Mission Café

My wife and I decided to go out for breakfast on a Sunday morning and remembered the Mission Cafe at the University Avenue location. We called ahead to make sure the wait wasn't too long; a young lady assured us that we would be seated in 15 to 20 minutes. We arrived in about ten minutes and learned that the wait was in fact 20 to 30 minutes. We concluded that a crowd must have arrived just before us. We elected to wait the additional ten minutes. After a while it became apparent that groups of three or more were being seated earlier than couples who had arrived and signed in earlier. But we were getting hungry and decided to stick it out. After 45 minutes, the unshaven, disheveled fellow---dark hair, six feet tall, about 40---who had been manning (so to speak) the reservation sheet, assured us that we were next. It was then we noticed that a small booth had just opened up. At that point, the reservation slouch avoided eye contact with us. Five minutes later, two seats opposite each other on a long, cafeteria-style table became vacant. He persisted in avoiding eye contact and ran over to the table and scrambled to clear it even before the bus staff could arrive. I then walked up to him and said, "I think we'd like that small booth." Without looking at me, he barked quite loudly out of the corner of his mouth, "We don't seat 'twos' in booths on weekends." His manner was coarse and boorish. As hungry as we were, we decided to leave. Ten minutes later we were at the Park House Eatery on Park Boulevard. The food there was excellent and the staff was charming. As far as the Mission Cafe is concerned, parties of two should definitely avoid this rude eatery on the weekends. Further, if they persist in their inequitable seating policy and loutish behavior, perhaps people shouldn't eat there at all.