The Associate

I am incredibly turned off by my experience here, and it is deeply disappointing considering this was meant to celebrate my birthday. To start, I did not make a reservation for any other restaurant. I made a reservation weeks in advance for Arnette’s Chop Shop for a party of six. Despite this, we were seated in a completely different restaurant because, according to the hostess, there was no room in the dining room. That explanation makes no sense given how far in advance the reservation was made. Prior to arrival, I spoke with the event coordinator and was given clear guidelines for decorating the table, which I followed. Upon arrival, however, I was told by staff to remove my decor because it was too much clutter. That was both hurtful and frustrating, especially after putting time and

Completely disappointed with this experience. I came to celebrate my best friend’s birthday and the night felt unnecessarily stressful. Management refused simple birthday decorations with no clear explanation. Staff gave no advance notice about photography rules. After we asked to take photos, they told us we could move to another dining area where photos were allowed. We moved everything. Then a manager came out and rudely stated photos were only allowed by the door. We had to move all decorations back and reset the table. The rest of the night felt uncomfortable. I felt monitored every time I tried to take photos, even while standing in the approved area. This place is not welcoming or family friendly. The attitude feels elitist and the food does not justify it. I will not return.

I had a poor experience at The Associate and would not return. Before our reservation, we confirmed with management weeks in advance that small birthday decorations would be allowed. Once we arrived and were seated, our waiter told us decorations were not permitted. This directly conflicted with what had already been approved and caused immediate confusion. We were also told by the waiter that photos were not allowed in The Associate. A hostess later told us photos would be allowed if we moved to a different table in the main dining area. Based on her guidance, we gathered our belongings and relocated. Shortly after moving, a manager approached us and stated photos were still not allowed at the table. We calmly explained we only moved because staff told us photos would be permitted at t

Fabulous spot!