THE STARTING GATE, Los Alamitos

I have been going to the Starting Gate for five months. The music at Starting Gate is great and most of the staff very friendly. I have had my reserved table taken away because I was late (after 8:30 p.m.). The following week I went to Starting Gate and saw a table available but could not sit there because it was reserved. I told the waitress it was 9:00 p.m. and she told me I could not sit there. Then she said I don t know who you are so I gave your table away last week (March 2013). Last Saturday, May 11th, I was sitting at a table not reserved (before 8:30 p.m.), the same waitress and a security guard took the table from me. She told me it was not reserved but the secruity guard said it was reserved. I don t think they want my business.

We've been customers at the Starting Gate for many years and for the first time we were treated really bad by a new staff member, Joey. I'm a business person and from what i remember, customers are always right. Also, i witnessed a man being rudely dragged out of the place which was poorly handled....The man wasn't causing any harm. So if you're looking for a bar that treats its customers poorly, this is the place to go.

New owners have changed things at the Gate-Fernando and those other people are gone-yes even old people boogie. Gate is friendly. Try it-you might like it.

Bad business practices & a jerky manager named Fernando. Came to visit a friend who is one of the cocktail servers. Bar was divy-er than expected, but I don't mind. Actually like dive bars. Ordered an appetizer and soda which they refilled a few times. Food was typical mediocre bar food. Since there was a shift change, they asked me to close my tab which i gladly did. At that point, there was no charge for refills. I decided to to stay an extra 2 hrs for the live entertainment and refilled my soda a few more times. As I got ready to leave, the manager presented me with another check for four sodas saying that refills were not free. When I tried to explain that I already paid a check that included free refills, he said very abrupt and with a jerky attitude that it was a mistake. From my perspective, it seems my food and soda was not enough business for my time spent there. So he arbitrarily decided to charge for refills when at first he was not. I am non-confrontational by nature and tried to explain that I am fine with the policy and paying the extra, but was bothered by the principle of their mistake and misleading message to a patron being my problem. He just blew me off. The server actually apologized for Fernando, the manager. To not charge for refills 1 minute, then change your mind is ridiculous. A business that is going to that extent to penny pinch will never gain good repute. I will not be going back. The Gate needs to re-evaluate their policies, get staff on the same page, fire Fernando & re-hire management with a better attitude and a good head to customer service practices. Is it really worth losing customers over $7.50 of soda which is a negligible overhead cost?