Dancing Crab Thai — Restaurant in Dormont

The food at the Dancing Crab is a solid 5 stars. The atmosphere is 5 stars. Service: 1 star.

I visited Saturday, 5/14 about 20 to 30 minutes before the posted closing time of 3PM. The young lady working told us that we could order takeout but not sit down and eat due to the 3PM closure. She blamed the kitchen for this all patrons out by 3PM rule.

I do not understand how one turns away a party of three customers when your business is advertised as open. What is the actual closing time here?!? I worked many years in the restaurant business, and if the owner of the restaurants I worked at would have learned I was turning away customers before the posted closing, I would be fired. I will add that I was not thrilled when a party showed up 2 minutes before posted close, but I served them happily without rushing them.

So, what time are you actually closed for dining...if it says 3, should I assume no dining in after 2?!? I would certainly have made a different Thai restaurant choice....like the one a few blocks away had I known of this dine in restriction before closure.

When I told the waitress we knew what we wanted to order and would eat quickly as I had to pick my kid up 20 minutes away and our group had to dine quickly.

She kept offering a to go order and then relented and seated us. We ordered before our butts were even reluctantly seated. She delivered our food within minutes, gave us the check, and told us that she was rushing us because she needed to close out our check by 3. We immediately paid, ate, and we were out by 3:04.

Our food was so delicious that I visited with my husband yesterday evening 5/15 after a lovely sound bath at the neighboring Prana Veda studio. Before our sound bath, we checked the closing time to see if we would be able to eat after our event. Our event ended at 8:30 and the restaurant closed at 9.

We were greeted by the same waitress as the day before. Again, she offered to serve us takeout but not dine in. My husband was quite confused with the 9PM closing. Again, we have never been to a restaurant before a posted closing time and been refused service. This may be why the restaurant had ZERO patrons inside during their final open hour Saturday at 2:30 and Sunday at 8:40.

My husband and I told her we would not take long to eat, because we were splitting a meal and had to get home to our kids. Like we needed to eat mom and dad is on a date but need to get home and say good night to kids fast. She reluctantly agreed.

We sat in a booth. We had to ask her for water. She came back and slapped down two lidded to go cups of water which we were put off by. Then she quickly returns with our food packed to go in a bag.

She then acted confused and apologized. She said she thought we settled into our booth just to wait for our food. My husband and I were so confused, because we were pretty clear on our intent to sit and eat quickly and she said okay.

I really hope that the owner of the Dancing Crab reads this and finds the right staff for this restaurant, because this kind of service will have me visiting elsewhere in spite of the most delicious food and charming atmosphere. Nothing keeps you from returning to a restaurant like not feeling welcome and wanted for business.

I am also going to note that I heard the server who is not really interested in serving seated guests asking for a pay advance....my advice would be to actually serve customers to make money. If you really need cash, you don't turn away someone who is going to tip you.

Was I wrong to expect a seat to eat our meals two days in a row when the...

Went to Dancing Crab in Dormont for my moms birthday. Had the worst disrespectful service I’ve ever witnessed. The food was good but the way we were treated was disgraceful. First they brought us the wrong food then my asthma was flaring up so I was coughing and someone had the audacity to come over and ask if we were vaccinated. 1) the vaccine doesn’t work my parents are fully vaccinated and have had it both twice. 2) I’ve had covid three times and fully quarantined all three times because I have a heart even though I was accused of not having one 3) had I told them I have a medical exemption I probably would have been kicked out of the restaurant. They then decided to only at our table wear masks and gloves which again don’t work treating us like parasites. They then added a mandatory gratuity onto our tab for three people. My family always tips well so again this was an insult. I also asked if they could hold the cake I brought in the back as a surprise and bring it out as a surprise, they asked my mom if she was ready for cake literally ruining the surprise. We then asked if they wanted left over cake to be nice and they refused making it a point to again point out that no they will not be taking our germy cake and also refused to take the menu until we were done and wore gloves to buss our table. I have never witnessed poorer...

Ever rarely do I feel compelled to leave a review, and yet there are those very few instances that the food, the drinks, and the overall experience stand so far out from others that I take to google to review a place (we’re talking maybe three, four times- tops). The Dancing Crab outshines most. I’ve happened into most Thai places in the south hills and downtown Pittsburgh. Without a sliver of a doubt I can assure you that the dancing crab is the best! We ordered plenty of appetizers (none disappointed; the dancing shrimp and pork buns were phenomenal). My husband got the panang curry; and repeatedly mentioned mid meal how amazing it was (sometimes with an inaudible noise that could only translate to the quality and the taste of what he was eating… if not for a mouthful of curry). I got the drunken Lo mein. All I can say; despite being full, I contemplated ordering more. On top of the great food, cozy yet dapper ambience, and solid spice scale, the bartender is top notch and can make a mean cocktail— be sure to ask what he’s got cooking up in his little black recipe book and you’ll be sure to have some secret off the menu refreshment that will accompany the amazing food without being overshadowed. To conclude a lengthy review: go to the Dancing Crab. It is...