Q: positive

A: This place was AMAZING!! It was my first time here. I took my mom and sister along with me for manis and pedis. Knowing it was a Saturday afternoon (and it might get busy) I made an appointment ahead of time. They greeted me by name when I walked in. We had only planned to have pedis done, but when we saw what a great job and a great price they had (the special was $16 for a pedi or $26 for mani/pedi, it's usually $18 or $28) we all asked for manis as well. Despite another group of three coming in during the middle of our pedicures, they did not rush through our appointment at all. They took their time. Their basic pedicure also included hot stones (most other places charge extra for this). I was extremely pleased with this place, and highly recommend it!

Q: negative

A: SHORT VERSION: MAJOR disappointment tonight. Just paid $52 for 2 Pasta Heidi's (online menu says $22 each but they are now $24 each) from "Richardson's" when the EXACT SAME ITEM at "Rokerij" is $18. Received horrendous service from Richardson's tonight. FULL VERSION: First off, it really kills me to write this. My husband and I loved this place and met here often for dinner after work. It's been a gem for us but I'm not sure we will go back after tonight. My husband ordered 2 Pasta Heidi's to go tonight for our dinner tonight. Nothing else. No sides, no drinks, nada. It's pretty far out of our way for a to-go order (from our house) but we were craving this delicious dish from Richardson's/Rokerij big time so we were more than willing to make the trek. However, when my husband was about to sign for the bill, he noticed something felt off. It was much more expensive than we normally pay. He asked if the prices went up and the gal mentioned she wasn't sure, but that maybe it was because we had called the Richardson's phone number and not the Rokerij number. He then went to the Rokerij side and checked out their menu. Mind you, as many people who eat here know, there is a lot of carry over between the two. In essence you can order many of the same items from one vs the other. Heck, they even use the same font and menu layout! Sure enough, he was right. There was a $6 price difference for the exact same item. He asked about it and a male server said they had just had this conversation with management last week because it doesn't make any sense and people have mentioned it. My husband then walked back over to the Richardson's side and asked to speak to someone about it since it must just be a mistake. Our meal was literally $12 more at Richardson's for no real reason. After explaining the issue with the lady he was directed to (wish we had gotten her name) all she said "I don't know anything about that" and that "it is what it is" with a very condescending tone. She neglected to offer any assistance to explore or amend the issue and smugly shrugged at him like he was crazy. For the record, if this were a mere couple dollar difference we wouldn't have bothered, but $12 is a pretty big difference. At the end of the day our experience was a seasoned patron's nightmare and it breaks my heart to share this story. If you absolutely must have the Pasta Heidi, save yourself some frustration and money by ordering it at Rokerij. Please see my photos for proof. Both are menu screen caps from their website. Both documents are dated 6.30.14, which indicates this is an issue they've probably known about for a while and haven't bothered to correct.

Q: negative

A: I had a violent craving for french fries and didn't feel like going the Mc Donald's, Five Guys or In n Out route. I ordered a Mushroom Swiss burger and garlic herb fries. The burger was alright but I noticed I was given plain fries. My fries went back to the kitchen and a few minutes later I got fries soaking in oil. It did not taste like garlic nor herb. It was mushy, oily and gross. Plain YUCK! I was absolutely disappointed and wished I went to Mickey D's or In n Out instead! I will not be back.

Q: positive

A:
I like Cafe Monte a lot, I am not sure why there are so many mixed reviews. The waiters may seem indifferent at times (possibly this is part of their French ambiance) but I have never had bad service here. They have started being open for breakfast again. They serve European (read excellent) coffee. Their side salads at lunch are really good as are their sandwiches. They have a frequent eater card but I am not sure what it does. If you or your friends are in the mood for a French experience then this is the place to go in Charlotte. They just started offering all you want moules on Mondays, they are very good.