I dined at Trio's on Saturday, February 23rd, with a large group (party of 18) prior to attending a formal event in downtown South Bend. The experience was so awful that I e-mailed management AND decided to create a Yelp account to comment here.
First, we were notified an hour and a half before our reservation that the restaurant was having issues in the kitchen and that our reservation would need to be pushed back by an hour. I understand that "things happen," but this was not the start to the night that we were looking for and it certainly is not easy to coordinate a change in reservation for a party of 18 approximately an hour before the original seating time.
When our party arrived at the restaurant, we waited almost 5 minutes to be greeted and shown to our seats - the dining room was less than half full at this point. After being seated, it took over an hour for our drink order to be completed. Once our drinks were delivered, I asked the waiter if we could put in our dinner order. The server responded quite rudely telling me that "[he] just finished our drink order" and "he told us that they were short staffed." At this point, there were two servers working in the main dining room and four parties (including ours). Â We asked if we could have some bread and were told that it was "currently baking". We never received bread, nor were our water glasses refilled during the course of the night. On numerous occasions, members of our party were forced to walk to the bar to get drinks, because the wait staff was either inattentive or not present.
Once our meals arrived, the situation was no better. Some members of our party did not receive their orders and did not even get the opportunity to eat dinner. The chicken in one person's creole pasta (served with a red sauce, not a cream sauce like indicated on the menu) was completely raw and inedible. This person was sick the day after, which was directly correlated to the food preparation at Trio's. Two individuals ordered salmon: one plate was overcooked like a brick, the other was undercooked like Sashimi. All-in-all the quality of the food was awful.
At the end of the meal, we were informed that checks could not be split for our party and we would be required to pay with one credit card - restaurant policy was cited as the reasoning for this. I went ahead and covered the tab, but I have never been to a restaurant that would not split checks or allow for multiple forms of payment for such a large check. You can only imagine how inconvenient this is for a party of 18.
Our server reduced our bill for the amount of the food that was either sent back or did not arrive, however, by no means do I feel that this fairly compensated us for the experience. Quite frankly, I've never had a dining experience like this in my life. We made reservations one week in advance, so it is quite perplexing how the restaurant could be so short staffed and unprepared. Furthermore, I must reiterate that the service and quality of the food was terrible.
My friends and I are graduate students at ND and are very active in the South Bend restaurant community. My girlfriend and I eat out in the area weekly. We have been to the Trio's bar a few times before, but this was our first time in the main dining room. We certainly will never be going back to Trio's again and I will suggest to everyone else that I know to avoid this place like the plague.
I ate at Trio's last night as part of a large party. Â We had around 18 people, and the waiter immediately explained that they were understaffed that evening. Â As I know large parties can be difficult to manage even with a full staff I definitely would not take off star ratings based on the service being a little slow. However, the speed of service was the least of my concerns about Trio's. Â
The first thing I noticed was that Trio's menu is much different (read, more limited) than it is on their website. Â The waiter also explained that they did not have a drink menu. Â It took about an hour for everyone to get their drinks, which was not a huge deal since our large group was enjoying catching up. Â We finally ordered, and after about another hour our entrees were served, or most of them were. Â Out of the 18 people in our group 1 person never received her entree, another was brought the incorrect dish, my wife's chicken was served raw (not just a little pink, it was literally not cooked through), and the two people who ordered salmon found that one was very underdone, and the other was extremely overcooked. Â The majority of the other dishes were cold when they arrived.
The manager did come out and apologize to our group, and took a few items off of our bill. Â However, when 2 meals are completely inedible, and we still have a 20% service charge for the mess we received, I still feel like we got fleeced. Â I definitely will never be eating at Trio's again and would recommend avoiding this place at all costs for dinner. Â There are many far superior restaurants within a one block radius Downtown, do yourself a favor and give one of them a shot instead.
The one star I give this place can be attributed to the bar area, which seemed like a nice atmosphere to have a drink and listen to some live jazz.
