1 /5 Liss: Update: Walla Walla Steak Company sent us a copy of the bar menu. The service charge is only listed on the first page. We were focused on subsequent pages, looking for cocktails.
The moment we walked into Walla Walla Steak House, we were blown away—the space is beautiful, and the steaks on the grill looked and smelled amazing! We immediately said to each other, “We have to come back for a full date night.”
We grabbed seats at the bar and had fantastic drinks with warm, attentive service and great conversation with the bartender. We weren’t even at a table, yet we felt completely welcomed and taken care of. Everything was going great—until the check arrived.
We were surprised to see an unadvertised 20% “service charge” added to our bill. As far as we could tell, this charge wasn’t posted anywhere in the restaurant or listed on the menu. When we asked, we were told it goes to the staff and is intended to replace a tip—basically, the restaurant decided for us what the tip should be.
And while the service was excellent and certainly worthy of 20%, tipping should be based on the guest’s experience, not a hidden mandate. This felt sneaky and left a bad taste in our mouths after what was otherwise a really lovely visit.
Tipping culture is complicated, but this isn’t the solution. If your service is truly worth it, build it into your menu prices, pay your staff accordingly, and be transparent about your policies. Sadly, despite the great drinks and wonderful service, we won’t be coming back. The way this was handled just didn’t sit right with us.
