The Lookout at the Pyramid

Great experience!

I rarely write reviews for Yelp any more, and I only do so because of something exceptional—either really good or really bad. In this case it’s really bad. I called 2.5 months in advance to make a reservation for 12 people for a Monday night for my 50th birthday, and I requested a window table and was told that would be noted in my reservation and should be possible. I grew up in Memphis (birth to 22), go back a couple of times a year, and was returning home for my birthday to see family and college friends. I had thought this would be a nice place to celebrate (especially because several of us were planning to stay in the Cypress Lodge Hotel in the pyramid). I called back today to confirm the table, and I was told that it was impossible to do that for me, and that I’d be treated like any other customer that night, including walk-ins. I explained my situation, and although I believe in treating everyone equally, I seriously doubt that there are several other people celebrating 50th birthdays with a party of 12 and reserving a table 2.5 months in advance for a Monday night, so that it’s not really an equal/equivalent situation among customers. Plus, the crucial fact that I’d been previously told they could accommodate this. I then asked to speak to a manager, and when I did, I’ve never been spoken to so condescendingly. I’ve made reservations—for much smaller groups and without a celebration—all over the world and at places, like the top of the Freedom tower in NYC and John Hancock building in Chicago, and I’ve never had people treat me so rudely when I’m trying to bring good money to their place of business. Those other places have always worked with me to accommodate similar requests. But here, I was continually told all the reasons it was impossible and given no help to trouble shoot what was actually possible. That 1st manager who I spoke with gave me very confusing information and told me it was impossible before then handing me over to talk with a “2nd manager” there. (Do they really have 2 managers there on a Sunday morning? Why am I talking with 3 different people?) The 3rd person (2nd manager?) I talked with said that they can’t guarantee a window seat because they can’t guarantee earlier parties will get up from their table. I said that’s funny because the previous manager told me that there was a hard 2-hour time limit per table that they enforced. I also said that they told me it would already be $8 per adult and $4 per child to enter, but then the 2nd manager said that was the price for the elevator ride, and I told him we don’t actually need to pay for that because most of us are already staying in the hotel, and the 2nd manager agreed that was true. I then asked about parties at the restaurant, and he said that they have parties there all the time, and that you have to pay a location fee to secure a window table. I asked him how come the first two people didn’t mention a location fee to me and only told me it was impossible. He said that’s because they don’t recommend people pay the location fee. I still can’t wrap my head around why they have a location fee at all if they don’t recommend people use it, or why they didn’t just tell me about this from the start because I would have happily paid it. In the end, it was so clear that they didn’t want my business, and that they were as unaccommodating as possible, so I canceled the reservation entirely because I can only conclude that this is indicative of how the entire restaurant is run and would be indicative of our experience if we actually went there. When I had called today, I had even been thinking of booking a second group supper there on Saturday night, but now I don’t plan on ever going there.

Things went great at first, then I get back to the hotel room and realized they didn’t give me the correct order. I went back to the restaurant then waited an hour for the correction to be made. Stood in line for the elevator afterwards for 30 minutes. Just not very happy with my experience.

If you can make a stop here, do it. The food was divine. Our server was helpful and sweet. The room is gorgeous. It was a memorable experience for sure. If I could change one thing, it's confusing getting a table if you don't do it immediately. We might have messed that up. The staff remedied it quickly and before long we had delicious local craft beers, a specialty spicy cocktail, and southern sweet tea in our hands waiting for loaded fries that made me sad to leave. This is Memphis at its best.

Food took over an hour to come out with 60% of tables and bar occupied. When it arrived, under cooked burgers with one small piece of bacon. Couple on ride down canceled their order and went to Wahlburger instead. Our server worked his butt off and saved the stars for service. Great view and well put together. We were moved from one section to the area where everyone was coming off elevator. LOTS of foot traffic and noises trying to get to the 1st observation area ASAP. If I eat here again, it won’t be in that area. Seems odd to charge an elevator fee for people with reservations to eat in the restaurant for $22 burger. Marcus our server was great.

Very expensive overpriced food, the food made my wife and I sick the rest of the evening and cost us $100 for two of us. Uncles bucks restaurant was better.

The food is overpriced and doesn’t taste good. I threw my pesto sandwich away later that day. I’ve never had a nasty pesto sandwich in my life. Although, I enjoyed my room at the Big Cypress Lodge, the restaurants onsite are all overpriced and terrible. Food and service is below par.

It is unacceptable to charge people $10 a person to get to the restaurant & not have that information posted on the website nor was it posted on the online reservation!! It was annoying that as we were trying to eat & enjoy our food with a view, crowds of people kept walking by & disturbing us as well as blocking our view. The prices were ridiculous for a burger.

Great view and great dinner!

17.00 for a elevator ride is crazy