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A Jamaican man visiting Georgia with his friends shared his frustrating dining experience at Kingston Grill in Forest Park, saying they were asked to leave the restaurant despite spending over $100. In a TikTok video, he explained that the situation had nothing to do with their behavior but was simply because their food was served in to-go containers.
Here’s What Happened
According to the man, he and his two friends had traveled from out of town for a wedding shoot. They checked into their hotel the night before the event and decided to find a local Jamaican spot for dinner. After browsing Google reviews, Kingston Grill stood out as one of the top-rated options in the area, so they decided to give it a try.
When they arrived, the group ordered three plates of curry goat at the counter and tipped the server before heading to the bar area to enjoy a few drinks while waiting for their meal. “We were just sitting at the bar talking and having a good time,” he said. When their food came out, it was handed to them in to-go containers. Since they had already been served at the bar, he asked one of the staff members if they could eat there, and she reportedly said yes.
Their Meal Gets Interrupted
The man said that while they ate, another woman who seemed to be part of the restaurant staff began watching them closely. Moments later, she approached and told them they had to leave. “I honestly thought the issue was that she didn’t want us to eat at the bar,” he recalled. “So I said, ‘You mean we have to move to another table?’ She said no, you have to go outside.” He said he tried to clarify if there was an additional charge for eating indoors, thinking that might explain the confusion. But the woman reportedly replied that it was simply “the rules.” When he asked to speak with a manager or the owner, she allegedly told him that no one was available.
At that point, the man said he was both confused and upset. “We didn’t come here to eat outside,” he said. “It was cold — in the 50s. Within seconds of being outside, our food was cold.” He explained that their meals were served in to-go boxes that they hadn’t requested and that there had been no sign or notice indicating customers with such containers couldn’t dine inside.
Still, instead of arguing, he decided to comply out of respect for the employee who had originally taken their order. “She was very nice and looked shocked by what was happening,” he said. “I told her, ‘For your sake, I’m going to obey what this lady is saying. But all three of us are leaving a terrible review.’” He added that they moved outside reluctantly, struggling to eat their now-cold food in the chilly evening breeze. Though he complimented the restaurant’s food, he said the experience left him deeply disappointed. “The food was good, but I don’t care how good the food is,” he said. “If you have terrible customer service or one person who thinks she’s above your paying customers, you’re still not doing a good job running a business.”
Netizens React to the Man’s Experience at Kingston Grill Restaurant in Georgia
Many viewers sympathized with him and criticized the restaurant’s handling of the situation. “Why didn’t she just provide plates? Problem solved,” one person wrote. Another remarked, “If she didn’t want you eating off to-go plates, she should’ve offered to replate it on dine-in plates for you so you could stay at the bar.” A third said, “She would have had to drag me out. Ridiculous.” A fourth viewer added, “No manager available? Then she has no authority to tell you anything.”
A few felt that other employees should have stepped in. “The lady who initially served you should’ve spoken up on your behalf! She said it was okay to sit at the bar and eat,” one comment read. Others talked about how he had spent so much money only to be treated badly. “They would’ve had to run back my money, no questions asked 💯,” one commenter said. Someone else wrote, “Sorry you had such a terrible experience. And Jamaican food ain’t cheap!” A different person added, “Not to mention you paid over $100 and tipped 😡.”
