Go somewhere else.
To begin; you are reading this from a credible source. I am a graduate of the top hospitality program in the United States and currently a manger at an Indianapolis country club. At first glance, Dawson's is charming, cozy and even elegant. I was not disappointed by the ambiance, but the food and service did not live up to vibe created by the decor. I was in for lunch one January afternoon and decided to give the Blackened Chicken Caeser Wrap a go. My waitress, who remained nameless throughout my meal, was very short and rushed (there were only 3 tables in her section - one was finished). My food arrived by means of another server (1 of 3). This made me happy since I was fairly hungry. Now, when I ordered blackened chicken on a Caeser wrap, I expect blackened chicken. This chicken was not blackened, nor had it been seasoned. In fact, it seems as if it had been re-heated in the microwave (to turnover the lunch crowd quickly, I'm sure) The chicken never touched a skillet. It seemed as if it were steamed or poached, which is nobody's definition of "blackened". My side of pasta salad tasted as if it came from a plastic container and dumped in a bowl. It was penne, tomatoes, onion and olives covered in mayonnaise (or so it seemed). It was disappointing. I let my server know about the wrap. She replied, "It's not blackened? I wonder what's going on back there? I was gonna have that for lunch, but if it's not blackened, I don't want it. mumble mumble mumble. It should be blackened...". Then she left. I finished the wrap. It tasted fine as a regular Chicken Caesar. The problem was my waitress did nothing to rectify the problem.

After I asked for my check, she couldn't print one out, I said "That's fine, what do I owe?" She replied, "$7.56." I gave her a $20. She fumbled around with a handful of ones and gave me $12.00. I left $2 and walked out the door.

Dawson's on Main should be a good restaurant and maybe I went on a terrible day. Prices are low and the ambiance is great. However, it seems like their priorities should be preparing decent food and keying in on customer service. A smile from the hostess (/owner/manager?) was the only one I received all day. I appreciated that. I won't be returning, nor will my collegues.    [31 Jan 2007 14:21:43]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 

     ­Anonymous