Run-Down Inn, Bad Restaurant
Went to the Inn for a wedding. The bride's parents' room was flooded every time someone took a shower upstairs. the weedding hall was hot and unconditioned. The food was a cafeteria minus grade. Wine was served in plastic glass. It is a place to avoid.    [18 May 2005 21:13:09]

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     ­Josh   milowj at earthlink dot net

Avoid Cameron Estate for a Wedding
We held our 30-person wedding at the Cameron Estate on Nov 26th. We live in San Francisco and chose Cameron long-distance based on reviews praising their food and the intimacy of the mansion. On those scores, the reviews were right. But after a series of bad planning experiences with the owners and their continued poor hospitality and questionable business practices, we strongly recommend against holding an event at the Cameron Estate. Below are a few of our experiences…

When we first called we were looking for an elegant dinner, not a traditional wedding. We were told they could accommodate us, but once they learned that it was for a wedding we were forced into one of their pricey wedding packages. Although we weren’t happy about their sudden quest for more money, we knew the repercussion of using the ‘w’ word.

We had difficulties getting the contract terms in writing. They seemed surprised when we didn’t want to send a $1,000 deposit until we had a contract – even thought their own term sheet requested a signed contract be attached to the deposit. We ended up filling in the contract ourselves. It was the first in a series of uncomfortable interactions that made us feel like we were a burden rather than an appreciated customer.

Two months before the wedding we visited to make final plans. We were asked to arrive with a completed questionnaire covering all menu selections, timing, etc. When we arrived, and no sooner, they told us the menus had changed and the filet mignon/lobster combination we were looking forward to was now filet mignon and shrimp – same price though. By this point we had enough interactions with them to know that we were going to get charged a lot of money for as little as possible. We had no response to the changes. We were not going to let this affect the end result. We had come to learn that it was common for the Cameron Estate to tell us one thing only to tell us the opposite later.

During this planning meeting we were told that we could use their mini-stereo for music and that we could bring our own CDs as long as the music fit with the setting. My wife spent hours putting together a few CDs with our favorite romantic songs. At the wedding, they refused to play the music at an audible level, even though the restaurant was empty. All our requests to turn the music up so that we can hear it were denied – I was sitting 15 feet from the speaker at dinner and couldn’t hear anything. So we had a wedding ceremony and dinner with no music.

My wife’s mother reserved the 2 bedroom cottage for 3 people that would double as a place for guests to gather after the wedding ended. A couple of months before the wedding she received an e-mail that the cottage was undergoing renovation and would not be available. No alternative suggested. We would have at least expected a phone call. We called them and worked out a resolution. They agreed to provide us with 2 rooms in the inn to accommodate the 3 people. This was an acceptable compromise, although we were discouraged since our initial expectation was to be able to have use of the cottage for our wedding and they never gave us any indication it would be renovated – even after we booked it.

When we arrived on the wedding weekend we confirmed that the 2 rooms were pre-paid and the balance settled. The couple staying in one of the rooms was then charged the full room rate upon leaving. After we heard this we approached Randy who eventually reversed the charge. They were trying to take advantage of us. Now I was nervous about what they were going to pull with the final wedding bill.

The wedding end-time was eight pm. By that time all the tables were completely cleared and only the tablecloths remained. Many of the guests had left, except for those who had reserved rooms for the night. I asked Randy if he wanted us to move to the living room. He said he’d check to see if the wait staff was done. Everything seemed ok and at 9 pm Randy asked us to move to the living room or we’d get charged for an extra hour. Thirty feet later everyone was in the living room. When we settled the bill the following day he added over $600 for the hour from eight to nine. I went through what I just wrote and after talking to his partner he reversed the charge. It seemed like he was just trying to see if he could suck more money out of us. At best it was clearly unethical. But that wasn’t his last attempt.

The room key is on a ceramic key chain with their name/logo on it. I accidentally dropped it on the wood floor and it broke. Before leaving I apologetically returned it, and Randy responded, “That will be eleven dollars and seventy two scents”. This after I just spent $4,500 for the wedding, plus all the reserved rooms and the failed attempt to overcharge us!

Throughout the entire process never did they say they were looking forward to having us or thank us after. They never smiled, were very inhospitable and had terrible customer service. They made many of us feel like intruders in their home. On top of all that, their business practices were questionable. It’s a shame that they contributed the only negative aspect to what was a very special day for us. We’d suggest paying attention to the negative reviews you read as they are as accurate as the positive ones.    [04 Jan 2006 16:38:48]

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     ­Michael   

Under New, Terrible Management
Went here years ago and it was a jewel. Recently went back and was shocked at how badly it was run. The service was horrible and the food mediocre at best.    [01 Mar 2006 11:52:22]

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     ­Anonymous   

Grab Your Ankles
Truly a disappointment. This place has been on a downhill slide. What used to be a special dining experience is now a mediocre eating occasion. This is really sad because this charming old place used to care about the quality of food and service. Now they seem to view their guests as victims to be exploited. From the "half-glass" drinks to the "half-gassed" food, the Restaurant has simply become a major disappointment. Management doesn't seem to want to be bothered with the customers and the service people are untrained, uninformed and unavailable a lot of the time.

If you want a dining experience where they are delighted to see your credit card, but wish you would hurry up and go home, you will find it here. Their prices (for the value you receive) will have you shaking your head in amazement.

Bottom line...this place has a serious management problem.    [19 Jun 2006 15:38:29]

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     ­Anonymous   

From the Chef: Sorry You Were Disappointed
As the chef, I appologize for your disappointing experience. While what you experienced is not necessarily false, I must speak out on behalf of my career and reputation. I can only presume that you were at the Inn over the weekend before June 19th - the date of your posting. I am one person. I have one assistant. Most weekends at this time of year, I prepare not only the food for the restaurant but usually a wedding of 150 and another of a possible 50 people. One person can't do it all. I have to cut corners somewhere. It doesn't make me any happier than it does for diners. I know I'm killing myself preparing food for weddings. However even at the prices we have to charge for food - the Inn could never exist without the income of weddings. Believe me I don't go to work to put out a "half-assed" product. I do what I have to do to get a job done. Most times it isn't always a job well done. I will continue to try and persevere - even if it means burning myself out. I have no control over the service - nor can I control the management. However I do control my career - if you wish to discuss your experience more in depth with me - I will be more than happy to correspond with you via email kshay770@hotmail.com. I can't get you a free meal. I can't make you enjoy your experience that has already passed. As I said - I am one person and one person cannot possibly feed 175-200 people in one day. Maybe I can do something else. Sincerest apologies and fondest regards...    [26 Jun 2006 23:11:38]

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     ­KTS   kshay770 at hotmail dot com

A Delightful Meal
We found this to be a very nice dining experience. The food was delightful and the five course dinner special that is offered is superb. The wait staff was very attentive, but not overly so. It was romantic dining in a special setting. After dessert, we recommend strolling around the perimeter of the Inn.    [23 Oct 2006 14:17:30]

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Recommended Dishes: Filet

     ­SDWelch   

Wonderful meal
We had dinner at the Cameron Estate Inn and it was wonderful. Staff, food, atmosphere, all excellent!    [29 Mar 2007 19:17:24]

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Recommended Dishes: Honey-Lavender Game hen

     ­Anonymous