Sneaky Pete's Rstrnt & Banquet

Expect Slow Service and Average Food at Best. I've been going to Sneaky Pete's for 6-7 years now. Expect to wait 5-10 minutes on busy days before a server to even comes to your table to say hi and if you're sitting outside it could be even longer. In some cases you may have to let them know you are there and want to order if you sit outside on the lawn. DO NOT go hungry or expecting great service, kitchen and waitstaff are slow and usually understaffed. Waitstaff's attitude and enthusiam is mixed depending on how busy they are. First and foremost this is a bar that happens to serve food, not a restaurant with a bar. This is a place to hangout, swim, play volleyball, listen to the band or dj, people watch, pick up chicks, and drink. It's more adult oriented, but you will see families with young children during daylight hours. You will see biker types, lake trash, high rollers, D-bags, muscle-heads, skanks, tourists, the whole gamut, which is one of things that makes it appealing. Its quite a cross-section of people. The restaurant does have a patio and lawn seating, the doors are usually open which does allow flies/mosquitos inside. Because service is slow, tables are not cleared right away which gives the place a trashy appearance at times. Also there is no dress code, because again you're at the lake, people are coming and going in their swimwear. The atmosphere can be lots of fun during the summer weekends, but keep your expectations on food and service low, very low. It's kind of like Hooters in a way, except the waitresses aren't as good looking. If Sneaky Pete's had to survive on its food and service it would have been out of business a long time ago. Remember, this a bar with a lake view, pool table, volleyball court, live bands on weekends, a swimming pool, lots of TV's, and a hangout spot for mixing and mingling. If you go to hangout and drink and listen to music you'll probably have fun ... if you are hungry for good food and service you will be disappointed. The food is over-priced for its average quality and the mixed drinks are weak. The menu is decent and varied, but its all average, nothing great.…

How it works--from a server. I also waited tables at Sneaky Petes for several months this summer. I quit earlier than I had planned due to several issues. For all the people that complain about slow service, I don't blame you. It is slow. I will be the first to admit that. However, it is not the waitstaff's fault (in most cases). Keep in mind how HUGE this place is and how many people it holds. Now imagine that there are only two soda drink stations and only one bar to get draft beer at. Put on top of that that each waiter has anywhere for 4-16 table sections. Try making each person happy. On top of that the kitchen is in the very back of the restaurant. If a customer out on the lawn asks for mayo, it is much more difficult that one would think to make that request possible. As a server, we do the best we can. Also, keep in mind if the food comes out wrong, or only half comes out, this is not the servers fault. The foodrunners check the tickets and run the food. Also fyi the server is required to tip the runners (along with the bar and the bussers) 1.5% of our sales a piece. That may not seem like much to those non-servers, but look at it this way: If a customer tips the server 20% of their tab, the server is really only keeping 15% of that since they are tipping out the other 4.5%. So, if a customer decides to try to prove a point and not tip, all you really do is make the entire waitstaff hate you because the server is in turn losing money by waiting on you because they are still tipping out the 4.5% regardless of what the server makes off the table.

And contrary to what others say, this is not the first serving job of most of the people there. Because of the high volume and fast pace of this restaurant, the managers are very hesitant to hire ANYONE that hasn't waited tables before. Quite a few of the staff have worked in fine dining. It's not that they don't know how to wait tables, it's the layout of the restaurant that causes service to be slow. Keep this in mind when you are wandering around while waitresses are trying to get around you. MOVE! This is also why the staff seems irritated or not as pleasant as possible. And keep in mind what another person mentioned before, if the staff seems tired, they probably are. You leave at three after a 14 hour shift and must be back at 10 with clean clothes and a smile. It's rough. Not to mention, most of the staff has to drive 30+ minutes to get to Sneakys.

And for complaints about the bar, they pour from a jigger. It's measured. You can watch them if you'd like, but you will witness every bartender pouring into a jigger into the drink. That's their job. Yes, a single shot drink is weak, but they don't make that decision. So, if you want a strong drink, order a double.

Sneaky Pete's is an awesome place to hang out. I've worked there and will continue to go there as a customer. You just have to be patient--bottom line. You are at a bar and should treat it as such. Especially on the busy days. Great place to party and play with family and friends.…

S-L-O-W Service, still F-U-N. One thing eveyrone should take from these reviews is that Sneaky Pete's service is, always has been and most likely always will be S-L-O-W. For most, I think it's their first wait staff job. I was there for brunch today (first time to each brunch) and while the food was decent for the price, the view and weather beautiful, the service was still really slow.

The girl at the front reception had no idea what was going on, and when she sat us at a table, it had not been wiped down. I told her it was fine as long as she had someone come and clean it (never did, I cleaned it myself). Our waitress didn't come over to see if we wanted anything to drink (besides the juice at the buffet)) 20 minutes into us eating. When she finally brought our drinks, it was 15 minutes later. Now, this was not a case of a lot of tables (we arived at 12:30 and there were about 6 tables), short staff of waitresses (there were plenty)...the girls didn't look trashy or tired, they just seemed green as to what is expected of a waitress. You would think that in this economy, that people would bust a move for better tips...guess not. I certainly didn't tip 15% for a couple glasses of water 35 minutes into the meal.

BUT, the good stuff...I will still frequent Sneaky Pete's because of the atmosphere. There is no uppity pretentious attitude (and in Dallas, that is HUGE), and you are certain to find a conversation with just about anyone at Sneaky Pete's (staff or customer).

I like the perspective from the waitress. She made a good point about picking up a shift or other tables. I would agree with this, if EVERY time I have ever been to Sneaky Pete's didn't have S-L-O-W service, as this has always been the case.

But, she is right, if you are looking for a top notch reseraunt, Sneaky Pete's is a Bar...head to the Mansion for something Posh.…

I loved this place!. I read everyone's review on here before i went to this place for the first time. My boyfriend took me there for my 23rd birthday saturday night and we went back sunday morning for brunch. I had a blast! I was worried about the draft beer thing when we first got there but it turns out they do too have bottled beer! They have lots of choices for bottled beer. I asked the bar tender about what that Norvegicus guy said about the draft only thing and he said they never had only draft beer, that would hurt business. The bathrooms didn't have anything flowing out, the waitresses where attentive, and the place wasn't dirty. BRUNCH! OMG this was the best food I've ever tasted! They have a guy who makes you fresh belguim waffels!! And, oh man, I love bacon! All I could eat! Oh yeah, the waitresses are only there to bring you drinks on sunday morning you have to get the food yourself. I absolutly don't know what y'all were talking about with this place because i thought it was awesome.…