My mild ripoff

[manley1]

Last night, I went down to the South End to my friend Chris's birthday dinner. It was a very last-minute affair, but I always look forward to dining out with old friends and was more than happy to go to Aquitaine for a meal. We had some mix-ups with our party size, so I forgive them for not seating us at 8:45 PM on the dot when we showed up with

Comments

[eric_mathgeek]

Where was this? That's atrocious.

[manley1]

Aquitaine in the South End on Tremont (not Columbus). The food was great, but man, was I cheesed for paying more for soda than I would have paid for a glass of low-end wine.

[eric_mathgeek]

I've had a drink there but never wanted to eat there. Fancy places are not for me. :)

[jss1113]

Write the Yelp review and complain to the manager. $2.50 for a soft drink with unlimited refills over the course of the meal is a ripoff in and of itself, given the margins on soda machines and the refill containers (etc.). $7.50? That's absurd.

[manley1]

I know, right? Maybe I would pay that much in Zimbabwe, whose currency inflation rates would probably warrant such an expense. Given that it probably cost the restaurant all of $.40 to give me these sodas once you factor in the labor costs, they're still making out like a bandit.

[ted_badger]

I think the problem is related to the absolutely ridiculous mortgage payment they owe each month in the South End :-)

[manley1]

True, but gouging their customers isn't the best way to keep business flowing in, especially in a bad economy.

[ted_badger]

I liked Aquitaine but they definitely think a lot of themselves.

But really, I find drinks in the city to be overpriced everywhere. The Asgard's prices that night I came down for karaoke were out of control vs. what I pay out in the sticks. You could drive to Maynard, order a Manhattan, and still have paid less even with the gas mileage included.

[manley1]

Always toting these "suburbs," aren't you?

These prices were unreasonable even for city prices. I have fewer problems paying $5 for a Guinness than $7.50 for a can's worth of Diet Coke. At least everyone around charges roughly the same for alcohol, but I haven't encountered this kind of mark-up on soft drinks. The only places that I ever see charge by the glass for soda are those places that sell by them by the can. And most of them warn you that refills are not, in fact, free with purchase. Given that I saw the drink come from a soda machine, I think the pricing is grossly unfair.

[knowthyself]

You've already convinced me to move this place way down on the list, between wait time and insanely ridiculous prices for a frakking soda.

[manley1]

The wait time I can forgive them for since we did increase our party size at the last minute. And the hostesses did try to appease us in some small ways. After 45 minutes and them hearing us start to make other plans, they went and got us a small plate of rolls to nosh on as it was almost 10 PM. But the soda part was just unforgivable. And the food was good, but not "OMG, best steak evar!!!" great. I got a much better meal with RJ and folks last Sunday night at Ten Tables.

[bluesauce]

Well, you've convinced me not to give this place a chance. Seriously, 7.50? That's just robbery.

[manley1]

I know. If it wasn't late and it wasn't a birthday dinner, I would have made a fuss. In retrospect, I probably should have anyway.

[bluesauce]

Like jss1113 suggested, I'd write a complaint to the manager. Maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised.

[manley1]

Yeah, that's on my list of things to do this weekend. Normally, I don't like to make a fuss, but if they have this horrid policy, they should at least advise people that refills are not free.