Thai Topaz — Restaurant in Castle Hills

Very good food but HORRIBLE business practices. Long review but worth reading. I used to go there all the time many years ago when I worked in the area and they were always packed and I had no problems. Then my office moved downtown for a few years and a couple years ago we moved back to the area so I started going again. They had gone way downhill in the interim. One time I went to pick up a take away order and when I opened the door someone yelled at me from the back to put a mask on. This was a few months after the mask mandates were lifted and businesses were free to open at full capacity. But they were still closed for dine in. I told the man I did not have a mask and if he could bring my food to the front table I would come back in and grab it. He said no, and I could not come in without a mask. So I went to my car and called and asked to speak to the manager. She told me to go get a mask and come back. I reminded her that the mask mandates had lifted a few months prior and it was THEM who chose to stay shut down and they should have updated their website to indicate masks were still required. So I asked for a refund and she said she could not do it unless I came in with my credit card which again required that I wear a mask that I didn’t have. So finally she said she would bring my food and put it on the front sidewalk and watch from the window while I came from my car and got it. Ridiculous. So a few months later I stupidly went back for another take away order. This time they let me in without a mask but they were STILL closed for dine in several months after they were free to open full time. So I get out to my car and on the receipt was a surcharge, I think for 20-25%. So I went back and asked what it was for and they said a “Covid recovery fee” to compensate them for not being open for dine in. Again, it was THEM who chose to stay closed when they could have opened full time several months prior. So at that point I told myself I would never go back. But then again, over a year later I stupidly went back for another take away order thinking they surely had changed their ways. It was prime dinner time but there was only one table occupied. But now when I went to my car and looked at the receipt they had automatically added a 10% gratuity for a TAKE AWAY order. When I was younger and worked in the food service industry I made minimum wage or a few cents more and NOBODY got tips other than people who waited tables. And now, everywhere you go there are signs advertising for more than twice the minimum wage but yet everyone still expect tips. It’s bad enough that everywhere you go they shove that thing in your face asking you to add a tip for someone just doing their job but to automatically add a tip, especially for a take order, is simply unacceptable. Therefore, I will NEVER go to this place again and my sincere hope for the new year is that they permanently go out of business. Like I said, many years ago they were always packed but now they are dead. And I bet it’s their bad business practices that are driving them out of business. There are lots of other Thai places in town with food just as good that don’t have such horribly ridiculously policies. So please Thai Topaz, do us all a favor and...

I am pasting my Kickin Wings review here because apparently ... it's sold of this restaurant so here ya go ... was only going to give one star but I ate at least 3 sriracha wings. Initially I was going to order off of DoorDash but wanted more information so I went to the site. Clicked on the contact information and it connected me right away to someone taking orders for delivery. So I decided to go for it. I was perplexed at first because when I looked up Kickin Wings on Google Maps it showed the Ingram TX location but the person taking the order told me there was one in Castle Hills too. I asked for a 10 pc wing combo, all wings, no drums with fries and blue cheese. No problem. It was delivered and it was all wrong. Got drums, they were all very dry and no fries. So then I called, he apologized, asked if I wanted the fries delivered. I said no because I felt bad for the guy driving out again and beside the wings were wrong too so I decided to go. He said he'd speak to the manager ... LIZ ... and it would be ready for me. So I get there and ... it's not ready. Not only that but LIZ was obviously annoyed with me and decided to debate on what exactly I felt was wrong with the order. She also told me that fries do not come with the combo and it's not on the menu. You know ... if you look at my previous reviews ... I have good things to say. I try to make it a point to compliment an establishment and not bash because I have been on the other side hearing complaints from people and it's not fun. So after going at it for a couple of minutes or two ... LIZ ... after making it clear that I would need to wait 25 minutes (as if trying to discourage me from having them do them again) she finally asked them to re do the order. Her suggestion at first was to add sauce to them to make them right because ... wow ... she would need to get them to take the wings out of the freezer to have them thawed. Why is this my problem?? First of all, the order was supposed to be redone and waiting for me when I got there. Oh but wait ladies and gentlemen, here's the kicker ... the restaurant isn't even a Kickin Wings!! It's a Thai Topaz on NW Military!! What the heck??? But apparently Kickin Wings is sold out of there. Oh and the fries?!! When I read reviews the fries were supposed to be delicious right? Well, the were the crinkly fries. I have been trying to find a great wing place after Wing Zone on Callaghan closed down. After reading amazing reviews I was really looking forward to it. I am over the top disappointed and LIZ needs a refresher on customer service skills. Perhaps my tattoos threw her off and she felt the need to treat me like an ignorant, uneducated individual. Sad that you have someone like her representing your establishment and they aren't even making your product taste anywhere close to many of your satisfied customers...

I’ve made my way up and down the menu over the last year, and I must say they are pretty decent. Not the best Thai food in town, but they are worth the visit.

One thing I have noticed is that every time I have ordered something with tofu, they include PLENTY of it, and they know exactly how to cook it. It’s the perfect firmness, perfectly toasted, and the texture seems very close to chicken. So I give them a definite A+ for their tofu.

However, the ratio of veggies to tofu is usually WAY off.

Most of their entrees include your choice of protein: tofu, chicken, pork, beef, or shrimp (prices vary based on your choice of protein - all of the items described below were ordered with tofu)

Let’s start with the Pad Thai ($13). This entrée is about a pound of food - plenty for two people, or two meals. It has a great taste, and as I mentioned, a ton of tofu. The only thing keeping me from loving this Thai staple is the imbalance of ingredients. It could honestly stand some more bean sprouts and peanuts.

Mixed Vegetable Stir Fry entrée ($13) This dish is bathed in a sweet tasting sauce, and has a perfect balance between sweet and spicy if ordered at spicy level “4”. The tofu is very flavorful and juicy. It’s mostly tofu and carrots with a little bit of zucchini, some broccoli, a few bean sprouts (but not many), and a touch of cabbage and onions. All of their stir fry entrees include a side of steamed jasmine rice. Like the Pad Thai, this entrée is enough for two meals.

Thai Topaz Broccoli ($14) Tofu and steamed broccoli in a spicy peanut sauce (includes steamed jasmine rice). I was disappointed in this one. As the name of this dish implies, I was expecting plenty of broccoli, but instead, I found it quite lacking in that veggie department.

Pad Woon Sen ($13) Glass noodles, mixed veggies, egg, onions, and bean sprouts. This one has PLENTY of glass noodles, and lots of onion and cabbage, but again falls short with the quantity of other veggies.

Sweet & Sour Stir Fry ($13) This has the typical sweet and sour taste of pineapples and a sweet sauce. It’s mostly tofu and tomatoes with a few chunks of pineapple, a scattered cucumber and onion slices.

Spicy Crazy Noodles ($13) CARB OVERLOAD! This dish is very heavy handed with the rice noodles. It has an ok taste to it, but I was tired of the noodles before I finished my way through it. It includes a few red bell pepper and onion slices and a smattering of bean sprouts.

I appreciate the amount of tofu they provide (many places skimp on this), but I wish they would balance the entrees out a bit more with the veggies and other...