UNACCEPTABLE TREATMENT OF NON-SPANISH-SPEAKING CUSTOMERS
This was one of the most disrespectful experiences I have ever had at a restaurant.
We visited San Ginés USA twice. The first visit was already frustrating. The staff had very limited English and made almost no effort to communicate with us. They couldn't properly explain the menu or tell us what was fresh or available. We still decided to give the place another chance.
The second visit was absolutely ridiculous.
We stood there for approximately 15 MINUTES waiting to place an order while FIVE EMPLOYEES were behind the counter. Not one person acknowledged us. Then, customers who came AFTER us started getting served -- repeatedly. What made this especially disturbing was that the customers being prioritized were Spanish-speaking, while we were left standing there completely ignored.
Other customers actually noticed what was happening and spoke up FOR US, telling the employees that we had been there first. I politely told the cashier the same thing. She literally rolled her eyes and showed no concern whatsoever.
At that point, I put the menu down and said goodbye. But before leaving, I decided to give them ONE FINAL opportunity to fix the situation. I asked for the manager. Nobody bothered to respond. The SAME cashier who had repeatedly ignored us then simply said, "I'm the manager."
Instead of trying to resolve the situation or even acknowledge what had happened, she made no meaningful attempt to help. I asked to speak with the owner because I wanted someone in charge to hear what had happened.
That's when the situation became even more ridiculous. An employee started aggressively yelling "GOING OUT" at me over and over, apparently telling me to leave. Other employees had to tell HER to take off her apron and go to the back.
And the craziest part? Other customers were STILL telling the employees that we had been there first and that they should take our order.
At that point, the pattern was impossible to ignore: if you are not a Spanish-speaking customer, you should apparently expect to be ignored while Spanish-speaking customers who arrived after you are served first.
I cannot tell you what was in the employees' heads or what their personal motives were, but the treatment we received felt blatantly discriminatory and made us feel that we were being treated differently simply because we were not Spanish-speaking. When multiple customers independently notice and call out the same behavior, that says a lot.
And then there is the bill. This restaurant charges a MANDATORY 20% service charge on top of your food, and then still presents you with the option to leave an ADDITIONAL tip. So you're effectively being asked to pay additional gratuity on top of a mandatory 20% service charge -- regardless of the quality of service.
In our case, after being ignored, skipped over, disrespected, and then treated aggressively when we complained, the idea of being asked for an additional tip was honestly unbelievable.
We ended up leaving and walking about 5 minutes to Taste Cafe instead. What a difference. No mandatory 20% service charge, and the customer service was absolutely TOP NOTCH. We were acknowledged, treated respectfully, and actually felt like paying customers instead of an inconvenience.
That experience made the contrast even more obvious.
We were not asking for anything free. We were not demanding special treatment. We were simply PAYING CUSTOMERS who had been waiting patiently and deserved to be acknowledged and served like everyone else.
San Ginés: if you want customers to spend their money at your business, learn to treat ALL customers with basic respect -- not just the ones who speak Spanish.
The behavior we experienced was unacceptable, disrespectful, and felt deeply discriminatory. I would not recommend this place to anyone who expects basic customer service and equal treatment. There are plenty of other places nearby where you can spend your money and actually be treated with respect. read more