Monday, January 25, 2010

El Cactus and the Bermuda Triangle


Have you ever been to a restaurant and had bad service?  I was looking forward to a night out with the girls at a new Mexican restaurant we'd heard was hot shizzle. I was looking forward to maybe a little Mexican coffee with the chocolate and cinnamon in it, maybe a margarita, some chips and salsa, but I was DENIED all three.

#1. BYOB. #2. The waitress was too lazy to make any coffee ("Yeah.... We don't have any," said the waitress.) And oh, by the way, #3. We had to remind the waitress (twice) to bring us the traditional chips and salsa appetizer. Have you ever been ravenously hungry and gone to a Mexican restaurant where it seemed every other table but yours already had their chips and salsa, including the people that were seated 10 minutes after you? Yeah. We had to ask twice for the chips and salsa. Did this girl want a tip?

She even took her ciggy break out in front of the restaurant bringing the acrid smell of ciggies and the cold with her when she breezed back into the restaurant. This girl LOOKED like she didn't care, head to toe.

My friends (whom I shall refer to as Friend-on-the-Right and Friend-on-the-Left) and I began to think we were in the restaurant's dead zone: the place where all things lost and forgotten go hungry and not get any service. We were the "Bermuda Triangle" of El Cactus.  I started calling my Friend-on-the-Right "Amelia" (AKA Amelia Earhart) and she couldn't think of anyone else that had gotten lost there, so she volunteered to call me the Lindberg Baby. We all cackled one great, witchy laugh at the insanity of it all. There should have been a cauldron on the table.

The food was OK, but it wasn't our fave. We split a fried ice-cream which was obviously prepared way in advance. It was cold, and the fried shell was a little stale. Friend-on-the-right called it freeze fried ice-cream. More cackling. We still left a tip.  Would you have left one? I'm curious.

6 comments:

  1. No tip, and a request to speak with the manager and possibly owner. In fact, you should still do so. This girl costs them customers and money- likely lots of both. At least you got some laughs out of it, but she shouldn't have gotten a dime of tip... or maybe ONLY a dime.

    Was this the El Cactus in Souderton? Used to be a good place a couple owners ago. If Mexican is what you're in the mood for, check out Xinantecatl on Main Street, Souderton. The restaurant in back is "okay" in terms of atmosphere, but the food is tremendous- very authentic. Speaking Spanish will help you here.

    Nice to see you writing regularly! Keep it up!

    -CW

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  2. How annoying, I would have left under 10% for sure. And why didn't you talk to the manager????

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  3. Craig,

    I agree that we weren't doing the restaurant owner any favors by perpetuating bad customer service. I won't be back to El Cactus again.

    MommyB my friend...there was no manager in sight. We feared for our overpriced food, lest it contain sputum when it finally reached our table.

    By the way...I got indigestion both times I ate the food- at the restaurant and then as leftovers at school the next day. Perhaps I should have learned my lesson. Chalk it up to stupidity or stubborness, maybe a little of both.

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  4. Ugh...we've been there about three times, each time hoping that it will be better than the last time. The food is just OK...I'm really surprised that it's lasted this long!

    Trying to find good Mexican in this area is tough. We found "La Cava" in Ambler; it's delicious but more on the high-end side. And there's a place in Broad Axe that serves awesome Marguitaras but I can't remember the name.

    We'll try the one in Souderton that Craig suggested...and maybe the new one on allentown Road.

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  5. I wouldn't have left a tip, and I would call and speak to the manager NOW! (I agree about fearing for your food!)

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  6. Dave,
    We'll have to try La Cava on a nicer dinner night! Thanks for the tip.

    Dor,
    I don't think there was a manager.

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