This was my first visit to Thirsty Tea, and unfortunately, it will likely be my last. I came in…read morewith high expectations after seeing the great Yelp reviews and was especially interested in the Vietnamese coffee and huge variety of cold foams.
The shop itself is adorable, lots of plants and greenery, which I loved. I had already looked at the menu and knew exactly what I wanted. I ordered a watermelon slush, and the employee confirmed they had it. She then asked how much lemon I wanted, explaining that they typically do half or a full lemon. I asked what was standard, and she recommended a full lemon. I then ordered a Vietnamese coffee with cheese foam and Biscoff foam.
After waiting, my first drink came out completely wrong. Um it was a matcha. A male employee eventually corrected the Vietnamese coffee order. I then asked about my watermelon slush, only to be told that it had never been rung in.
What was most frustrating was that instead of simply acknowledging the mistake, the employee blamed me multiple times for not ordering it. I clearly remembered the conversation because we had specifically discussed the lemon, and she had recommended the full lemon. I explained the entire interaction to her, yet she continued to insist that I was somehow responsible.
At that point, I made it very clear that I did not want to continue speaking with her. She continued insisting on engaging with me anyway. I felt completely unheard and, honestly, harassed by the interaction. The way the conversation was handled made me question my own recollection of what had just happened, it felt extremely gaslighting.
She eventually made the drink, but then slammed it onto the counter, causing it to fall over. Thankfully, it had a lid on it. At that point, I was extremely uncomfortable and asked the male employee for the owner's contact information. He said he couldn't provide it, so I left my name and phone number and requested that the owner contact me.
The Vietnamese coffee was actually very good, which makes this experience even more disappointing. However, I did not drink the watermelon slush because, after the way the interaction was handled, I no longer felt comfortable consuming it.
Mistakes happen. What matters is how you handle them. Taking accountability, respecting a customer's boundaries, and treating them with basic courtesy should be the bare minimum. Unfortunately, I experienced none of that.
It's a shame because the atmosphere is cute and the coffee was good, but one employee's behavior completely ruined my first impression of the business. One person really can ruin an entire customer experience. I hope the owner follows up because this was incredibly disappointing, especially given the positive reputation of this establishment.