Trio's is really going down hill! Â Dined with hubby before a show downtown and on a Friday night they were 3/4 empty! Â Decided to dine at the bar and had to wait for a menu because they didn't have any extras (??).... Â was told right away "we're out of this and out of that so you cannot order it" again on a Friday night? Â Ordered a Sidecar Martini that was supposed to be made with Cointreau Liquor and was told "sorry we're out of Cointreau so used Triple Sec. There is NO comparison of those two liquors, total step down to Triple Sec and the martini tasted like it. Â Ordered Ratatouille, a dish that was supposed to sauteed vegetables over cous cous topped with feta cheese and hubby ordered a Chicken Poorboy sandwich, neither of which were served as the menu specified, mine was basically a few types of veggie with some sort of tomato sauce over RICE which when the bartender delivered it after a half hour wait he casually said "it's over rice, sorry" and had no feta either. Â Hubby's sandwich was basically a fried chicken breast on a bun with lettuce and a side of mayo with some spices thrown into it. Â We were hungry and had a show to catch so ate if and left. Â If you are out of something or are making changes to a dish as advertised on the menu tell your customer BEFORE they get it to allow them to make changes if they want to, not as an after thought as you're delivering the food or drink and then running. Â Not a good sign when a restaurant seems to be "out of" everything on a Friday night. Â Friendly enough staff but we won't be returning when Cafe Navarre and Lasalle Grill are close by!
Review Source:Something is seriously amiss at Trio's. I don't know if it's new ownership or management or what, but this restaurant (and the bar, unfortunately) is going downhill.
My husband and I have been going to the bar at Trio's regularly since it first opened. We've always found it to be a relaxing, welcoming place. Last night it was tense and depressing. Everything seemed off. Lots of staff, little service. No ice for a while. I thought it was too bad, but, having worked in restaurants, could sympathize. We all have off nights.
I hoped the kitchen wasn't plagued by similar issues. Apparently it was. There seemed to be some problems with the menu and availability of some items, so we went with our old standby: the sampler platter (the three dip platter others have alluded to). While it has varied a bit in quality in the past, it has never been nearly as bad as it was last night. It was AWFUL. Basically, it was just three lightly seasoned, warmed up, lumpy cream cheeses. I usually scrape the ramekins clean. Last night there were plenty of leftovers. And the basket of things that you can dip in the platter (usually toasted baguettes, pita points, and blue corn chips) had been replaced by a basket of white corn tortilla chips. Listening in on other tables, we were not alone in our disappointment.
It's all really sad. This place brings in great musical acts and is a great space. Over the years, we've had phenomenal servers and memories there, but I don't know if we'll go back. The vibe - and offerings - have been declining over time and it seems to have finally reached the point of no return.
We learned yesterday that Trio's is no longer open for lunch. Â We walked right in and there was a large table seated so no indication that they weren't actually open. Â We stood around for several minutes before someone sauntered out of the kitchen and asked if we were there for the party. Â When we said no, he told us they weren't open for lunch. Â Not welcoming and not at all professional!
Checked their website later and there was a posting that as of 10/29/12 they are only open for dinner.
It's too bad Trio's couldn't market to the lunch crowd - it really was one of the best things they had going. Â The music is always good, but food and drinks tend to be overpriced and underwhelming.
I love going to Trio's for date night. I'm a spicy food lover so cajun and creole food is right up my alley. Trio's is an upscale restaurant, with mood lighting and classy finishings.
Things I didn't love: Gumbo (kind of bland), Jambalaya (unfortunate since this is typically my go to)
Things you must get: The Sampler Platter (each dip is different and an explosion of flavor and melty goodness), Cajun Crab Cakes
Unfortunately, Trio's has recently changed their menu so many of my favorites are no longer available. However, with great ambience and good service, I trust Trio's is still a romantic, trendy place to go:)
What a nice addition to the revitalization of downtown SB. Â
I went during a very busy time; it was late dinner on a Friday. Â Sat in the bar area. Â The waitress (sorry I cannot remember her name, she deserves a mention) was very attentive, despite what seemed like a heavy table load for her. Â Despite the crowded atmosphere, I received great service. Â
The bartender was friendly. Â The band was beyond great...I get the feeling that Trio's would not have a sub-par band. Â
The only downside would be the prices. Â I only ordered a cheeseburger, but it was $10. Â It did come with a soup and salad, and the burger itself was pretty good. Â The drink prices are average to above average. Â Hopefully the above average prices go to pay the waitstaff above average wages.
3 years ago when in town for a Notre Dame game I had two of the best appetizers I've ever had at Trio's (crab dip and steak tacos). Unfortunately upon return last night the menu had changed.
