Racks Downtown Eatery in Mizner Park had the potential to be a great hidden gem in Boca Raton, and I was looking forward to writing a great review of the restaurant. From the moment I walked through the door, I was greeted by a happy, friendly hostess and a clean, modern-looking restaurant with raw bar, pizza oven and indoor/outdoor bar that was quickly filling up for what I later found was Happy Hour.

For those who aren’t aware, I’m less than a week away from “D-Day” and my son’s arrival, so I look like I’m carrying a soccer ball around my waist when I do motivate myself to get dressed and venture out into the South Florida heat and humidity to get a bite to eat (the poor hubby has been tasked with more deliver orders than I care to outline in the past month). I’m also dealing with the myriad of late-pregnancy pains that moms-to-be look forward to: back pain, swollen joints, and general aches. This is all important to my overall restaurant impression, which is why I spell it out up front.

So – moving back to initial impressions. We entered the restaurant (after I’d vetoed a number of others on the strip and zeroed in on Rack’s comfort food selections, including mac ‘n cheese apps and chicken pot pie entree) and were greeted very warmly by a hostess who led us promptly to a booth. We were the only couple in the restaurant sitting at a table, but the bar was about 3/4 full, and we soon learned why. Although I was with my husband for a well-deserved dinner and drinks (club soda for me) out, the hostess must have assumed that, being pregnant, I wouldn’t be interested in participating in the restaurant’s happy hour, and failed to mention that it was going on. However, as we were sitting at the booth closest to the hostess stand, we heard her welcome every (and I mean EVERY) guest who entered after us with what sounded like a well-rehearsed speech about happy hour from 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm that included half-priced drinks and half-priced appetizers at the bar.

My husband asked our server about happy hour, since we were apparently the ONLY guests in the restaurant who hadn’t been clued in, and he informed us – very stiffly – that we weren’t a part of happy hour because the happy hour was only applicable to guests sitting at the bar (in other words, everyone in the restaurant BUT us). My husband explained to our server that I am 8 months pregnant, and due to my back problems, I wouldn’t be able to sit in the backless stools at the bar, and he said, “Oh, well.” Hubby, not understanding why we would literally be the ONLY patrons in the restaurant who weren’t being offered a discount, and because of my pregnancy and physical ailments that they couldn’t accommodate, approached the manager, who said the same thing: I could sit on the bar stools at the bar, or we couldn’t enjoy the happy hour discount. Yes, he understood that we were the only customers not being offered happy hour. Yes, he could see that I was pregnant – and that given the indoor/outdoor bar, I’d be sitting close to smokers (and I’d be the pregnant lady at the bar, which is just tacky for me and really not good business for them). But no, we would not be offered the same happy hour that the other guests were enjoying unless I waddled myself over and dealt with being extremely uncomfortable while eating.

Since we had already ordered and eaten our appetizers and our entrees were en route, we didn’t get up and leave. However, I can tell you that the rude treatment I got will absolutely keep me from going back – and I’ll be sure to let people know how Rack’s treats us pregnant ladies. I’ve had my share of awkward comments, inappropriate touching (“Ohhh, look at the belly!”), and staring during my pregnancy, but I’ve NEVER been singled out by a business the way that I was this weekend. And what’s most disappointing is that the menu is so appropriate for ladies like me – who are craving comfort foods. The food was good, but our treatment completely spoiled the meal.