Jeff R.
Yelp
A friend and I made plans to meet for lunch, and he suggested Ginger Thai. I've never been before, and after glancing at the reviews, it seems like an okay place. I'm always up for Thai food and usually look for places I've never tried before. He arrived ahead of me, and went in to grab a table and something to drink. I arrived about 10 minutes after he did. I went over to the table, and he remarked about how easy it was to be seated because generally the lunch crowd is heavier than it was. Two people working there saw me come in and sit down, but neither bothered to greet me. Strike one. After 10 minutes of waiting to place my drink order we finally flagged someone over. Strike two. The food came out very quickly. I ordered fresh rolls with shrimp as an appetizer for us to share. The vegetables and shrimp were fresh, but I thought the peanut dipping sauce was a little lacking. My lunch entree was pad pak with pork, and it was very good, with just the right amount of heat for the middle of the day. Generally I like a hotter spice level, and will probably ask for it to be bumped up a notch next time. (Yes, Virginia, there WILL be a next time.) My friend said he usually ordered chicken pad thai, and said his was good. After the meal we sat and visited for a while, and I kept glancing over at the gelato. Italian dessert in a Thai restaurant? That's a really great idea! I found the juxtaposition of Asian and European to be an interesting combination. While I didn't order gelato, I think I'll do so in the future. So even though Ginger Thai started out with two strikes, my first impression is favorable because they redeemed themselves on the food. Had the service been a little better, my four star rating would have been a five.
Note to the management: never underestimate the value of a good first impression. Greet your customers as they come through the door, and for heaven's sake, don't make them wait 10 minutes before you come get their drink order. I'm willing to give second chances, but a lot of people aren't, so you want to start off on the right foot. If you alienate them they will not return; no matter how good the food, if the customer service isn't up to standard, folks won't be back.