I never had the chance to visit the recently closed South Coast Kitchen in San Juan Capistrano, because fancy restaurants are Edwin's domain. Edwin never bothered to review South Coast Kitchen, for reasons only known to Edwin. But it seems that the spot had South OC's own version of Jason Quinn in chef-owner Justin Davis–at least in the Department of Yelp.
In August, a diner left a three-star review, who complained it was “overpriced and not amazing quality” and alleged that Davis' team “put a flower on the dish to make it look pretty.” Davis' response a couple of days later? “If I could put a flower on your personality and make it less hideous…I would. But I doubt that would help.”
And it got only better.
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Just some of Davis' bon mots:
- “As long as we are giving out opinions…here's my review of you as a diner. One star”
- “Your presence in my restaurant was unpleasant and strange.”
- “My suggestion for you would be to stick to places more on your level…Denny's or Del Taco might be more to your liking.”
- “Drink your cheap wine until you've built up the courage to contribute your own ignorance and anger into the world.”
And it goes on like that.
Unsurprisingly, the guest's dinner date, one Nick N., replied to defend the original Yelper's honor. He also happened to comment on Oct. 22, the day South Coast Kitchen closed. “You just sounded like an angsty middle-schooler who's butt-hurt from getting bullied about bringing his mom's flowers to show-and-tell.”
Davis' response? On Nov. 3, he proceeded to call Nick “Dick,” the most unoriginal insult since “Deez Nutz” (but nowhere near as funny). “I'm sure you felt very chivalrous sticking up for your haggard dinner companion,” Davis wrote, “but the truth is you're a troll and a coward.”
You can find the whole exchange here. Just some advice for Davis: While I loathe crazy Yelpers as much as you, and I'm sorry we never had the chance to give your restaurant some love (if it deserved it, of course), declaring war on idiot customers just ain't kosher in this happy-feely world of ours. Stick to your food–and seriously, renaming Nick “Dick”? BRUH…
Email: ga*******@oc******.com. Twitter: @gustavoarellano.
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