What was ordered
Tomato Bisque Soup
House Salad Cajun Ranch Dressing, Roasted Red Peppers, Bacon
Crab Cakes
Ribs with Green Beans and Fries
Risotto de Jour (done with sweet potato)
Overall the food was a very middle of the road 3/5. If the menu hadnt changed I would recommend this place to any tourist in town for an Irish game, otherwise I'd say you aren't missing much by not going. Unfortunately the other food options in South Bend aren't fantastic
I am here now and this is the worst experience I have had in a very long time. Party of 7. We placed our food order... we still didn't have it an hour later! When we started to question the situation we were met with plenty of excuses and lack of an sincere apology. When the food came it was cold. I promise you that I will not come back here. staff is rude service is horrible.
Review Source:Stopped in for lunch with coworkers. We all enjoyed the meal. I had the vegetable soup, which was great and hearty, and not a tomato base (maybe a barely base soup?). My coworkers had jumbalaya, which they also enjoyed. We all ended up getting the meatloaf, which was good - I like mine a little softer like this, but one of my coworkers noted he prefers it harder. Menu is not very big so it might be hard for some to find something they like.
Review Source:pretty adorable place - we were in the private dining room in the back though, so this is more of an organized rehearsal dinner review. Â
grood food and appetizers. Â the steak was so big i took half of it back to the hotel. Â i cant say i remember anything in particular about the place- but i would be willing to go back and check out the actual jazz that they have.
Wife and I went for 'date night'. We had reservations and were ready for a 'different experience' for Michiana. We arrived on time, but had issues finding parking (Morris was having an event that we were unaware of), so I dropped off the wife and went to find parking. Wife was seated right away, but they only gave here the menu (no drink menu). When I arrived, I was not given a menu nor a drink menu. I had to track down the server and evening host to get them. Drink menu only included the wine list and that was also lacking basic information (such as vintage). Once we had menus our server disappeared for almost 10 minutes. No bread basket and no drink order yet. When she did come back, we asked a few questions about the wine list. She then disappeared again for several minutes (we still did not have bread, nor did she take any order yet). She did find the answers to the questions we ask and took our drink order, before we could order our appetizers. 15 minutes later she returned with our drinks. We placed our appetizer order and she informed us our selection was out. So we chose another. At this time, we still did not have a bread basket, no mention of any specials or soup de ju.
I would like to say that the evening got better, but it did not. We found what others have recently listed here. Service continued to be poor, and the food also left something to be desired.
We will not return for dinner. But may return for drinks on the club side.
I am saddened to see so many poor reviews for this wonderful local Michiana restaurant. Â Trio's has been around for about 3 years now but recently hired a new, young chef and he is bringing new life and new flavor to Trio's menu.
My review is based on a dining experience with my foodie group so I will admit that service was probably stepped up for our benefit. Â However, I have been to many foodie dinners over the past year and not all restaurants will go all out like Trio's did to give us such a wonderful dining experience.
We were treated to two different appetizers - the gumbo, which has an incredible amount of seafood and just the right heat to it, for me though some of my dining companions said it could have been spicier for them. Â Our next appetizer was the most delicious etouffee with tons of shrimp, a great sauce and a nice large, fresh crawfish on top. Â One of the best things I have ever tasted!
Our entrees included the scallops, which I must say, I agree with the chef that they are "sexy as hell". Â 4 good sized scallops over a bed of curry cous cous and my husband had the bone in pork chop which was prepared medium rare per the chef's suggestion and was perfect. Â Tender, juicy and full of flavor.
All of our servers were very knowledgable and accomodating - all water glasses filled, plates cleared immediately, courses moved along. We had a lot of questions about the menu, preparation, etc and our server was very patient with us and if he didn't know the answer, he went back to the kitchen and go the information for us.
I like the concept of Trio's - 2 sides of the restaurant and the jazz club. Â We dined there previously on a Friday night on the restaurant side and when the music started in the jazz bar, while you could hear the music, it was not distracting or too loud at all. Â We have also visited the jazz bar side a couple of different weekends for drinks and after about 9:30 or so, you will have a tough time finding a table. Â As mentioned by other reviewers, the live music is wonderful and very tough to find in our area. Â
Trio's menu is based off a cajun flavor but they are starting to branch more into the creole and have recently added many new menu items. Â
The jazz club menu is less expensive and smaller plates than the restaurant side so if you are looking to save a little money, that menu may be the way to go. Â And bonus, with the recent menu changes, the jazz club menu is now available on the restaruant side as well. Â
I have also been to Trio's for lunch a few times as well and they have a ton of very reasonably priced items for the quality. Â I had a caesar shrimp wrap and it was heavenly.
