It was a cold, snowy evening. I was pretty beat from work and a poor night's sleep and frankly didn't even want to think about cooking. I had yet to try any restaurants here in Pueblo, where my current job has me most weekdays, so figured could satisfy my laziness, curiosity and cravings all in one. Turned to Yelp, searched for Thai food and this place popped up. I'm always a little leery of the one-stop-shop Asian cuisine venus, but it had good reviews and was close to my location, so figured would give it a shot.
I called around 4:30 to place an order for pickup. The lady who answered was very friendly, promptly took my order and kindly ensured I had the correct location prior to hanging up the phone. I drove on over after finishing another errand. There was a drive-thru window, but since I had never been inside I wanted to check it out. It looks and feels like an Asian fast food joint. A family was at the counter and was rather indecisive, therefore my wait was probably longer than it normally would have been. After they finished and took their seats, the guy in front of me stepped up to place his order. I recognized the voice of the woman who answered the phone as the woman who was also manning the register and acting as a server to the dine-in folks. She was certainly busy, but did a very good job managing her various roles. Finally it was my turn, and no sooner did I say "I'm here for a pickup.." did she answer with my name and "it's ready" and swiftly went to gather my box, chopsticks and fortune cookie (can't forget that). I was out the door shortly thereafter. 4 stars for service.
Maybe it was the weather and the drive home and my general feeling of blah, but once I got to my apartment and sat down to dig in, the aroma of the food was not what I was expecting. Don't get me wrong, it didn't smell bad, but it wasn't the savory fish and sweeter peanut sauce combo I've come to expect from American Pad Thai. It was actually more spicy and curry-like, as if they mixed up the sauces while finishing the stir fry. That said, the menu description does say "spicy homemade sauce," so perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised. The taste mirrored the scent, and I found myself slightly disappointed. Again, it wasn't bad by any means, just took me by surprise. Pad Thai is such a basic meal that I find it a good way to judge a new restaurant, and based upon this one experience, I'm not sure I would rush back. Though I'm certainly not opposed to trying the Pho or another dish in the future. Or those donuts. Good lord they were hard to resist. read more