Alida C.
Google
Such a bummer when the subpar service is the flavor left in your mouth and not the food.
Wanted to have a “nurturing” experience post sauna at Portal. There was one woman working the counter when I approached. She appeared frazzled despite there being no line and only a handful of people seated. She didn’t acknowledge me but instead stepped away for 2 minutes. When she returned, still no pleasantries but asked “What do you want?” I said that it was my first time here and was curious what she thought of the salmon salad. She responded in a gruff way, “it’s the most ordered”. I used Apple Pay and didn’t see any obvious signage on the menu or POS that said a service fee would be automatically applied. It’s counter service, where you still get your own water and bus your plates. Then a tip screen came up and because of her coldness, I chose not to tip.
After paying, I was wondering how the salad went from $17 to $22 so I asked and she said a gratuity is already built in but she could take it off if I wanted to. If that’s the case: 1) provide kind service 2) make your policy visible to the customer 3) don’t have the second tip screen pop up, which felt deceptive.
The salad was very simple but did taste fresh and I liked the smoked salmon.
They closed at 5pm that day and by 4ish, they had turned the music off. The whole vibe I got was that their customers were a burden. Hope this was just a rare experience but there’s a lot of potential in creating a warm and welcoming space there.
