536020 Sun Jul 06 17:00:12 -0700 2008 5 2 Los Angeles Area 0 3843267 Went last night for a birthday party. We called ahead and made reservations for 8 and they said it was prix fixe at $38 on the weekends. The booths are comfortable but the chairs are horrible. It's too dark and gloomy. The wait staff was attentive and courteous. We asked for menus 3 times but never got them. They charged the same for prix fixe for vegetarians as they did for meat prix fixe. We failed to ask ahead of time, and this may be our fault, but it was disingenuous on their part to a) not tell us, b) refuse us menus and b) to recycle the same vegetables several times for different vegetarian dishes. The dishes were weak and redundant. I was insulted by a popcorn shrimp dish dish. The chicken dish was way too sweet and seasoned with cinnamon. The salmon dish was way too sweet and seasoned with cinnamon and possibly nutmeg. The lamb was cooked properly, but not quality lamb. They charged us $45 prix fixe per person instead of $38. To add insult to injury, after we left 2 people from our party stepped in dog poop on the side walk immediately outside the door (not really their fault, but comical and equally poetic after getting reamed by Tagine). THEN, they had the temerity to call and say that we did not leave a tip. We returned, and had to explain the math to them, and that in fact, they indeed received a generous 20% tip, even though it was not deserved in the least. Sun Jul 06 17:00:23 -0700 2008 146197 HeavyCream 1 3843350 The seasonings of cinnamon and nutmet are common in Moroccan cooking. Secondly, why would you need menus when it is a prix fixe menu - everything being brought from the kitchen will be the same at every table, save the vegetarian items, in theory? Did you mention in your reservation that some of the group is vegetarian? That might have caught them by surprise. Likewise, doubt if the variety of veggies in the house is sooo wide that every course would contain different ones. As to the $45, vs. $38, maybe a surcharge for the larger group in a restaurant that is truly not really set up for large parties. To me, a large party there is 4, and anything beyond that is awkward if nothing else. Just thinking out loud of a few things that MIGHT have been been the case. Sun Jul 06 17:34:55 -0700 2008 3843267 10359 carter 2 3843834 Re the pricing and menu issues, all I can say is, huh? OP made a reservation for 8 and was told $38 a person. So obviously, they knew it would be 8. Sounds like the reason OP was upset about not getting the menu is that either: a) menu would have said $45 a person (or some other figure) and then they either could have discussed and resolved the discrepany, or left before ordering. or b) menu would have said $38 as they were quoted and they would have had a basis other than 'but you said on the phone...' for refusing to pay the difference. THAT is why they needed a menu even though it was pre-fixe; to verify the price! Under those circumstances, I would have pointed out that I was quoted $38 on the phone and insisted on seeing the menu to verify the cost before paying. Sun Jul 06 20:58:57 -0700 2008 3843350 10158 susancinsf 3 3844917 I figured they wanted the menus to order from, which is not the case on the weekend. I don't think they wanted them strictly to check up on the pricing issue, and why would they at the beginning - at the end when the check arrived, maybe! Mon Jul 07 09:06:45 -0700 2008 3843834 10359 carter 4 3844987 "We asked for the menus there times and never got them" (no mention of when those three times were ) "They said it was price fix at $38 on weekends" (so they were informed of that in advance and knew they were in for a fixed meal) If someone requests menus, they should get them, regardless of whether a restaurant is pre-fixe or not, in order to verify prices, drink options, any options on the pre-fixe, etc. Mon Jul 07 09:28:36 -0700 2008 3844917 10158 susancinsf 5 3845351 Exactly. My problem was that we wanted to see a menu, and we were denied this opportunity. If I had seen a menu and it had said "popcorn shrimp" even though their online menu shows a picture of large, succulent "Tagine shrimp" I would have reconsidered dining there. If I wanted popcorn shrimp, I would go to the salad bar at Denny's. Just as well, if the absent menu had listed the prix fixe for vegetarians and omnivores as $45 instead of $38, I would have also reconsidered. I strongly discourage patronage of the Tangine Moroccan restaurant Taginecuisine.com. 132 N Robertson Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211. Mon Jul 07 11:02:13 -0700 2008 3844987 146197 HeavyCream