Recently moved to the Thornton area from the south side of town. I'm a big fan of Vietnamese food so I've visited this place a few times now, I wanted to like it but reality prevents me from drawing positive conclusions.
My very first experience with this place was walking in, and being told to wait to be seated in their lack of a waiting room. Its seriously just two chairs shoved awkwardly in a corner right in front of the door. After being obviously ignored by two employees finally the older gentlemen who was counting something, firmly gestured my way. I couldn't help but feeling it had some rude and discourteous intent behind it, giving me the feeling that my patronage isn't really something they valued. When I am finally seated after an inexcusable wait (plenty of empty tables) I noticed right away how generic their product quality is. Instead of made in house Hoisin sauce they had Kikkoman soy sauce placed on the table, which is something you would buy from Wal-Mart or other corporate conglomerates. Some may consider that a minor detail but for me it really confirmed the message that this is a restaurant that doesn't care about authenticity or quality, it is intentionally marketed towards people who don't know any better. I should also mention the waitstaff seemed equally as neglectful as their hosts.
The food arrived and it was ok. Not spectacular and not particularly well priced either, at least compared to the competitive Vietnamese restaurant market which is fairly prominent in Denver. The whole experience left a lot to be desired but I gave them the benefit of the doubt on having a bad night.
My second experience went a little smoother. I was seated a little more promptly, ate my average quality food while being mostly neglected by the waitstaff then left. Not much noteworthy about it, which in the restaurant business should speak for itself. There is no reason to choose this place over the countless other Vietnamese restaurants. Once again left the bad feeling that these people don't understand hospitality and treat their customers with extreme indifference.
My third experience was today, I took my nephew for lunch. I figured children have a very honest way of critiquing experiences so I could count on gauging his reaction. We couldn't even get seated, and the two chairs shoved in a crowded corner by the door that they attempt to call a waiting room were already occupied. After standing their awkwardly with an increasingly anxious child I had no choice but to turn around and leave without receiving any recognition from the employees at all. This is the last time I will attempt to waste my money on a mediocre product at this establishment. I can't think of a restaurant that has worse service anywhere else in the city.
In summary, I'm giving this place a 2 star rating.
Pros- They have a nice looking place. The food wasn't terrible, though its not particularly good either.
Cons- you are guaranteed to get terrible service and generic product quality.
If this is the first Vietnamese restaurant you ever ate at you'll probably like it. If you are familiar with the food at all I highly advise you to skip it. read more