So, I highly recommend you give Trio's a try, if you have never been and if you have and didn't have a good experience, head on back and see if they have improved what you found lacking. Â Chef Chris is looking to impress and bring you good, quality dishes made with local ingredients.
this is for the food, not the music. Â The music here is always superb.
I see room for improvement in all aspects of the restaurant here. Â It's like the VIne with good music.
Blackened shrimp at $1.50 apiece was the best thing on the menu.
There are other places downtown similarly priced with much better quality.
I reserved a table at Trio's in advance of my visit in February. When I arrived, my date and I were told that there were no available tables, but we would be welcome to dine in the club side. At the time, we noticed several open tables, but I tend to try to be understanding that "things happen."
For those who haven't visited Trio's, it is split into a dining and club side. The club side regularly features live jazz, which is a welcome addition to South Bend. Of course, being seated up next to the stage on a Friday night made any dinner conversation difficult.
The table service was poor. To add insult to the entire situation, several other tables had been set on the club side to accommodate what must have been a high-demand evening. We were not given that courtesy.
The following day, I e-mailed the manager to explain my experience and my disappointment in what had been a great contribution to South Bend's night life. I didn't receive a reply until this week. It was a generic invitation to come try Trio's new menu.
Poor service, being disrespected as a customer, and a lack of foresight leave me without any desire to return.
oh my goodness - this is south bend, INDIANA folks! This place is awesome - here I find myself in michiana at a dreamy downtown location with great food - a simple but good wine list - super martini list and a super cute sexy crowd - oh and LIVE JAZZ MUSIC - dinner at seven and left at midnight - what a dreamy location - yea yea the menu is short but it hits all the spots - we ordered pork chop - perfect - my halibut was actually excellent and i am picky - and ooh the desserts were INSANE - oh did i mention the sexy crowd (boys and girls) yea i will be back
Review Source:Went with co-workers while travelling to South Bend. Â We were there mid-week there was no one else in the restaurant other than a party in one of the private rooms.
You would think with one "real" table, that we would have decent service but don't think too hard on the answer...
Consensus around the table was that everyone's food was bland and lifeless (even when the waiter warned that it would be spicy) and the halibut I ordered was WAY overcooked. Â
Not good / never going back... Â I guess this place is happening on the weekend but being there during the week was borderline depressing.
If there's one thing to redeem our visit was that we asked the bartender for some limes to go (co-worker had Coronas back at the hotel). Â They proceeded to give us the equivalent of at least 3 limes sliced up in a small to-go box for free. :)
Do not ever go to Trio's on a weeknight.
On a weekend, the restaurant has a generally lively atmosphere and the service seems adequate. The menu is rather jejune but my friends seem to accept its mediocrity, so I won't lambast the food in this review. Suffice to say that I've tried a few things and given up on their menu. The entertainment is live and that's already saying something for South Bend, but the acts have been rather... er... geriatric the times I've been there. You might go to Trio's because there will be Jazz, but you don't go FOR the Jazz.
Now, weekdays: It is common practice at Trio's to hustle people out the door on weekdays whenever the manager/barkeep decides that a) the current level of occupancy is not profitable or b) they just don't care and want to go home. More than once, I've ordered drinks and had a fresh round arrive at the table only to be told MOMENTS later that the entire place was closing and we would have to settle up and get out. Poor trade craft, inhospitable in the extreme. The second time this happened (shortly after 9pm), I informed the server that we would either stay and finish our drinks at our leisure or we would settle up without the last round on our tab. They begrudgingly let us stay, but flipped bar stools up onto table tops all around us as we drank. Service FAIL.
