Angel’s Thai restaurant in Olympia, Washington leaves much to be desired. While the menu certainly has a wide variety, the prices are consistently steep for what you get. $10 for a salad! $12 for the average entrée! Surprisingly, the items that were not overpriced were the drinks.
I had green tea to drink. The tea came quickly. When the waitress brought it she set the cup and pot down without filling the cup. She simply left. Not to wait on another table — it was not a particularly busy night — but to go back to the open kitchen to talk to another waitress.
No extra-mile service here.
I let it sit a moment while I added a few notes to my Blackberry. By the time I tried my tea, it was lukewarm — not hot.
Blehk.
The menu had pictures of most entrées. It was difficult to tell the size of the decorative dish, but for $12 it should have been a larger portion.
The food came out quickly. It should have, with only 3 of the 22 tables in the establishment occupied. I had the spicy Pad Kee Mow. The food was hot and had a good blend of spices with beef, vegetables, and flavorful noodles. Unfortunately, the taste was tainted by the prices, cold green tea, and poor service.
Only once did the waitress come by to ask how my meal was. When it was obvious I was done, there was no offer for dessert, coffee, or refill on tea. As for the tea, it could have been because I had left so much of it untouched — perhaps the waitress didn’t think I wanted more.
It is unlikely I will visit here again. I will be surprised if this establishment survives another year without making some significant changes to customer service.
Recommendations
Attention to detail – make sure food is right before bringing it out to the customer and make sure that what is advertised is what is delivered.
Wait staff training – be professional and attentive, take the initiative and up-sell and suggest menu items.
Lower prices – knocking off $3 alone would be huge.
Rethink the kitchen – with the kitchen being open it can be frustrating for a customer to see their waitress goofing off in back when they need water refilled — put up a partition.
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WeirdGuy Creative 
You are probably the most undereducated restauranteur i have read. You went to one of the most quality oriented thai restaurants within the city limits and didn’t want to spend any money. You are a clown’s shoe, and your opinion cannot be trusted.
@Jansen, sorry your focus is totally on the money. My focus is from the perspective of the business traveler/customer. Ask any customer what keeps them coming back to a restaurant (ask any well established restaurant owner too) and you’ll find the “golden triad”:
– Quality of Food
– Price of Food
– Experience (including environment and customer service)
Angel’s fell flat on ALL three. If you are affiliated with the restaurant, I suggest you make some changes. When hot tea is served warm, when small portions are over-priced, and when there is poor customer service, why would anyone want to come back? Why would anyone recommend this establishment?
Who knows, it may have been an off night. The regular cook was not there or the waitress was a new hire. That does not excuse any establishment from looking to improve. Take the suggestions I mentioned or, like other popular restaurants, ask customers to fill out a brief survey online or on a card to mail back. Then do something about the feedback!
If you consider the experience I had as “most quality oriented” then you have a lot to learn as a restaurateur. The fact is, I spent the required money for my meal and the experience I had was lacking.
But curious minds want to know…are you indeed a clown shoe?
I personally always thought of you as one of those hybrid tennis shoe/ hiking boot thingies.
Then again, you could be a cowboy boot. One with a silver tip on it’s pointy toe, and embossed images of kittens with katana swords on the leather.
Nice bog you have here. I pretty much lurk the internet when I’m bored and read all I can about the organic lifestyle, but I really liked you view on things. I’ll bookmark the site and subscribe to the feed!
I have to say, I can not agree with you in 100%, but it’s just my opinion, which could be very wrong.
p.s. You have an awesome template for your blog. Where did you find it?