To Whom It May Concern,
I'm writing to express deep frustration and disappointment following a visit to your Irvine BJ's Restaurant on May 22nd, 2025, for my wife Roz’s birthday celebration. We had a party of 13 and called ahead, only to be told the wait would be 30–45 minutes. Instead, we waited over 2 hours while being repeatedly given conflicting and inaccurate wait times (20 mins, then 5 mins, then 15 mins, etc.). It was only after escalating the issue to a manager that we were finally seated — a full 45 minutes after being told our table was "being cleaned."
The service did not improve once seated. Staff were rude and dismissive — not just to my wife, but to multiple members of our party who politely asked for status updates. At one point, BJ's attempted to offer "lobby pizza" to the waiting group, which would have been appreciated if they had respected dietary restrictions. My wife has celiac disease, and we explained she could not eat gluten. Despite this, we were told there would be no accommodations — even if we were willing to pay.
To make matters worse, Roz also suffers from hypoglycemia, and being forced to wait that long without food triggered a medical episode. This was not just inconvenient — it was dangerous and negligent.
When we were finally seated, the experience did not improve: only one overwhelmed waitress was assigned to our large group, service remained slow and unfriendly, and to add insult to injury, an 18% gratuity was automatically added — despite the substandard and outright harmful service. Our total came to nearly $800, and every single member of the group was charged that gratuity — regardless of their experience.
This was meant to be a celebratory evening for my wife’s birthday. Instead, it was a source of anxiety, frustration, and actual physical harm. We expect a full apology and request appropriate compensation for the unacceptable experience we were put through.
Sincerely,
Mario A.
First time here. Food and service was great. One gluten free patron in our party (celiac) and staff was very understanding. Carlos made the experience wonderful with checking in frequently!
I love Lazy Dog. I visit and door dash it frequently. I have celiac disease and can't eat gluten. They have a separate gluten free menu with many delicious options, plus dessert!
This is a gluten free review.
The food here is packed with flavor. Here are some of my favorite gluten free options:
Cha Cha fries
Hand made Guacamole with chips and salsa
Empanadas
Chicken breast tacos
I also love the ambiance. Very open, breezy, and comfortable.
Would give 5 stars if it wasn't so expensive. $18 for three tacos and $20 for enchiladas? Woah.
Accommodating Gluten-Free
