  After a few more minutes, I noticed some pasta being served to people who came much later than us. My friend noticed the waitresses glancing at our table. Finally, someone came to us and checked my receipt. She hurriedly went to the kitchen and came back with my order packed for take-out. More than 30 minutes of waiting for a pasta and cheese roll is a little too much, don't you think?  I could have ordered for a pizza delivery at the dorm and it would have been much quicker. Although it was a Friday, it wasn't that busy for Mary Grace Cafe as a lot of their employees had their hands free.

I asked the waitress why it took them so long, she was apologetic about it but did not offer further explanation. When we got to the the place where we were staying, the bread that I believed to be the cheese roll seemed flatter that I thought.  It turns out it was the garlic bread that came free with the Pasta Amatriciana. The cheese roll, although only Php35, was something that I so long wanted to try wasn't in the bag!

Partly, it was my fault because I didn't check the bag before leaving. The receipt was not even there. Perhaps with the rave reviews about Cafe Mary Grace, I trusted that there staff is trained to be efficient in what they do, such as delivering the order on time,  putting them with the receipt in the bag and checking if they are complete. Apparently, I was wrong. After all, the good reviews have much to do with the taste of the food than the quality of service they offer.

I think they're pretty good with the dine-in clients.  As I have  mentioned, people who came later than us were being served on time, and it looked like they were enjoying their meals. For some reason, they lacked the training in handling to-go orders. Yes, the staff is generally friendly, but  it doesn't necessarily translate to efficiency.

The Pasta Amatriciana was a flavorful blend of thick tomato sauce with bacon and chili, plus the Italian meatballs. But with the disappointment I was feeling at that time, I couldn't really appreciate the taste. It was pretty decent for its price of Php 210 , but not something I would crave for.  The imaginary cheese rolls must have been good,  if only they came with my order.

As to the Cafe Mary Grace customer support online,  they don't fare well either. I tried sending a complaint about the incident, which was written as courteously as possible, to no avail. Probably the person assigned to check the emails isn't doing the job, or they have read my message but they don't welcome negative feedback.  Well, they can bask in the positive comments from customers that they proudly display on their tables, but I hope they are aware of the other side of their business that they should do something about. As Jack Canfield puts it, " you cannot improve your life, your relationships, your game or your performance without feedback." I hope Mary Grace Cafe will take this review constructively.

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