Less relevant, but personally irksome: 50% of Trio's art is flabby, puerile impressionistic stuff--standard restaurant scholck. Â That's fine. Â The other 50% is an incoherent vomitous mess that is disorienting and upsetting. Â Think Jackson Pollock uses baby vomit as a meduim and you've pretty much got it. Â It remains a mystery to me why anyone would think that people would want to look at that and eat food at the same time. Â Maybe a bit harsh, but I think the aesthetic environs contribute to gustatory enjoyment so I couldn't leave this unsaid.
If I had written this review a year ago, Trio's would have received five+ stars. At one time, the steaks were excellent and the side selections were delicious. I'd order the filet with a side of Courvoisier cream sauce, boursin mashed potatoes and sauteed broccolini. Topped with crisp "tobacco" onions and a lovely glass of Clos du Bois merlot...we were in heaven. Creme brulee for dessert and we practically purred in the car on the way home.
Menus change and so do chefs, but in my opinion the new menu has taken several steps backward, putting themselves at risk to losing diners to LaSalle Grille.
The atmosphere at Trio's is outstanding - great lighting, colors and paintings. If the menu were to go back to what it used to be, I'd be happy to change my review.
I have never been disappointed by Trio's. This is a -meet your girlfriend for a drink and an appetizer- kind of place. The music is good, the drinks are good, the lunch and dinner are always very good. You see the owner often, which can go either way in a restaurant. My theory, they are sticking around to either 1) maintain excellence or 2) ensure the implementation of cost cutting efforts. He seems to hang around for the purpose of  maintaining excellence. It's a great place, I'm proud to have Trio's in South Bend.
Review Source:We love Trios. Â We almost always eat in the Jazz Club, since we go for the music, but because of the open design, you can enjoy the music in the dining room as well.
The food is very good, and I think in time will only get better (they have only been open a year). Â The only thing on the menu I take exception to is the risotto, it was dry and not made to order. Â But having said that, everything else is great. Â I also like their Sunday brunch buffet. Â Be aware though, that only one glass of champagne is included with brunch - it is not "free flowing".
I appreciate the atmosphere that before Trios, we would have to go to Chicago to enjoy. Â We love the music and atmosphere and go there often to support a great locally owned business
I've visited Trio's twice now. Â The first time was a week after their soft opening, and it was rough but we thought it had a lot of potential. Â The second time was this Saturday for a late dinner after watching the Symphony. Â
First off, I love to see these types of restaurants open in South Bend. Â I want to see them succeed so that more "new" concepts open up in downtown. Â However, on our second, and most likely our last, trip to Trio's the service was horrendous and the food was on the lesser side of adequate.
We started off with ordering - our order was:
Appetizer - Grilled Polenta Rounds.
Entrees - Small Side Salad and Side of Asparagus (her) Linguine Tapenade (Me).
Drinks - wine (her), beer (me)
Review:
The server was quite pleasant. Â She took our order. Â We received our Appetizer (Grilled Polenta Rounds) in a very quick order. Â They were awful. Â They had a bad taste that lingered. Â I typically love polenta, but this was almost inedible. Â About 3 minutes after we received our appetizer, the entrees arrived at the table. Â We were not even 2 bites into our appetizer and we pushed them to the side to eat our main course. Â I felt this was poor service to say the least, and I expect better when I am going to a restaurant that charges in the $20 range for entrees. Â The linguine was very good, and I would eat it again. Â
We stayed for a few drinks and listened to some music and left slightly before midnight.
The next morning I was at the grocery store and I realized I did not have my credit card in my wallet. Â I used it at Trio's the previous night so I called up during their Jazz Brunch to see if it was there before I called my Credit Card Company to report it missing. Â When I called, the gentlemen that answered the phone took my information down and said he would call me back when he had a chance to go and look for it (I explained that this was my credit card and I needed to know if it was missing or if I was an idiot who left it someplace and it was safe, he showed no sense of urgency). Â I drove there and when I walked in, I spoke with a person who seemed to be the manager. Â He said he was the person I had talked to on the phone and he had yet had a chance to go up to the office and see if it was there. Â I told him I needed it now, and would wait. Â I proceeded to watch him act as the host, seating people, answering phones, and then bus a table, for 20 minutes while I stood watching. Â Finally, when he had an opportunity to pull himself away from the busy tasks at the front of the restaurant, he was able to find my credit card. Â From when I called to when I received my credit card was almost an hour. Â I felt this was horrible customer service to give to someone that frequented your restaurant. Â I don't think I will give Trio's a third chance.
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