My son and I tried to use a 50% discount coupon purchased from www.restaurant.com on Wednesday afternoon Dec 20th 2006 at:

Finger Licking Bukateria
9817 N Bissonnet St., Houston, TX, 77036
713-270-7070

This is a Nigerian restaurant serving West African cuisine. My son and I presented
the waiter with the coupon BEFORE ordering & immediately after being seated. He looked at it and said "okay".

My son and I ordered two exact same meals costing around $11.00. The food was not very edible, their "meat" for the beans and plantains platter consisted of a cow's foot, piece of stomach and a strange dark object plus the plantains and beans. The waiter was
not very attentive and never checked on us.
But, okay this is a different culture and to each their own right? No problem there. Thank heavens we are getting 50% off right?
Wrong!

Upon paying for the bill, I handed BOTH the coupon AND my credit card to the waiter. The waiter said something that we could not
understand, he did not speak English very well. He smiled and started to walk away leaving the coupon on the table. My son told him "don't you need to take the coupon to call it in?" He said "okay" again and walked
away and then came back with a credit card charge and receipt for the FULL AMOUNT and no discount.

When I questioned him about it. He was very confused and went and got another person, a male who explained that the waiter was new and misunderstood and to please come back again sometime and you can use the coupon then. So I steadfastly said "No! That is not fair! I presented the coupon to the waiter and he acknowledged it even before we ordered and then gave it to him again when handing him my credit card." And so I refused to sign for it.

The waiter and the new person (another waiter?) said that they cannot correct the charges at this time because they had rung up or had other customers pay their bill since then and it was not possible. I politely
told them that "this is nonsense, you call up the number for the company that you use, invalidate the mistaken tab or bill, tear it up in front of me, both copies and the receipt THEN I will let you scan my card again for the correct amount". They refused saying it was not possible.

So my son said "Why don't you simply pay us the difference in cash and then we will sign for the bill? That way we get our discount that we are supposed to received and you get paid and everybody is happy?"

Well they had to "go check with the owner". Well the owner said "No!" and would not even come to talk to us even though they were supposedly at the restaurant. The owner evidently became very angry at the "new"
waiter according to still another person who spoke perfect English and said that he would have to pay out of his own pocket. I politely explained that that was against state law to penalize an employee and make them pay.

The non-English speaking waiter came back really upset to the point of being in tears and with hands shaking gave me the difference back in cash (almost twelve dollars). The total tab was $25.61 I believe including tax.

I demanded to know where the money had come from and the man tried to walk away and he was very upset. I insisted that he stay and the woman who spoke English translated and it turned out that he borrowed the money from a cook or somebody in the back under the agreement that he would pay the man back.

I was very very angry at the owner, not the man. And told the woman to translate that "Your owner is a very evil woman to cheat her customers and her employees at Christmas time especially. This is wrong! I will never come here again! I will also tell people not to come here! But I am not mad or upset with
the waiter. So here is my tip to you" and gave him the full amount back to him by literally stuffing it in his pocket and said "Merry Christmas".

So I paid the FULL AMOUNT and did not get to use my coupon. They would not (the owner took it) give the coupon back. They ripped my son
and I off. They ruined what should have been a good experience (well the "meat" was ghastly but...)

I requested a full refund for what I paid for the coupon that we DID NOT USE and the unscrupulous owner kept to restaurants.com.

I am going to file a full complaint about this unscrupulous owner and restaurant everywhere possible on the Internet.

I am filing a charge back/dispute with my credit card company. And I am also filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and posting as well as posting my bad experience here.

This place is bad news and they are thieves! To try and steal from both a customer AND their own waiter and help staff like that! And lie and say that they cannot correct
a credit card mistake.

Very shameful! And at Christmas time yet!
The owner of this restaurant is not fit to be an American. They should pack it up and go back to Nigeria as they are corrupt. I am very open-mined which is why I was at this shameful place to begin with. They are a disgrace to good Nigerians everywhere!

Avoid this place like the plague. I have found really disgustingly awful reviews already posted on the Internet about them and
also about how they cheat people by charging more than the stated menu amount and saying
"These are old menus and the price has gone up since then!" only AFTER you have ordered and they bring you the inflated bill!

It obvious that this restaurant is run without scruples or honesty.

Merry Christmas!