J and I have officially moved into our new home and with the help from all of our close friends we were able to move in just one day. We are forever thankful we have such a good group of friends, especially since we moved to the boonies and they all still agreed to help. THANKS GUYS! WE LOVE YOU! After having pizza, beer and wine J and I weren’t really starving for dinner but since there was a Canucks game on we went down to a nearby pub for some food.

We ended up at Kingfishers waterfront bar and grill, at 23840 River Rd, Maple Ridge. It’s right on the river where the old Albion Ferry used to drop people off. It was modern and we all noticed the large patio outside perfect for the summer. The menu is full of seafood, steaks, ribs, and also delicious share plates. 

The hostess allowed to pick a Canuck Player Card from a stack for the chance to win free drinks if our player scored a goal. This is pretty common for pubs and bars to do during game nights. We pulled Glass who coincidentally scored about 2 minutes after we pulled the card. We read the rules on the card….maximum of 4 drinks, drinks under 7.00 per person. Well, since there were 4 of us this seemed to be perfect. My girlfriend and I ordered a chocolate martini, and the waitress pointed out that there was one on the feature menu that had peppermint schnapps in it for 5.50, we also ordered a glass of wine and a rye and coke. The server came back soon after our drink order and said we actually needed to order a round of drinks first to qualify for the free drinks, instructions from “the management”. We were all ordering food regardless and more than likely going to order drinks as well but where and why would we have to order a round first? If that was the case then why wasn’t that rule on the card along with the other rules. When we questioned the manager he didn’t seem to care and said that was a rule from the owner (who wasn’t there) and basically walked away.

 At this point we were all annoyed with the way the situation was handled and discussed leaving based on principal but the thought of getting back in the car seemed too tiring so we agreed that would stay, get a round of drinks, food and hang out. The server brought our “chocolate martinis” which ended up being hot chocolate with booze. After double checking the description was in fact hot chocolate but why did the server suggest this when we asked for martini’s? I was not in the mood at all for a warm drink at all. Since we had already spoken with the manager this evening we didn’t really want to bother them again by sending them back.

For dinner I ordered the pesto chicken quesadilla. It was served on a tomato tortilla shell with chucks of chicken, pesto and cranberries, mozza and cheddar served with a honey lime aioli. I was a little unsure how the flavours were all going to taste together but it was actually really good, sweet and savoury. I probably would put a bit less cranberry in it because by the end I was getting sick of the sweetness. The aioli also wasn’t as limey as I would have liked, it was also sweet. I didn’t use the flash on my camera because I didn’t want to draw attention to myself after what we’ve already been through so I apologise for the bad quality.

J ordered hot wings which were HOT! They weren’t greasy at all which was great and cooked perfectly. For some reason Kingfishers don’t serve dip of any kind with their wings so he was using my honey lime aioli to tone down the heat. They do serve their wings with their homemade coleslaw instead. My friend A ordered the Cajun wings which were dry seasoned and also quite good but she asked for a side of ranch for hers.

I really wanted to give Kingfishers a good review because the food itself is pretty good and much better than your regular pub fare but it’s such a huge disappointment when the management treats you as if they don’t really care about you. He shouldn’t have walked away from my friend when she wanted to talk to him about the rules of the game. We were then afraid to say anything about the hot chocolate’s because we had clearly already made him annoyed. I don’t think anyone should have to feel that way when they’re visiting a restaurant. It’s the management’s job to make you feel welcome and appreciated for choosing their establishment to eat at. We’re spending our hard earned money on your restaurant so why wouldn’t you want our experience to be positive? I’ve worked in customer service my entire life and it really frustrates me when I can’t get good service in return. We weren’t trying to scam them or sway them into free drinks, it’s was their game we played and won so why did we feel like we were being punished for winning? I would hate to see how they would treat you if you did try and talk to them about a mix up with a food order or a discrepancy in a bill. Yikes!If you’re in the mood to try their food, then be prepared to have to absorb any confusion or mix up’s because they don’t really care or want to assist their customers. If you try and talk to the management then also be prepared to be blown off.